The game took place in West Virginia on a court that the women are not used to play in because of the bad maintenance and uneven ground. The field barely had grass and had bumps everywhere. For them, this was the hardest obstacle to overcome and win the game.
“It was a totally different setting, it was hard to control the ball and make good passes on such bad ground,” freshman Jinan Abdalah said.
Two of the three goals scored in the Mercyhurst Women’s soccer team’s game agaisnt Ohio Valley University on Sept. 28 were by a freshman, Jinan Abdalah. The other goal was scored by senior Rebekah Craig. Both of them said the team went to play against Ohio Valley with a mentality that they were going to win, and did not expect the field to be an issue. This gave them even more pride in winning.
“That was definitely the hardest part of the whole game, trying to make good passes in that terrain.” Abdalah said.
The women have only lost three outside games out of eight, and all of these wins are attributed to excellent teamwork. The seniors take the freshmen in and help them work with their game. They all take pride in having such a united team, because it translates to the field when it’s time to work together.
The manager of the soccer team, Paz Aguirre, who supports the women in every game and gives them constructive criticism says they were prepared for this game against Ohio Valley. They were taking advantage of the opportunities by making good passes and keeping their defense strong. The teamwork definitely stood out in this game.
“You could see a solid effort from all of the girls, and how they tried to include everyone when making a decision,” freshman Aguirre said.