STARKVILLE — Neil Macdonald is counting on his Mississippi State women”s soccer team”s fitness level being an advantage.
If the Bulldogs” first test was any indication, Macdonald will enter the season opener at 2 p.m. today against Arkansas State with a little more confidence.
MSU enters the match coming off a 3-0 exhibition victory against Samford on Monday. The Bulldogs scored all of their goals in the final 17 minutes. Junior Jasmine Simmons had two of the goals. Sophomore Elizabeth Sullivan scored the other goal.
“I felt like our performance was really consistent from start to finish,” Macdonald said. “I think there was a definite wearing down of them, and I think that was due to our fitness.”
Macdonald has highlighted the Bulldogs” improved fitness level. He said the fact that players returned in better shape allowed the team to focus on soccer quicker. He also has been pleased with the commitment level and communication from a smaller group of Bulldogs.
How that translates to success remains to be seen. MSU has had two .500 or better finishes in Macdonald”s seven seasons. The Bulldogs have finished 9-8-2 and 8-12 the past two seasons, but they are 5-47-3 in the Southeastern Conference in the past five years.
Macdonald said the fitness level, the commitment, and the team chemistry he sees from this season”s group leaves him optimistic the program can take a step forward in 2011.
“I believe a lot of it just confidence,” Macdonald said. “Do you have the confidence in yourself to just go out and play against anybody and not overthink it? To me, having elite fitness instills confidence in your own ability. What I have seen from our kids is we look like a different team, we act like a different team, and we see a huge difference in certain individuals because they are fit, and there is some self-belief.”
Macdonald said he and his assistant coaches have tried to reinforce the physical improvements by being positive and pushing the players to realize their potential. He said the players have responded well to the encouragement and the motivation and are hungry that all of the components will lift the entire program.
“When we see our kids, who are the same kids (from last year), they are just a different group,” Macdonald said. “They support one another, they care about one another. I think when you work really, really hard and you”re all in it together you start pulling for one another and there is a will to see everybody succeed.”
Macdonald said it has been striking to see players physically assisting teammates when they”re having difficulty in conditioning exercises. He said he has never seen that in his time as a coach, and he hopes that is an indication all of the preseason work will pave the way for success during the season.
“I have confidence in the girls,” Macdonald said. “I like the team dynamic. I like what I am seeing. The chemistry is good, and I feel that goes a long way.
“I think we”re all quietly optimistic at where we”re at. It is great fun to come to work every day and to see people committed and working for each other and caring about representing the jersey the way it should be represented.”
MSU will travel next weekend to California to participate in the UC Riverside Women”s Soccer Invitational. It will play UC Riverside on Friday and UC Irvine on Sunday.
MSU returns to the state of Mississippi to play at Jackson State Sept. 2) and Southern Miss (Sept. 4) before playing host to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. Sept. 9.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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