MarshallƵs Carolina Falcao (20) pushes upfield as the Marshall University womenƵs soccer team takes on Morehead State on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at Hoops Family Field in Huntington.
MarshallƵs Alice Johansson (11) chases down MoreheadƵs Marinna Campos (19) during a game on Thursday, Aug.15, 2024, at Hoops Family Field in Huntington.
MarshallƵs Carolina Falcao (20) pushes upfield as the Marshall University womenƵs soccer team takes on Morehead State on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at Hoops Family Field in Huntington.
MarshallƵs Alice Johansson (11) chases down MoreheadƵs Marinna Campos (19) during a game on Thursday, Aug.15, 2024, at Hoops Family Field in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON Ƶ The starting lineup for the Marshall womenƵs soccer team was almost unrecognizable on Thursday evening at Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex.
Seven new names were written in the 11-player lineup as first-year coach Rafa Simoes debuted a new-look Thundering Herd team that had spent just two weeks together before taking the field for the season opener.
ƵWeƵve had 15 days with these girls, and IƵm enjoying every minute of it,Ƶ Simoes said. ƵWeƵve got to keep aiming higher and higher.Ƶ
In that time, Marshall opened with a week of practice, then hit the road for exhibition matches at Delaware and Drexel to acclimate to a new style of play and new teammates. Along that time frame, there were still kinks to work out in the season opener.
ƵIt takes time,Ƶ said Bailey Fisher, a Hurricane High School product who is in her third season at Marshall. ƵYouƵve got to learn how to play a system weƵre not used to right now and adjust.Ƶ
Early in the contest, Fisher got one of the newbies involved as she controlled the ball on the left side of the pitch and crossed it into the middle for Ebony Leckey, who then scored the only goal of the night for the Thundering Herd.
ƵShe didnƵt play in the preseason games because she wasnƵt eligible,Ƶ Simoes said. ƵSo in her first appearance, she scored a goal in the first 15 minutes. ThatƵs what a striker does. I was a striker, so IƵm proud of her.Ƶ
Several newcomers played key roles for the Herd all over the pitch on Thursday.
Amelia Compston, a West Liberty transfer and Charleston native, came off the bench and provided 54 minutes. She took a quality header shot off a Marshall corner kick in the second half.
Kajsa Ekstrom and Angel Fowler worked well on the back line with sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Wolgemuth, putting together a performance that Simoes saw as solid overall, despite a few hiccups.
Simoes said he would have loved to leave the match with a win, but an up-and-down first half made achieving that result a bit difficult.
ƵI thought we were vey emotional the first 15 minutes and played the game very transactionally, just running around,Ƶ Simoes said. ƵI like to keep the ball, thatƵs how I see soccer, and we were not able to do that in the first half.Ƶ
The second half, though, was better. MarshallƵs offensive chances seemed to come more naturally and were stronger, collective efforts, as was the response to counters on the defensive side.
Each of those things are learning opportunities for the Herd, which wonƵt return to competition for another eight days before playing two road matches at Dartmouth (Aug. 23) and Harvard (Aug. 26). Marshall returns home on Sept. 1 to face Belmont.
ƵWeƵve got to keep working, and now our focus shifts to Dartmouth,Ƶ Simoes said. ƵThen we go to Harvard, who is ranked No. 17 in the country. Really good tests to help us get better for Sun Belt play.Ƶ
After one of those matches, Simoes hopes to be able to crack open the bottle of champagne his former boss, Marshall menƵs coach Chris Grassie, gave him to enjoy after his first win.
Oh, how sweet that first sip will be.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD Media. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
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