The Suffolk University women’s soccer team has kicked it into high gear through their 2023 campaign.
The team currently holds a 7-3-2 record this season, a great turnaround from last season where they won four games. Improvement has been key for this team, and it’s something head coach Ellie McDougall has preached to her squad.
“We’ve brought in a really talented, young class and the classes that returned did a great job over the summer. The level of play has raised,” said McDougall.
McDougall also cited how the team’s experience from last year has been key to their success this year. The team has emphasized the process of learning how to win.
“This year the resiliency and the comradery of the team and how we fight and compete have taught us a lot about winning. We still have lots to learn about it, but I think we’re improving in that direction,” said McDougall.
It’s clear they’ve learned a thing or two so far.
The Rams’ improved squad has found substantial success in the early stages of the season. In the 2022 season, the Rams were only able to muster 17 goals in 16 games, averaging 13.0 shots per game. Those numbers have skyrocketed this year as they’ve already totaled 24 goals in 12 games, averaging 15.3 shots per game.
The team’s ability to create shots has elevated considerably this season as they rank fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference so far. They ranked eighth in the conference last season.
This aggressive offensive mindset is something McDougall and her staff emphasize to their players.
“One of our principles is ‘Can we go forward?’ That’s a little bit of a tactical, technical piece that we talked about. Being in a ready position to where if we do get the ball we can go forward if we want to,” McDougall said.
McDougall also attributed the turnaround to the infusion of competitive and energetic talent to the team.
“Bringing in attacking-minded players around the country raises the level of competition and everyone gets better,” said McDougall.
She used the aphorism “a rising tide lifts all ships” to describe how the players make each other better.
The Rams are able to remain focused through their season by breaking down success day-by-day.
McDougall said when looking at the season on a macro-level, things seem a lot more daunting and you can get caught looking ahead. By breaking things down the way the team has, it’s easier for them to focus and handle things as they come.
“We wanna compete and we wanna go 1-0 on the day. We really don’t look past the next game ahead of us. It’s much easier to manage,” said McDougall.
This mentality stretches further than just games, but to practices, workouts and recovery. The hard working mindset the players carry doesn’t just show up on the pitch, but off it as well. McDougall credited her players for the way they’ve been able to help each other in the classroom, which has only strengthened team comradery.
Suffolk women’s soccer has always been known for their high academics, as they’ve been awarded the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for 15 consecutive seasons. This award is given to teams that have a collective GPA of at least 3.0.
“The ideal Suffolk student is a woman soccer player. That’s literally in our Power Point. Our players joke about it from time to time,” said McDougall.
The Rams hope to ride this early momentum to reach their end-of-season goals and qualify for the CCC playoffs.
McDougall stressed the importance of this team wanting to work for everything they get; not having anything handed to them.
“I would love to see this team do it. They work really, really hard. If we can work hard, compete, and earn those results. I would love to see it,” McDougall said.
With this talented, dedicated group of athletes, and McDougall and her staff at the helm, this is setting up for an exciting rest of the season for women’s soccer. They’ll look for their next wins Oct. 11 at Western New England and Oct. 14 vs Curry.
