The women's soccer team traveled to Tigerville, South Carolina Monday afternoon where they opened their preseason campaign with a 0-0 draw against NCAA DII opponent North Greenville University.
"I am incredibly proud of how hard the team worked physically despite the extreme heat but also tactically to play our indirect style of play despite a heavy load of constant pressure by NGU," said Head Coach Chris Carmichael. "We did a lot of really good things and in many cases we were doing the right things but just need to get technically a little sharper. With us only having a couple days of training that will get fixed in due time."
Preseason training began last Thursday for the women's soccer team where a group of
11 new recruits met up with a core group of returners as they began preparations for the beginning of the 2023 season.
Today's exhibition match marked the fourth meeting between the Bruins and Crusaders with North Greenville University holding the 3-0 record. Last season, the Bruins hosted the Crusaders for a mid-season match where the Crusaders showed their strength and ran out to a 5-1 result.
Coming into today's game, Coach Carmichael said, "I gave the team a challenge to build the attack out of the back knowing that NGU was going press us up high (which they did) and they were brave and fearless and kept getting stronger throughout the game. We are all incredibly encouraged by the depth of our team. Our freshmen and transfer did a phenomenal job as did our returners. The team dynamics are healthy and the unity is strong. Our captains have done a great job working with our team as has our coaching staff. We have a lot of challenges ahead, but we have an amazing team of diverse players that are all behind each other."
Due to high heat, the game concluded early with the teams leaving the field in a 0-0 decision.
"Despite the insufferable heat, every player, freshman to senior, pushed through and exemplified the mental toughness Bruins aspire to reflect," said forward Gabriela Gonzalez. "The mental fortitude and tiki taka style resulted in a 0-0 match where our incoming freshmen and transfer player shined. The upcoming season for the BJU women's soccer team will be a memorable one!"
The team will be back on the pitch this Saturday, August 26 for a 3 p.m. contest against the University of South Carolina Beaufort in Bluffton, South Carolina. You can follow the team all season long at
www.bjubruins.com.
