Richmond women's soccer on to A-10 semifinals

The University of Richmond women's soccer team is playing its first game in the Atlantic 10 semifinals at the University of Dayton on Friday, and is hoping to return home with a conference championship.

This season has been the most positive one the team has had in the past four years, senior midfielder Liza Koch said. In past seasons, the team had had a decline in the middle of the season, and once it reached the A-10s, it has been unable to perform, she said. "Now, it's kind of like we're peaking right at the right moment," Koch said.

Richmond had to win at least three games against A-10 conference teams to get the No. 2 seed at Dayton. This ranking has allowed the team to bypass one of the three tournament games. If the team wins on Friday, it will move to the finals on Sunday. Head coach Peter Albright said the team had focused a lot of energy on making sure it had a winning season in order to receive a bye in the tournament.

"Once we accomplished that [winning three games] there was very little celebration," Albright said. "The players immediately refocused on 'OK now we've got this, now we need to win the tournament.'" It would have been normal for the players to feel as though they had accomplished something and celebrate, but they really kept their eye on the main goal - to win at Dayton, he said.

When asked if she had noticed any changes in the team this year, sophomore right back Crystal Koczot said: "This year I feel like we're more cohesive as a team, just because a lot of the same players have returned. So we already knew how everyone played. Last year I felt like a lot of players were moved around a lot."

In practice, Albright said, the coaches focused on playing patterns, techniques and shooting by breaking down into smaller groups. Assistant coaches Jen Woodie and Peter Nash worked hard to train players in their specific positions, said Melissa Pacheco, a senior goalkeeper.

In practice, every drill has a purpose and it is displayed in games, sophomore forward Becca Wann said. This has improved the team's attack, she added. "Last year we would have under five shots every game and in the last four games we've had over 100 shots."

The players agreed that playing home games on campus was better than playing at Ukrop Park, where the team has played for the past two years because of construction on campus. Pacheco said she was proud that the team had represented Richmond so well and was glad to earn more respect and attention from students and the community. "We're undefeated at home and no other team at Richmond can say that in our new stadium, which is a pretty big thing," she said.

It's unimaginable what a difference it's made, Albright said of the switch to on-campus games. "We used to joke last year that we had 20 away games," he said. "We have really good student support but we also have a positive feeling of energy. It's an incredible environment to play in.

In addition to drawing larger audiences, players and coaches agreed the new turf gave the team an edge in home games.

"The turf that we have here is faster than anyone else's," Wann said. "Since we practice on it, we're better. When other teams come here it takes them almost a half to get used to it, so it's a big advantage for us."

Koczot and Koch agreed that the team's victories over the University of Dayton and The College of William and Mary were the most memorable moments of the season. Both teams are in the top-25 and they were home games, Koch said.

Two of the most challenging games this season were Temple and St. Bonaventure, Albright said. "We won William and Mary by being great," he said. "But with Temple and St. Bonaventure, we had to grind it out to find a way to win, and we did." The team's loss against Penn State showed the team it could play against strong teams with confidence, and it was a great learning experience, Albright said.

Above all, the players' attitudes are a driving force in their success. "The whole idea of chemistry with our team is good," Koczot said. "We get along really well off the field which I think helps a lot on the field." Players have a common theme: hey all work hard for one other, respect one another and are willing to sacrifice to do what it takes to win, which is different from past years, Pacheco said.

"In the past we've had a chance but at times we would expect the worst and we'd be worried that we were going to lose," Albright said. I think now with this team, when something bad happens, they really expect that they're going to overcome it and win."

The team's record is 13-4-3 overall, with a 7-1-1 conference record.

Contact staff writer Taylor Cloonan at taylor.cloonan@richmond.edu