University of Alabama women’s soccer coach Todd Bramble and his coaches wondered in the preseason who was going to emerge to help the team score goals.
Bramble and his coaches knew a solid group of freshman had the potential to provide a boost to a program that returned to the NCAA tournament last season.
Through six games, Bramble and the Crimson Tide have their answer. Not only does freshman Katie Bourgeois lead the team with five goals and 14 points, but the newcomers have contributed and the team has the most depth in Bramble’s time at the school.
Tonight, Alabama’s scoring punch, freshmen, and depth will be put to the test when it opens Southeastern Conference play at 6 tonight at No. 22 University of Tennessee (5-1-1).
Alabama (5-1) will conclude the weekend with a 1 p.m. match Sunday at LSU (4-1-2).
Bramble feels his team built confidence, particularly on offense, in its non-conference slate. Coming off a 2-1 loss to the University of Maryland, a program that advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2011, last week in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Bramble is confident his team is set to rebound, although he knows it will face a challenge on its opening conference weekend.
“In some ways, maybe their naiveté will show in that they don’t know any better and will go on the road and get six points (two victories),” Bramble said when asked hoe his young team would react. “I like the fact we have 16 good players. I think for the first time in my history at Alabama it gives us a chance to be more successful (on back-to-back games in a weekend), which has been a big struggle for us in the past.”
Bramble said Maryland exposed several areas his team has addressed leading up to the SEC opener. He feels the Crimson Tide, who have outscored opponents 20-3 and have a 55-22 edge in shots on goal, will benefit from the mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen that includes sophomore Theresa Diederich, junior Molly Atherton, and sophomore Pia Rijsdjik. Seniors Josie Rix, Ashley Willis, and Meghan Duffy also will be counted on to play key roles, as will freshmen like Merel Van Dongen and Kaylee Semeisberger.
The productivity of Bourgeois, who joined the program in January, gives the Crimson Tide another scorer defenses have to mark. Bramble said Bourgeois’ time with the program in the spring helped her transition to the faster and more physical nature of play in college.
“She is a hard worker who has done a lot on her own,” Bramble said. “We are not at all surprised (by what she has done).”
But Bramble also expects SEC teams to be aware of his team’s strengths, which is why he said he talked to Bourgeois about continue to do what is expected of her. He stressed to her that it is OK if she doesn’t score because he and his coaches feel the team is deep enough and has shown it can score in a variety of ways to remain dangerous if she isn’t scoring.
“It is the first time in a while we’re not just talking about one or two players we have to rely on,” Bramble said. “In the truest sense of the word this is a team.”
Alabama is second in goals (20) and goals per game (3.33). It trails the University of Mississippi, which has played one more game, in both categories. It is seventh nationally in scoring per game.
Tennessee is coming off a 0-0 tie against Cal State Northridge and a 1-0 loss to No. 2 UCLA.
LSU is coming off a 0-0 overtime tie against Florida International and a 2-1 victory against the University of Memphis.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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