By Vincent Khan
UNIVERSITY CENTER – The women’s soccer team at Delta College continues to be a staple program at Delta. This season, as of Oct. 29, they sit at 13-1-2 with a great chance at making it to the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament to compete for a championship.
Last year the team went 18-1 and came close to a championship.
Delta is currently ranked second in the nation with 54 total goals and nine shutouts this season, only behind Dallas-Brookhaven (11-0-1). Dallas keeps the team from the top-ranked spot nationally and is their top competitor.
The team’s next most prominent rival is Schoolcraft Community College. They gave them their first loss of the season on Oct. 5, breaking a nine-game winning streak.
Their second match against Schoolcraft for the season ended in a tie. This only adds more salt to the wound of that loss, considering that the girls were viciously seeking revenge against them.
This reporter had a chance to speak with coaches and some players after practice.
One question asked was how they maintained a winning culture over the years. Their response? Maintaining their professionalism through wins the same way as their losses.
They want to be different from some teams that start to argue and bicker with each other when they fall behind in a game.
What happened after their loss to Schoolcraft? How did the players feel? Everyone agreed that when the game ended, nobody pointed fingers at each other and placed blame. It is a team game; everyone takes equal responsibility for the loss.
They accept that they will have challenges through the season and are grateful for them. It makes it easier for them to adjust mentally for the tournament.
Senior Meredith Zinz excitedly shared that the loss and ties of this season really helped shape the team for the better. Last year they went undefeated quickly and would “blow through” opponents. So when it came time for the tournament, they were not ready for the challenge.
This year should be a different story. While keeping the power from last year, they now have more power and drive because of the ups and downs of this season.
