It was only eight games into the season, but sophomore midfielder Erin Roberts could sense something great was on the horizon for the MU women’s soccer team.
“We played at Messiah, who has won four out of the last five National Championships,” Roberts said. “We pinned them back in their defensive end the entire second half, and lost on two goals that could have easily been prevented. That spoke to just how good of a team we actually are.”
The Cougars have a chance for revenge on November 30th when they face Messiah in the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
Roberts was named the Most Valuable Player of the Freedom conference championship game when the Cougars defeated Eastern 1-0 in overtime, avenging last season’s loss to the Eagles.
Roberts brings a tenacious defensive attitude to the midfield, controlling the play by winning back possession and relieving pressure for the Cougars.
“I’m one of the more physical players and set the tone early in the game to make sure they know if they’re going to hit us, I’m going to hit ‘em back,” Roberts said with a laugh. “I run around like crazy and work as hard as possible on the field and pretty much cause chaos in their attack. I’m the person who likes to go nuts.”
Her style of play is appreciated by the Cougars, and as a Freshman last season was recognized league wide when she was named the Rookie of the Year in the Freedom Conference.
“It feels really good knowing you put that work in,” Roberts said. “I just try to stay focused to help out my backs as much as possible. It’s a good feeling knowing you’ve contributed to going this far.”
Roberts and the Cougars reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, and coming into this season, Roberts and the Cougars knew expectations would be higher.
“Coming into the season I knew there was a lot of pressure on us as a team,” Roberts said. “It was a battle for us all year to stay mentally focused. We liked being the underdog, and it was a much different position for us this year being the team targeted instead of being able to target a team in the past.”
Roberts, a speech and language pathology major, looked to train hard in the off season with the idea of helping the team achieve higher goals every season.
“I do individual fitness workouts, and my club coach may hold some sessions,” Roberts said. “But, any individual goals aren’t as important as the goals for our team.”
A goal for the team when the season started was a national title, and sitting only two games away, what was once distant is now certainly within reach.
Dom Dellos Reporter
Photo Courtesy of MU Athletics