Women’s soccer using spring schedule as preparation for the fall

Jim Swing
Sports Editor
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The spring schedule is regularly just an opportunity to evaluate positions and give players extra playing time.

But the VCU women’s soccer team has used that time to go a little bit above and beyond. Three games into the spring exhibition schedule, the Rams remain a perfect 3-0 with their latest win coming in a 2-0 trounce of American University.

A year after falling just short of a CAA championship at William & Mary, VCU is picking up right where it left off in preparation for the upcoming fall season.

“This spring our roster is deep so it’s been really nice to give a lot of players that didn’t get a lot of time in the fall exposure,” co-head coach Tiffany Roberts-Sahaydak said. “It’s just been really good for players to get experience and play in new positions and try different lineups and give a lot of people a lot of playing time.”

So has been the case at the goaltending position. With usual starter Kristen Carden, a transfer from Virginia Tech, out with an injury, backups Emma Cruz and Megan Lynch have received the nod in the spring. And they’ve put on quite a show. The pair of underclassmen has combined for two shutouts and three wins in just over a week of play.

“It’s a time for coaches to evaluate players,” Roberts-Sahaydak said. “We’re really using this time to see who’s going to help us really make an impact in the fall.”

And having a pair of co-head coaches has been nothing short of a luxury for Tim and Tiffany Sahaydak. While one will remain with the team coaching the spring exhibition schedule, the other spends time on the recruiting trail. While Tim was recruiting in San Diego this weekend, Tiffany coached the Rams to yet another victory. Roberts-Sahaydak said she hates to sound political, but the team’s success has been a complete group effort.

“All in all every game we’ve had different players step up,” she said. “We’re rotating people around so much it’s really been a fond team effort.”

VCU has picked up wins over Richmond, Longwood and now American with three games remaining on the spring schedule.

Once the Rams conclude their exhibition slate, coaches will spend more time recruiting during the summer while players spend more time preparing for the fall season.

VCU loses six seniors from a year ago when it fell to William & Mary in the CAA championship game.