University of Minnesota women’s head soccer coach Stefanie Golan will bring with her into the 2016 season something she says she’s never had before – her “first veteran squad.” Six seniors will return to the Gophers. The U of M coach, who will start her 5th year with the team this fall, says four of those players will be in starting positions right down the center of the field. That veteran leadership means that Golan’s current NCAA spring season will be all about giving opportunities for players that didn’t play much last fall. “It helps me to see what my depth will look like,” said Golan. She says it will also help her work on tactics to tweak her system, a luxury she’s never been afforded until now.
A Sudden Calling
Officially, Golan will be entering her fifth season this fall with the Gophers, but it may be fairer to call it her fourth. She was hired in late June of 2012 after former longtime women’s coach Mikki Denney Wright unexpectedly resigned in mid-May, causing the University to scramble to find a replacement in a little over a month’s time. Golan had coached at the US Military Academy at West Point in NY, where she served two years as an assistant and three as head coach. Chosen in an accelerated search process, she took over the team only a month before the season started. She hurriedly moved to Minnesota, leaving her husband and 6-year-old son to pack while she went about the business of coaching a Division 1 women’s soccer program — a job that can be more than a little demanding of your time, the primary reason Wright had resigned. She moved into temporary housing until after the season, when she was finally able to get settled in. Then the real work started.
After that 2012 season she was able to start the recruiting process, but soon found out personally how hard it is to convince players from outside the five-state region to play in Minnesota. Despite the difficulties, she continued to recruit, and year after year improved her team, molding them into a model of what she envisioned when she took the reins in 2012. At the same time, she’s managed to increase the level of competition for her team’s non-conference opponents.
2015 Season
Last year the Gophers played, Drake, North Dakota State, Kansas, Stephen F. Austin, LSU, Marquette, Texas Tech, New Mexico and Nebraska-Omaha for their non-conference preseason. They had success early and entered the regular season with a 6-2-1 record with 22 goals scored and only two allowed. The team continued to show good form in their next seven conference matches, going 6-0-1 which allowed their stock to rise and their national AP ranking to reach as high as 11th. But the goals that flowed freely early in the season soon dried up and the Maroon and Gold went 0-1-3 in their last 4 conference games being outscored 7-2. The Gophers were greatly disappointed when they lost in their first Big Ten Tournament game to Rutgers by a score of 4-1.
The strong non-conference showing and their early season form still allowed the Gophers a spot in the NCAA tournament. They defeated the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 5-0 in their first-round game at home but their offense once against sputtered and lost to Loyola Marymount 1-0 to finish their 2015 season a respectable 12-7-3.
Spring 2016
This spring, Golan had her veteran crew are working hard – or as hard as the NCAA will allow them to work. Rules only allow players two hours a week on the ball until the official spring season starts in March. Golan explained that, before the Gophers’ March 6 game against Wisconsin at McMurray Fields in St. Paul, the team had spent a total of only eight hours on the ball as a team. That meant Golan had to make strategic decisions on where she would focus her attention with the limited amount of time she has with her players. This year, with veterans, she is focused more on tactics than individual coaching. “Some years it’s more individual from the outset, but this year it’s tactical because we know we have a strong team coming back,” said Golan. “It’s a group who will be the core of the team. So, we are tweaking our system for next season.”
In early March, the NCAA allows each player to participate for 20 hours a week with their team. However, coaches have to be careful in their planning. “For instance, if a game is scheduled, it counts for four hours of practice time,” explained Golan.
After the draw with the Badgers, the Gophers coach pointed out that forward Kellie McGahn had a good day and had done everything but “put the ball in the back of the net.” So after the match, Golan discussed with the striker the idea of staying after practice two days a week to individually work on shooting. But anytime a player spends time on individual skills it means she will have to back off either team practices, strength and conditioning sessions or team meetings. Everything has to be recorded carefully. It also means that Golan and her coaching staff have to tailor an individual plan for each player and precisely track each minute they spend in training.
Leaders and Legacy
Golan said this winter her staff identified six players that are sprinkled throughout different positions on the field, as internal leaders for the 2016 campaign. They work with those players off the field and as a group to build their leadership abilities.
She is also working with the seniors in what she calls “legacy.” “When you think about the three years you’ve been here and as you go into the fourth year we tell them this is your chance to put your stamp on the program,” explained Golan. “What do you want that to look like and how can you influence that? With the rest of the group we continue to work on confidence and for them to be able to do what we ask of them on both sides of the ball.”
Spring Travel
Travel for spring season games is also a challenge to Minnesota, which has few top level Division I teams near it. NCAA rules seem to give advantages to teams in areas that are heavily saturated with quality D-I programs. Rules state that teams are not allowed to travel anywhere by air, and must travel by bus. Players are also not allowed to miss classes due to travel. Golan said their April 9th and 10th trip to Kansas City is an example of how they have to plan their spring travel. The team will leave after classes on Friday, and head south to Kansas City. After the six hour trip and a quick night’s sleep, they will play a game on Saturday against UMKC/FCKC, turn around and play another match on Sunday against Missouri, then hop on the bus for the long trip back to the Cities on Sunday night.
Golan and her Golden Gophers will finish out their spring season against North Dakota on April 16 and against North Dakota State University on April 24. Both matches will take place at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul, MN and are open to the public.
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