The Gustavus women’s soccer team’s non-traditional season is winding down, with only one practice remaining this spring. For the Gusties, the non-traditional season consists of seven team sessions that focus on teamwork, skill development and, according to Head Coach Mike Stehlik, a little bit of fun.
“Our goal is to stay healthy, have fun and get an idea of how the fall will look,” Stehlik said. “We have a young team so it’s good to give opportunities to some new players.” The Gusties also took advantage of the spring sessions to run scrimmages that explored new schemes and player combinations.
The team will report for fall camp on Sunday, Aug. 21. Coach Stehlik made it clear that what the women do between now and then will determine how the fall season goes. “One day of practice is like one day of clean living,” he said, “it really doesn’t do you much good.” Once school is out, the individual Gusties will focus on skill development and conditioning. “I think everyone realizes that the most important thing this summer is staying in shape to be ready in the fall,” Stehlik said.
Gustavus will play its first game of the 2011 season on Saturday, Sept. 3, taking on UW-Stout at 12:00 p.m. in St. Peter.