Feb. 13, 2012 SEATTLE -The UW women's soccer team is ready to get back on the field after announcing its 2012 spring schedule, which includes five games between April 1 and May 10, highlighted by a match-up against the Seattle Sounders Women. The Dawgs will take on US National Team stars Alex Morgan and Hope Solo, a former Husky, and the rest of the Sounders Women at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Friday, May 4 at 7 p.m. Three of the Huskies' spring matches take place at home, including spring opener against Portland, Sunday April 1 at Husky Soccer Field. The team will take a short bus ride to Championship Field to face Seattle U on Saturday, April 21 which will be in conjunction with the SU/UW Men's doubleheader, as well as a Special Olympics Unified Game community outreach event. The Dawgs return home against Seattle Pacific on Friday, April 27 and finish the spring season by hosting Oregon State on Saturday, May 5. The five exhibition games won't count towards the team's season record or stats, but the competitive schedule will allow the players "to get ample game minutes and work on their individual areas of improvement," head coach Lesle Gallimore explains. Senior midfielder Kelsea Brajkovich added, "The team has taken a fresh approach to the winter training strategy this year by emphasizing the importance of training in small groups outside of scheduled practices and holding each other accountable for improving individual skills." After finishing with a 7-8-5 overall record in the 2011 season, the Huskies "want to prove to everyone that Husky soccer is here to win," junior defender Annie Sittauer states. "Not only would we like to seek some revenge from some of last season, but we are going to set the tone for what we expect to come in the fall." The players are taking the opportunity to work on their skills and building their confidence towards one another, as sophomore forward/midfielder Chelsea Archer feels the spring games will "help us to anticipate things better where we are almost one mind, thinking the same when we walk onto the field." Gallimore says the major overall theme of the off-season is competition and hopes that having a "play-off mentality this spring will help the players, specifically the underclassmen, understand what that mentality and pressure brings with it. You only get so many opportunities to play in college and you have to treat each and every game with a competitive and winning attitude." 2012 Washington Women's Soccer Spring Schedule: |
