Pronghorn women’s soccer to rely on experiences to help with success

By Lethbridge Herald on September 6, 2024.

University of Lethbridge Pronghorns’ Hailey Slobodian hustles into the offensive zone to try and make a play during Canada West soccer action against the University of Alberta Pandas at Community Stadium in September 2022 file photo

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s soccer team will be one of the younger teams in the Canada West  this season, as they have 16 recruits  on the roster , and will have to build on what they’ve experienced during exhibition games to find success.

The Horns played eight preseason games in preparation for a new season.

“I think the girls are ready,” said Thiago Bastos, Horn women’s soccer head coach.

“We are excited, the energy’s high, so we hope everything goes well.”

Bastos thinks chemistry is what is going to bring the Horns success.

“We have chemistry, we have the heart and like we play a lot of games to give them some sort of experience,” said Bastos.

“Now we just have to put (it) altogether on the field.”

The Horns coaches have been showing the team the level of competition and experience  they will be facing in the Canada West in exhibition.

“ And hopefully that when they go to (the) field it doesn’t feel (like) anything new,” said Bastos.

Bastos’ focus for the team is getting them experience.

“We have a fresh new team, we have really, really good recruits coming,” said Bastos.

“It’s just them getting a feel to understand  what the conference is going to demand from them and build that thicker skin that we (are) going to need moving forward.”

Fourth-year Hailey Slobodian spoke about how the team has come together with all the recruits through the exhibition games.

“You can just see (the) improvements (from) game to game slowly,” said Slobodian.

“Like them learning our game model and us building chemistry and getting better. I think from our very first game that we played together to the last game that we played together, it was just (a) huge improvement.”

Slobodian said it’s going to be challenging, when asked about what it’s going to be like for division positioning for the Horns this year.

“We’ve obviously struggled a bit in the past, but again with a bunch of new players comes with (a)  new opportunity to change everyone’s mind on us,” said Slobodian.

U of L has their home opener today versus University of Manitoba at noon and host the University of Winnipeg on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.