The Gustavus Women’s Soccer team is off to a fantastic start. Their most recent game against Carlton marked the halfway point of the season, which has already been more successful than the previous one.

Last year, the team finished 11th in conference with only two wins. Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie emphasized the hard work from previous seasons has helped the current team get to where they are.

“When you’re rebuilding a program it always takes time in regard to implementing and building a culture. The teams each of the last three years have contributed massively to our success this season and without them we would not be where we are,” Burnett-Kurie said.

Junior Midfielder Coursey Edwards has seen improvement over the past few seasons and a lot of growth from the last few weeks.

“I think we are more creative than last year. We have a lot of creativity up top and a lot of versatile players compared to last year. Our first couple games were a little rough to get used to our playing style. So it didn’t start off as well as we wanted it to. It’s progressed and we are doing a lot better in conference right now. We’re 4-1 in conference,” Edwards said.

All 26 women on the roster contribute to the success of the team. One in particular is the only senior on the team, Brittany Chase.

“She has the work ethic, drive, grit and skill to not only lead by example but also vocally on the field.  She knows how hard the team has worked over the last three years in order to get to where we are and also knows how much harder they have to work to achieve their goals.  By being so well grounded and understanding what it takes to be a collegiate athlete, Britt has excelled on and off the field for us,” Burnett-Kurie said.

Like last year, the current team is a young team filled with new energy and talent.

“Of our 26 players, 19 of them are freshman and sophomores, which means we not only have potential for this year but also for years ahead.  It’s a very exciting time to be part of the program and hopefully we can continue to grow and develop,” Burnett-Kurie said.

The advantage the current team has over last years team is the returning members that are stepping up and helping to lead the team.

“I also think we’ve just grown from last year. We were a young team last year. This year we are also young but the players who were freshmen last year are now sophomores and they are starting to get into their role a little bit more,” Edwards said.

New team member Ashley Becker is a first-year goalie with skill and a lot of potential to help the team be successful.

“Our team goal is we want to finish 500 or above, which is having the same ratio of wins and losses. We’re above that. We want to finish top six in conference so we can go to playoffs and hopefully continue our season,” Becker said.

The team is a hardworking group of women who put in a lot of hours throughout the week to constantly improve.

“We are very dedicated. We are striving to get better. We want to have a great season and do whatever we can to have a great season. We are preparing on and off the field. We practice like we are in a game,” Becker said.

“When you’re rebuilding a program it always takes time in regard to implementing and building a culture. The teams each of the last three years have contributed massively to our success this season.”
—Laura Burnett-Kurie

This year’s team is just a little bit different from last year’s but it has already made a big difference. The recipe for success appears to be three basic ingredients.

“A little bit more confidence, a little bit more creativity and some fun,” Edwards said.

The team takes on conference rival Augsburg this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. whom they are tied with for first place.