Turner, Twidle for soccer team aiming to return to NCAA Tournament
Last year, the Central Michigan women’s soccer team missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008-09, after losing in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Their two losses in MAC play came against Western Michigan with both games ending at 1-0.
“I wouldn’t say it’s something that went wrong, I’d say it’s just something that didn’t go our way last season,” junior forward Nicole Samuel said. “We didn’t go into a game not playing our hearts out, and that’s what we did. We just didn’t get the results.”
The Chippewas return an all-around team and set the goal of returning to the NCAA tournament. While it’s in the back of their minds, that’s where it will stay for now.
Samuel said the team wants to take it one game at a time.
“We’re really working toward starting off strong,” she said. “That’s definitely in our sights, but we’re trying to take it one game at a time and not overshadow our season with going to the NCAAs, but that’s definitely on our minds as well.”
The team returns a senior goalkeeper – the first since 2010-11 when Shay Mannino led the way to an NCAA tournament bid against Marquette.
Now Stefanie Turner is in charge and has sophomore Grace Labrecque as her backup. Turner has 15 total wins and 0.58 goals against average, but, more importantly, she witnessed Mannino in the NCAA tournament and earned playing time to end the game, when Mannino was removed for an ovation.
“It’s always an advantage to have quality players, whether it’s a goalkeeper, whether it’s a defender or a midfielder or forward," Stafford said. “Having two big-time goalkeepers is a dream of any program, professional or collegiate.”
Lack of goal scoring
Senior Laura Twidle’s 2011 season might be part of the reason why CMU didn't finish the way it wanted last year. She scored seven goals during her freshman season and eight goals her sophomore season before she was plagued by injuries last season.
The forward played six games last season, after playing a combined 44 prior to her junior year. Her goal-scoring ability could have helped her team, which struggled to consistently score throughout the season.
Twidle's impact is already being made this season.
She scored against Evansville on Sunday, but the game was cancelled because of lightning.
“It was nice to see Laura have a run-out there today and get some minutes and to come through unscathed,” Stafford said following Friday’s 1-0 victory against Detroit. “We’re real happy with the run-out she had. She always helps us with possession and helps us kind of keep more of the ball when we’re trying to play a possession game. A healthy Laura Twidle is only going to make us better.”
