The NYU women’s soccer team is unbeaten this season with a current record of seven wins, three ties and no defeats. Looking ahead to their conference season, the Violets hope to sustain this success through their strong culture of positivity on and off the field.
The Violets were 3-2-2 in conference last season — no stranger to competition, they made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament and ranked 10th in the NCAA D-III final rankings.
While the team’s winning record is a promising sign, the conference games present a greater challenge — last season, only three of its 14 wins came from within the conference.
“We have all the pieces we could possibly want, with all the talent, all the opportunities to be successful,” graduate student and captain Kelli Keady said. “It’s just a matter of believing that we’re good enough to make it happen.”
The confidence instilled in these players is a large part of head coach Scott Waddell’s coaching style, which encourages 100% effort and 100% positivity.
“The culture on this team is something really special and uplifting, and [Waddell]’s just been so great at empowering us in a positive way,” senior and captain Izze Ching said.
Players to look out for this season include junior Rena Kalargiros, who leads the team in goals scored and was awarded UAA Offensive Athlete of the Week on Sept. 23, and graduate student goalkeeper Riley Felsher, who also won Athlete of the Week on Sept. 2 for keeping back-to-back shutouts.
Keady said that although last year’s star players — including First Team All-UAA Gabrielle Funk — graduated, “anybody can step up and play, and everybody is welcome to kind of take on that role being a leader.”
Through events like a Long Island pre-season training camp and a recent team trip to California, the Violets are able to connect on a deeper level. This translates into the team’s gameplay, improving non-verbal communication and cohesion on the field.
“The trip bonded us. That got us going this season — that put us on the right foot,” Keady said.
Undefeated and in-sync, NYU women’s soccer is looking to take it further this season. The Violets’ next game is its first conference matchup against the No. 4 Case Western Reserve University on Oct. 5 in Cleveland, OH.
Contact Amelia Raymond at [email protected].