Notes
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State soccer team faces a pair of difficult tasks this weekend, hosting Central Michigan on Friday, at 7 p.m., before traveling to TCU on Sunday at 1 p.m. The weekend begins a stretch of six of its next seven matches coming at home.
Central Michigan enters the game 3-1-1, with wins over West Virginia and No. 30 Dayton. The Chippewas also tied No. 12 Marquette on the road on Monday. They ended the 2011 year ranked No. 50 in the RPI.
TCU enters its first year in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs are 2-2-1 on the season, beating Rice 2-0 and tying 2011 Mountain West champion New Mexico, 1-1.
The Bobcats are coming off a week that saw them go 1-1-1. The Bobcats tied Houston Baptist on Friday and had a valiant comeback effort come up short against Rice, 2-1 on Sunday. Texas State is led by Sydney Curry who has two goals and an assist.
Pregame Quotes
Head Coach Kat Conner
On Central Michigan
“The reports coming in are that they are a high paced team. They've played very inspired this year. They've pulled off some great results so we know it's going to be a battle. We have to make sure our defense is up and that we're playing as a unit. Then we need to be able to get out of our defensive shape and into our attack. I think it will look a lot like UTEP did against us, so we'll have to see if we've improved since that time at UTEP.”
On the offensive production against Central Michigan and TCU
“Both teams are high flying and start early. We're going to have to be ready as soon as that whistle blows, and cannot wait and get ourselves in a hole like we did at Rice. I think our players responded very well in the second half at Rice, so we need to come out with that same mentality we had in the second half, and put it together for all 90 minutes.”
On TCU
“We played them last fall and they got the best of us. We got an early goal, and then they came back with three goals. They did the same thing this last spring, so we're going to have to really come out with the mentality, of being able to hold a lead. Hopefully we'll come out, score first and then learn how to control a lead. We have a lot of young players in some key spots right now, so that's been our troublesome spot, trying to figure out how they're going to play and who they're going to play with and who they best play with, as well as them adjusting to a very high paced, Division I sport. That's where our crutch is, but we're coming along, now just waiting for that breakout game, and hopefully this weekend we have those breakout games.”
On Caitlynn Rinehart and Lynsey Curry
“Both of our goalkeepers are very talented players. Now we're just trying to raise their level of goalkeeping at the Division I level. They're very good at taking care of what they can do, now it's leading the defense as well. Natalie seems to be stepping up more in that area. Caitlynn is still learning, mainly because of the pace of Division I. It's faster than what it is in high school and in club soccer, so she's getting better at directing her defense and owning that penalty box. She's a very good shot stopper and reader of the game. Now she just has to lead that defense, and that's what we're looking from the goalkeeper spot.
With Lynsey Curry, we're trying to figure out where she best fits. Is she a forward or midfielder? She's shown an ability to play both so we're figuring out where she fits in the Division I pace. I think we've found a niche for her and hopefully she'll start to come alive because we really need her. She's a goal scorer, and as soon as we get her to feel comfortable with her game, that's going to be the key to us really turning on some wins. She showed brilliance in the second half at Rice, so hopefully she's getting more confident in her pace and role on the team. When she figures it out it's going to be a fantastic season for us”
