Jack Hoover
CONTRIBUTOR
You better keep an eye on the Omaha women’s soccer team in the future.
The team recently wrapped up their season on Oct. 29 with a win over the South Dakota Coyotes. A two-goal performance from Emily Romero, the last coming in overtime to seal the game, saw the Mavericks through.
The win wasn’t hugely significant in terms of Summit League play. Both teams were already eliminated from postseason contention.
Yet, in a larger sense, this was perhaps one of the Maverick’s most important wins in years.
With that final victory over the Coyotes, Omaha finished 6-10- 1. The six wins were the most the Mavericks had gotten since moving to Division I soccer.
For a team playing under first year Head Coach Tim Walters, that win tally is critical to building a foundation for success in the future.
The seniors who graduated this year helped lay that foundation for success and displayed their leadership time and time again on the field. The underclassmen seemed to benefit from this leadership tremendously and were able to perform more effectively as a result. One very strong cause for optimism for the future is that 12 of the 16 goals scored this season were by underclassmen.
One of those underclassmen to note is junior Abby Meader, who scored three goals to go along with three assists on the year. She was honored for that work by additionally scoring a spot on the All-Summit League Second Team.
Overall, the season was full of ups and downs. There were tough losses and very exciting wins. The one factor throughout the season that never seemed to be missing was the Maverick’s tenacity to fight to the end in every game.
The Mavericks had two wins this year where they came from behind, one over Missouri State and the other over the South Dakota Coyotes. These games, where Omaha’s “never say die” attitude was on full display, were perhaps the highest points of the season.
Omaha still came back from being down all season long. The team started out poorly and suffered some of their biggest loses in the beginning, as was expected from a team that was learning to play under a new coach. As the season progressed, it was clear that confidence within the team was growing.
Despite some lulls in Summit League play, the team still managed to finish strong, getting some of their best wins in the last two games of the season.
Now, with the offseason here for the Mavericks, optimism is well justified when thinking about next season. The team and Walters will no doubt be eager to improve upon 2017’s record and perhaps, for the first time, play in the postseason. If the Mavericks can play with the same determination they did last year, and it’s a safe bet they will, the future will be bright.
