In just its second game of the season, the Saint Rose women’s soccer team found itself engaged in a fierce battle against a determined Jefferson squad on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Trailing 2-1 in the second half, junior forward Mia Klammer equalized with a perfectly executed free kick on the edge of the box. From that moment on, her mind was focused on one thing.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Plumeri Sports Complex, Albany
“As soon as we scored that second goal and tied it up, we said ‘We’re not leaving this field without a win’,” Klammer recalled after Monday’s practice.
And the Golden Knights did just that – they didn’t leave the field without a win.
Junior forward Olivia Boucher’s goal with just over 16 minutes left on the clock broke the deadlock and secured a 3-2 victory for Saint Rose, moving them to 2-0-0 overall this season.
“Early on, you have to win games even if you’re not perfect,” said coach Laurie Darling Gutheil. “But then you have to learn from those mistakes and execute and improve so you don’t continue to make them.”
“Even in difficult times, you still have to have the will to win and find a way to win,” Gutheil continues.
Glancing around Plumeri Sports Complex, the Golden Knights’ home field in Albany, one can see a multitude of banners reminding the team of their high standards, including three consecutive Northeast-10 Conference regular-season and Tournament Championships.
“I don’t even think it’s just the past few years,” Klammer said. “I think it’s every year… Coming in and getting everybody on that same page. We’ve got the confidence all in coach.”
Klammer, who also assisted on Boucher’s game-winner, was named the NE-10 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday. She has scored a goal in each of the Golden Knights’ first two games this season – the game-tying goal against Jefferson and the opening goal in a 2-0 victory against Georgian Court last Tuesday.
Next up for Saint Rose, ranked No. 6 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II national poll, is their home opener against Roberts Wesleyan (2-0-0) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
For a coach and team that holds itself to the highest standards, the pressure to perform is present in every match, whether at home or away.
“I just want us to come out and play with a tremendous amount of intensity, a tremendous amount of composure, a phenomenal will to win and a collective team effort,” Gutheil said. “We’re really seeking excellence in everything that we do and it’s something that is required for us to play at the level that’s going to get us where we want to go.”
For Klammer, the excitement of Wednesday’s game lies in the passion of her teammates and coaches, both on and off the field.
“Being able to hear our bench and our team when we score a goal,” said Klammer. “Everybody coming together as one and having the same mindset and collectiveness is really the goal that we try to have.”
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