While many DU students were still on summer break, the men’s soccer team was in full swing, arriving at campus in early August.
The Pioneers (1-4-2) opened their 2011 season at the ShindigZ National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne, Ind. with exhibition games against two Big Ten Conference teams. The Pioneers tied both the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes with scores of 0-0 and 1-1, respectively. The tournament also helped DU gain national exposure, as 14 other universities and 28 high schools from around the nation took part in the festival.
According to head coach Bobby Muuss, one major focus for the Pioneers this season is the importance of preventing injuries.
Last season, DU faced adversity as many of the team’s veterans were sidelined due to injuries. Despite injuries plaguing the team, the Pioneers were able to finish with a winning record at 11-9.
“Injuries happen; little things happen that you can’t prevent,” said Muuss. “You have to know when to pull back at the right time so [the players] are fresh and ready to go.”
Much of the team’s success in the tournament was a result of the outstanding athleticism of senior Jarod Stigall.
Stigall, a Texas native, tallied nine goals, including three game-winning goals, for the Pioneers in 2010. As for the 2011 season, Stigall has not been able to find the back of the net in four regular season games.
Earlier in the season, the Pioneers earned ties against No. 22 Notre Dame and Davidson. The losses came against No. 3 Creighton and No. 9 Indiana, in which the Pioneers lost both games by one goal. The Pioneers gained their first win of the season shutting out Buffalo last Friday, 3-0. Before the first half ended, DU senior forward Matt Kirby sent the ball to freshman forward Christan Volesky, who put the ball into the far post past two defenders, sending DU into halftime up 2-0.
“We take it day by day,” Muuss said. “We are playing every game for the full 90 minutes, and we are playing every game to our fullest ability. “
The Pioneers took on College of Charleston Sunday and lost 3-2.
Women’s soccer
The DU women’s soccer team started its season at the Colorado Cup Aug. 19-21, where it won both games 2-1. The team has a 6-2 record, including a victory against in-state rival University of Colorado. The Pioneers also traveled to California to compete in the California Invitational Sept. 2-4, where they came away with a win and a loss against University of San Fransisco and University of California, respectively.
As the season goes on, the team hopes to win the Sun Belt and the Conference Tournaments and progress deep into the NCAA tournament, according to head coach Jeff Hooker. This is the women’s last season in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). During its time in the SBC, the program has won seven Sun Belt Titles overall, including four consecutive titles until losing to Middle Tennessee last season.
The women also took on CSU Bakersfield as they opened the Pioneer Invitational on Friday night and came away with a 1-0 win. Junior midfielder Katy Van Lieshout scored the game’s only goal after receiving the ball from sophomore forward Kristen Hamilton. DU took on Auburn on Sunday and lost 2-1.
“We need to continue to improve and get better each week,” said Hooker. “Our team has done a wonderful job at rising to the occasion and playing outside their comfort zone, which has produced some good results thus far.”
