The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers soccer team kicked off their fall preseason last week. The players gathered last Tuesday for meetings and on Wednesday, hit the field at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Head coach Stefanie Golan is heading into her fifth season and for the first time, she brings with her a veteran squad. Six seniors and six juniors return to the Gophers, many of them starters.

“The entire senior class and rising leaders have us very excited about the direction of this team,” said Golan.

In the offseason, Golan worked at incubating that leadership through training and special sessions with six players: Rashida Beal (sr. defender), Simone Kolander (sr. forward), Josee Stiever (sr. midfielder), Tori Burnett (jr. defender), Molly Fiedler (so. midfielder), and Emily Heslin (so. midfielder).

“We have a seniors and juniors that have a lot of maturity and that will show on the field this year. Our potential for the fall season is as good as I’ve ever seen it in the seven years I’ve been coaching here.” Assistant coach Krystle Seidel.

“Some years, training is more individual from the outset, but this year it’s tactical because we know we have a strong team coming back,” said Golan last March. “It’s a group who will be the core of the team. We are tweaking our system for next season.”

As to the six seniors, Golan has had a special message for them, too. “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.

Assistant coach Krystle (Kallman) Seidel said the squad has worked at switching up formations depending on the team and situation. “You can do that with a veteran team,” said Seidel.

Kellie McGhan is a  junior forward from Apple Valley, Minn. and is a good example of a player who has been encouraged to grow and take a leadership role this year. McGhan had a good spring season, scoring several goals and looked sharp in games. While she wasn’t part of the leadership group, she believes she can step up and be a leader by example. “Sometimes you need to challenge yourself by working hard and that pushes your teammates to do the same. So it’s not always saying something but showing them that you are there for the team and you want to work hard for them.”

“With Kelly, she wanted more minutes last year but this spring she proved that she can play with any team,” said Seidel. “This year she’s going to help us compete for a championship.”

“This year I’m feeling more confident in myself but I’m also really happy with the leadership on the team,” explained McGhan. “The six leaders are really pushing the team and they’ve encouraged me too. One of the things we are working on is really picking each other up and not getting down on each other or ourselves.”

Seidel also points to big improvements to sophomores like Emily Peterson and April Bockin. “I think one of the big things for players like them is they were both freshman coming in and what they’ve done in the weight room has been huge. Their speed and strength have really improved. April is a really fast player but as the wear and tear of the season went on it wore her down. I think she has the physical strength now to withstand the season.”

“We have seniors and juniors that have a lot of maturity and that will show on the field this year. Our potential for the fall season is as good as I’ve ever seen it in the seven years I’ve been coaching here,” concluded Seidel.

Captains

Simone Kolander and Josee Stiever have been named captains for the 2016 season. “Simone and Josee have each been consistent starters since their freshmen year,” Golan said. “They compliment each other well, and have gained great respect and trust from our program.”

Last season, both Kolander and Stiever started in each of Minnesota’s 22 games.

Midfielder Stiever was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2015, and was voted by her teammates as the Offensive MVP. This past winter, she trained with the U.S. U-23 Women’s national team.

Kolander has scored 17 goals for the Gophers in her three years with the team, ten of those came in the 2015 season. She was named Big Ten Forward of the Year and ranked No. 9 on TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Conference Top 20.

August Game Schedule

The Gophers kick off their fall season with a game at Drake University this Friday, August, 13. On the 19th, they play Kansas in Lawrence and then follow that up with a three-game home stretch at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. They play Utah on the 21st, North Dakota on the 26th and Eastern Michigan on the 28th. The Gopher Women will play their first conference game on September 16th, against Penn State at ELR.