2008 not an ugly season for Cougars
Oct. 24, 2008 - Regina Leader-Post
By Tim Switzer
The University of Regina Cougars women's soccer team held Ugly Practice Day on Thursday.
And no, it didn't have anything to do with their performance on the pitch.
Players donned the ugliest old sweatpants, shorts, headbands or any other combination they could come up with to lighten the mood at what is to be their second last practice of the season.
The strange thing is, though, that this is may be the first season the Cougars have not needed the mood lightened come season's end.
Though it does not exactly show in their 0-9-3 record heading into this weekend's games with the Fraser Valley Cascades (Saturday, noon) and the Trinity Western Spartans (Sunday, noon), 2008 is one of Regina's better seasons on record.
"We're playing a lot better so you're able to have more fun," said defender Dana Renneberg. "When you're not doing well, it's a lot harder to have fun because you're mad at the way scores are going. It's a lot of tension off of us.
"We've come a far way. This is my third year and the scores are a lot closer and we're actually in games. We attack and have scoring chances, we just need to finish on it."
With two games left to go in the season, Regina has five goals for and 37 against giving them a -32 plus-minus for the year. Sure that doesn't sound great when looking at the plus-minus of other teams in Canada West, but compared to the -59, -41, -81, -72 and -56 the Cougars have posted in the last five seasons, 32 goals down isn't so bad.
Regina's only four lopsided losses this season came during a stretch when starting goalkeeper Michelle Anderson went down with an injury and had to be unexpectedly replaced by rookie Linsay Barbier.
"She's a great young woman with a great mentality but I think we maybe put her in a difficult predicament," said U of R head coach Bob Maltman.
Other than those four losses, Regina has suffered four one-goal defeats, one by two goals (to the No. 3-ranked Victoria Vikes) and has three ties.
"The girls had a communion after that (2-1 loss to the Lethbridge Pronghorns) on Saturday and were very upset they lost that game," said Maltman. "Last year they probably would have been happy they had kept it that close. We never want to grasp straws when we're looking for successes, that attitude is a step forward."
Still, Maltman entered the season with the expectation that Regina could win three or four games. While a win or two could still happen it will be tough against Fraser Valley (3-7-2) and Trinity Western (7-2-3). If it doesn't Maltman still plans to walk off the U of R field with his head held high.
"At least three coaches have told me that it's no longer a gimme when they play us," he said. "As long as we keep closing the gap, I don't think there's any reason we shouldn't continue in that direction."