Well, for a few minutes or so anyway.
“We are already working on preparing for next season,” said UMass coach Ed Matz. “We have already started lifting this week in preparation for next year. It is a 12 month commitment and we are going to take what we accomplished this season and build on it.”
As far as accomplishment goes, the Minutewomen (8-11, 5-5 A-10) have certainly racked up some impressive numbers in the right categories.
Their offensive prowess almost doubled in effectiveness and strength when compared to the team’s 2009 season. In total, the team logged 28 goals compared to last season’s 15, along with posting 244 shots as opposed to last season’s 192. The Minutewomen also saw their shots on goal, assists and corner kicks rise by significant figures as opposed to last years campaign.
As strong as the UMass offense has been, their skills in their own end have also seen strong improvement.
The Maroon and White’s defensive abilities have gained strong foundations throughout the course of the season. Compared to last season, opposing teams were allowed one less goal (32 to 33), over a hundred less shots (260 to 363), and a lower SOG percentage (.458 to .466). The Minutewomen also had seven shutouts compared to just three the year before.
As far as the season is concerned, Matz is very pleased with the outcome.
“The season, to me, was very successful,” said Matz. “The girls did everything they could throughout the year, despite being hit hard by injuries and other negative aspects. With those limitations, eight wins is definitely a good outcome.”
“As far as the playoffs go, I’m disappointed with the result, but certainly not with the effort,” Matz added. “The amount of work and dedication that the girls put into that game reflected the effort that they gave throughout the season. They were pretty banged up throughout, and yet they still gave 110 percent every game.”
As successful as the year has been, improvement is still a strong goal for the team as they head into their workout sessions.
Some of the big things that Matz feels needs improvement is consistency on all parts of the field: developing a better handle on facing strong adversity in teams like Washington, Michigan and Dayton, and in keeping up performance when on the road, especially throughout their A-10 slate.
And those are just some of the things that Matz sees as getting better in the seasons to come.
“You can expect goal totals to go up, the offense to go up, the defense to be more fortified and for our goalkeepers to be stronger down the strength,” Matz said.
One thing that Matz does not want to see change is the performance from his team’s senior class.
“The seniors did a tremendous job throughout the year,” Matz said. “They set the right kind of example of what’s expected from a winning club. I can’t imagine going through my college career with three different coaches like they did and still manage to bring this much leadership and strength to the team. I couldn’t be happier with how they carried themselves and the team, especially down the stretch.”
As the team prepares to top their strong first season under Matz’s lead, the bar has been set higher than some would have pictured it to be this early on.
“Next year, we’ll have a strong core midfield that will solidify our offensive and defensive play,” Matz said. “With this group of players, we’re going to show the qualities I feel are essential for a winning ball club: organization, fitness, and tenacity.”
David Martin can be reached at www.student.umass.edu.
