The mindset is simple for Arizona soccer’s last non-conference game against the University of San Francisco on Sunday at 1 p.m.
“”All we want is to win,”” said senior Macke Mutz.
Senior Becky Barry was a little more specific.
“”A full 90 minutes, with a ‘W’ and a shutout,”” Barry said, explaining what she wanted to see out of UA against the Dons (4-7).
Should the Wildcats win on Sunday, they would match their win total from all of last year at only the halfway point in this season and would win back-to-back games for the first time since September of 2009.
However, Arizona (3-5-2) has been erratic this year in terms of playing to its full potential.
At times, the Wildcats’ offense has looked fluid and dangerous, only to stagnate in the next game and struggle to find the back of the net.
The defense has also displayed its ability to stifle opponents as recently as the last match when Arizona shut out Utah 1-0, but the back four still remains susceptible to errors.
“”Consistency is key. That’s what we really need to work on,”” Mutz said.
Head coach Lisa Oyen echoed the need for the Wildcats to play with the same energy and intensity in every match.
But with conference play just around the corner, Oyen has her focus on fixing more concrete issues.
“”Our defensive organization is something we’re always going to work on. The other is how we can be most dangerous in the attack, whether it’s a 1-on-1, or combining, shots from distance or shots from close,”” Oyen said. “”Some of that is going to be based on what our opponents are giving us, and some of that is going to be recognizing and being skillful enough to take advantage of whatever our opponents are showing us.””
During its non-conference slate, Arizona has played some of the nation’s top programs from many different regions, and as a result, the Wildcats have been exposed to several different looks and styles of soccer.
Being able to absorb the different approaches and techniques from other teams will undoubtedly help Arizona once it begins its difficult Pacific 10 conference schedule.
The non-conference games have also allowed Oyen to see the different styles of play her own team has to offer.
With 12 talented freshmen on the roster, Oyen is still crafting the best lineup of 11 players to start each match, be it the most dangerous attacking group or the group that has the best chemistry.
“”These games give us a chance to change things up over the course of a match and see what’s most successful for our team,”” Oyen said. “”Being matched up against different opponents from what we see every year is good to give us different looks to play against and put out different looks for our team as well, just to see what is going to be the best formation or best combination of players that is going make us the most successful.””
