by Nick Dill, Student Reporter
What is the Northwestern soccer team doing during this pandemic?
They are training with some protocols but preparing for a potential season in the spring.
Unfortunately, the GAC suspended all fall sports through December 31. The Ranger Women’s Soccer team will hopefully have a chance to begin playing games in the spring.
Alex Piekarski, head women’s soccer coach for the Rangers, is keeping his players focused this semester despite all the adversity of the season getting canceled.
Piekarski said the team was able to practice socially distanced and non-contact for the first five weeks.
He said they have been training three times a week and also lifting and conditioning three times a week.
Fortunately, they are now able to switch to contact practices starting this week.
“We’re thankful that we are able to shift over to contact because of everyone’s efforts in keeping campus safe,” Piekarski said.
There are some protocols that come along with practicing during this pandemic.
“Anytime we’re within 6 feet of each other, masks have to be up,” Piekarski said. “Lots of cleaning of the locker room and the gear. No high-fives. When we do breakdowns, we do it from a distance.”
He said the plan is to continue training through the fall semester.
“We are allowed 45 days where we can do 15 hours a week, starting this upcoming week,” Piekarski said. “We’re going to increase the amount of training. Those 45 days will go through mid-November. We’re going to do different tournaments.”
Piekarski is planning on having a game like scrimmage in late October.
“We’re going to culminate in late October with a full 11v11 red and white scrimmage,” Piekarski said. “Where we will get the jerseys out, and we’ll do it at night and invite people to come out. We’ll make it as game realistic as possible.”
Piekarski also said that having no season in the fall is helping the 14 new players get acquainted with their new team.
The Northwestern women’s soccer players are disappointed in the season getting pushed back until the spring, but are still working hard for the spring season.
Reilly Marks, a junior on the soccer team, is using this fall to get her injured knee up to par, improve her overall health and help her transition into her new school.
“Knowing I have a full semester with all the proper facilities I need, as well as having full access to the training room is a huge advantage,” Marks said.
Marks said this fall is going to help make her transition to Northwestern better.
“Being a transfer, it can sometimes be a little intimidating trying to make new friends, and knowing that we have this extra semester to mesh as a team has really helped me connect with everyone on the team so much more,” Marks said.
Kaitlyn Morphy, a sophomore on the soccer, said that the season getting postponed is a positive thing because it gives the team time to bond together before the season in the spring.
“There are a lot of more new girls on the team this year,” Morphy said. “This gives them more time to get to know how our team plays and gives them time to get comfortable with all the girls on the team.”
“We are planning to play a GAC conference only season in the spring,” Piekarski said. “With a schedule to be determined. All the details still need to be worked out.”
Piekarski said a big thing he tells his players is to have some perspective. He said they are very fortunate to have the opportunity to be together.
“A really big thing I tell my players is to have some perspective,” Piekarski said. “Number one, a lot of schools aren’t even open for in person. Number two, 25 million people are unemployed, lots of people died and are sick. So the fact that we’re here having this opportunity to be together.”