Women's Soccer | 9/2/2010 5:45:51 PM

OVERVIEW
The Western Oregon University soccer team will be relying on experience of the student-athletes and team depth this season. It will return nine starters and 20 letterwinners from last year's young squad.

"We are a more seasoned team than last year," said Western Oregon head coach Rod Fretz. "We have a lot of players from last year that are going to be on the field a lot this year, so in that sense we should be a more seasoned team, particularly the front."

Last season, the Wolves struggled at times to put goals on the board but coach Fretz believes that will change not only because of an improved knowledge of the offense, but also a stronger defense.

"We are going to be better on the attacking side," Fretz explained. "We were playing a little conservative going forward, which we want to get out of. Once we get out of that I think we are going to have a more potent attack.

"Overall we will have a better defense," he continued. "We defended really well at times but we were kind of hit and miss last year. But once we get them in there our defense will be better (than it was last fall), I think it will be much more solid in the back"

GNAC
The Wolves, who were picked seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason poll, will once again have one of the toughest schedules in the West thanks to the high quality and competition in the GNAC.

"All that said I think the conference is better," noted Fretz. "Seattle Pacific won the conference last year; they are reloading with just about everybody. They have five or six bench players that would have been starting for anyone else in the conference."

Fretz also spoke highly about some of the other teams in the conference in addition Seattle Pacific, the six-time GNAC champions.

"Western Washington has a lot experience back," he said. "They loss two key players a keeper and a more attacking player but they got the bulk of their returners back too."

"Saint Martin's is pretty much the same team as last year," Fretz continued. "Simon Frasier coming in is just going to make the conference tougher. They have a long tradition of success in soccer. They have been NAIA champions a few times and have always have good results against GNAC teams."

Fretz feels that those four teams are the cream of the crop in the GNAC but feels Western Oregon has a good chance to emerge from the second group of teams.

"We are looking to be in the hunt in the second pack of teams," he said. "We could be the best of the rest."

SUCCESSFUL YEAR
Fretz outlined three keys for the Wolves to have a successful season and reach that goal of competing with the second tier of teams, and eventually ascending into the upper portion of the league.

"One is more balance scoring attack," Fretz outlined. "We need more scoring out of more players. We have four or five players who should all need to get five goals each. We need to build a more versatile attack.

"The second thing is to be a smarter team in possession," he noted. "Last year, we would get the ball and go straight forward. We need to draw the teams out.

"And last thing is being a more consistent defensive team," Fretz said in conclusion. "We need more consistency and patience to keep our goals against down."

CONCLUSION
Coach Fretz and his new coaching staff of Daniel Day and Christopher Cramer have been putting the team through weeks of training to reinforce this message in anticipation of the start of this season. It is now time to execute the plan that is in place, and success will follow.