With a strong start to their season, the women’s soccer team was named PacWest’s Team of the Week, and senior business major Marije (Mimi) Rechin was awarded PacWest Player of the Week, Monday, Sept. 15 after an impressive week of games.
From the sidelines we see the cheers and encouragement that they give one another after a victory, and a pat on the back when something unexpected happens. The team has shown how positivity has been the key to their success.
“We’ve never gotten that since I’ve been here, so that was big for us, but I think it’s just a cool encouragement to keep pushing and working hard,” Rechin said. “That week we had three games in one, so it was kind of a hard week, so it was just cool to get recognized. We really just came together and pushed through and fought hard.”
Senior elementary education major Jojo Prisock appreciated that not only the team was recognized, but that Rechin’s hard work throughout her athletic career hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I’ve been playing with Mimi for almost two years, and she finally got Player of the Week, and I think she deserves it a lot of weeks,” Prisock said. “And it’s a shared win type of thing: she wins, our team wins.”
As of now, the team’s record sits at 3-1-3, with wins against San Francisco State, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Westcliff. The team is off to a much more positive start compared to the beginning of the 2024 season.
“I feel like it’s almost a confidence booster compared to last year,” Prisock said. “Last year we were kind of uneasy about the season, and this year I feel like there’s more confidence and positivity. And we might have a chance to get further than we have in a while, which also just helps build the team’s chemistry because we’re all working for each other.”
Players credit the team’s success to their bond and chemistry. They emphasize how important it is to have strong team chemistry and how it ultimately helps their performance on the field.
“It’s very different, “ sophomore pre-nursing major Hailey Allen said. “Just the team unity and culture we’ve built is amazing; you can go to all your teammates for anything.”
Many players look forward to what the team could accomplish this season, and see just how far they can go. Their next game is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2 against Jessup at Al Barbour Field.
“I think we’re off to a good start [by] just getting to bond with these girls that I already love so much,” Prisock said. “It’s something I’m looking forward to, like this positive environment with so much support from everyone on the team, whether you’re playing a lot, not playing a lot, it’s just positivity all around.”
