Young soccer team last season gained valuable experience

2018 Stout Soccer Stats | WIAC Soccer | WIAC Preseason Poll

MENOMONIE (August 15, 2019) - Going into last season, UW-Stout head women's soccer coach Ryan Raufus knew the season was going to be a learning experience for his young charges. The Blue Devils entered the 2018 season with 17 freshmen and a couple of transfers on the roster. 

The young team got off to a decent start, then ran into reality the second half of the season, especially during the conference season.

"We played well in the first half, but we just weren't ready," said Raufus, who enters his ninth season as the Blue Devils' head coach. "Once we hit the back half of the season, we just weren't ready."

But Raufus sees a silver lining in a season that didn't line up in the win-loss column.

"One of the benefits of last year is that a lot of different players got a lot of real-game meaningful experience," Raufus said. "Now, they have a better understanding of what it takes."

Coming off an excellent spring season, Raufus will still have a young team, a team of three seniors, three juniors, 10 sophomores, six freshmen and two transfers, a junior and a sophomore. Raufus deems his 2019 team as young, but experienced. 

"We have a nice mix of players with experience and players with youthful energy," Raufus said.

The Blue Devils lost one of their all-time leading scorers in three-time all-conference forward Sydney Kasper, who graduated the program with 26 goals, ranking sixth on the all-time scoring list. 

The Blue Devils last season had 15 players that scored at least one point and 11 players that scored at least one goal. Eleven players return that scored at least one point.

Sophomore Marissa Steele (Farmington, Minn) is the Blue Devils' leading returning scorer after chipping in three goals and three assists. Senior tri-captain Bella Pedlar (Rgers, Minn) added three goals. Senior tri-captains Sarah Dickmann (Shawano) and Hannah Kirchner (La Crosse) added to the scoring, Dickmann with a goal and assist and Kirchner matching Steele in assists with three. Junior Lexi Fernandez (St. Charles, Minn) and sophomores Rachel Washington (Milwaukee), Ariel Kuchta Green Bay) and Caylee Boone (Eau Claire) each scored their first collegiate goals last year. Junior Lexie Wescott (Lake Geneva) and sophomore Kali Brahs (Lindstrom, Minn) each notched an assist. 

Coupled with some talented incoming freshmen, and Raufus is comfortable with what he sees in scoring potential.

"We will have a lot of options for scoring," Raufus said. "We won't rely on one player (for the bulk of the scoring)."

While the front two lines appear in good shape, Raufus and his coaching staff will be looking to shore up the defense.

"The back row is still undecided," Raufus said. "We are still looking for players to step up defensively."

Playing time in the goal will be decided among three true goalies, a luxury Stout did not have last season. 

Claudia Anderson (So, North Branch, Minn) returns after playing 14 games in front of the twine, recording 91 saves. Rachel Nowak (Jr, Lomira), all 6-foot-2 of her, returns to the goalie box after a year off. Nowak started two games in 2017, playing in four, earning a goals against average of 0.95. Freshman goalie Erica Seitz (Osseo, Minn), scheduled to wear the unconventional goalie number of 50, earned all-conference honors playing in a large school conference in the Twin Cities area.

Raufus pointed out four areas in particular the Blue Devils will need to work on this year.

"We must defend as a unit and we need to take pride in our defense," Raufus said. "We need to build confidence and we need to be more consistent."

During the spring practice season, Raufus noted his team improved to the point they needed be to take a step forward.

"But that improvement must carry over (into the fall)," Raufus said. "The question will be which of our younger players will step up. We will need more than just the junior and senior classes. We will need that sophomore class to take a big step."

Raufus believes his scrimmage season will be a good test for the Blue Devils, who will face solid MIAC schools Augsburg University and Macalester College in scrimmages.

"Those teams will test us and show us what we need to be," Raufus said.

The Blue Devils will spend much of the season on the road. Nelson Field is expected to undergo renovations this fall, forcing the Blue Devils to find a place to play this season. Stout will host four home games, all against WIAC opponents, at the Menomonie High School field. But those four games are in October and November. Two "home" games are scheduled to be played at the UW-River Falls field. Stout will be on the road the entire month of September. 

The Blue Devils will open the season Friday, Aug. 30 at St. Catherine, then will play host to Ripon College, Saturday, Aug. 31 at UW-River Falls. Stout first plays in Menomonie, Saturday, Oct. 5 when they host UW-Stevens Point. Stout will host UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 12, UW-Whitewater, Oct. 26 and UW-Eau Claire, Nov. 2.