UMass, 13; New Hampshire, 9. Each digit represents the number of goals scored by its respective team this season.
The Massachusetts women’s soccer team (3-1,1-0 Atlantic 10) has scored four more goals than UNH (2-3-3,1-1-1 America East), but the difference isn’t impressive until the number of games played is also listed:
UMass 4, UNH 8.
With a Husky squad that is averaging slightly better than one goal per game, the Minutewomen should be able to keep the ball on their offensive third for the majority of the contest. But coach Jim Rudy is weary of the Wildcats’ size advantage on both sides of the pitch, especially after a shaky outing in last week’s 3-1 victory over Rhode Island.
“They are a really big, physical team,” Rudy said. “They are much bigger than we are, which is a concern because we did very poorly in the air last week. You don’t want to let them get too close to your penalty area with regularity, because they crash the box with some big, big players.”
Even if the Maroon and White keeps possession of the ball in its offensive third, UNH will still have a distinctive size advantage.
“They tackle hard,” Rudy said. “They are very aggressive. We are going to be attacking their huge defense [with some players pushing 6-foot-0] and our front people are in the 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-4’s.”
But while the size match-up may be an issue, the Huskies are likely to strategize right into UMass’s positional strength.
“They play a real funky-looking system of play,” Rudy said. “It appears to be almost a 3-6-1, so there are a lot of people in the middle of the field, which is really our strength.”
The middle of the field just happens to be patrolled by three seniors, all-conference player Brooke Bartlett, Kat Machamer, and Katelyn Jones, with former A-10 Player of the Week Martha Conover rounding out the foursome.
“[Brooke] worried the hell out of Rhode Island so much that they put a key attacker, No. 5, [on her] and [she] still tore her up. She is going to worry other teams and make them change.”
While the midfield is strong and the forwards have been impressive, it is the defense that has caused Rudy headaches over the past week or two, despite posting victories in each of the last games.
“Although we got a victory against Rhode Island, I don’t think we were pleased the manner that we got it,” Rudy said. “Our attacking was very good, but our defending at times has been very shaky in terms of decision-making and skills. That is something that we really want to rectify.”
Rudy’s disappointment may lead the way to some changes in either strategy or personnel in the defense, with some discussion already taking place on the practice field.
“We are really close to changing some things up [with the defense],” Rudy said. “We had a good day with that yesterday.”
The New Hampshire offense has two very good players that will be the focus of the UMass defense this afternoon. Freshman Chiara Best and sophomore Ana Tobon make up an impressive and very young one-two punch for the Husky offense.
“Best plays really up high,” Rudy said. “She is all over the field. They don’t get a lot of attack unless it goes through her.”
Tobon is UNH’s leading scorer and will force UMass’s defense to look for No. 5 all game long.
“[Tobon] plays underneath the frontrunners,” Rudy said. “She is a playmaker and a connecter. She is going to be a ghost at times where she mills around underneath the attack, not real visible, and all of the sudden she pops up and she’s open. That is something we are really going to pay attention to.”
Rudy has one other worry in regards to this afternoon’s game-the fact that it is a weekday game, something that seemed to take the spring out of the Minutewomen’s steps against UConn back on September 5. UMass lost its only game that Wednesday-which was the first day of school-by a score of 5-0.
“Hopefully that is out of our system,” Rudy said. “The rhythm of going to classes and trying to get a meal and trying to do everything you do on a game day, as opposed to playing on the weekend where you have your total focus.”
