Lady Rams Soccer Team Perseveres

For the Bluefield College women’s soccer team, the competition on the field is not the only adversity they are facing this season. A limited number of players to compete may be the Lady Rams’ greatest obstacle.

Injuries have played a huge role in the women’s soccer team’s struggles this season. In fact, the Lady Rams have had to forfeit games due to an insufficient number of players available to play.

“I think the lack of players because of injuries has affected our practices and challenged our players and our coaches,” said junior women’s soccer player Cynthia Brown. “I think we are doing the best that we can do with what we have, and I’m excited for next year.”

In some cases, the Lady Rams have competed even without the required number of 11 players to take the field. For example, in a competition against Bryan College the Lady Rams suffered a 4-0 loss playing with only eight players.

And because the team has fewer players, team members are playing more minutes than typically required, creating even more injuries on the team.

“With us only having a limited amount of some of the girls who were 100 percent at the beginning of the season, we are now becoming hurt because of not having enough players to sub out or take breaks when needed,” said junior Lady Ram Megan Brandl.

Coming into the season, the Lady Rams were ranked 10th in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) pre-season poll. They are currently winless, and the road ahead is a rough one with their numbers being so thin. With their struggles and lack of numbers comes a lot of frustration as the season progresses.

“The team hasn’t won a game this year, nor have they scored a goal,” said midfielder Chelsea Ford. “It’s stressful and upsetting going out each game playing the game you love and not getting a win all season.”

But, with just a few games left in the season, the Lady Rams are hoping to finish the season on a high note. And, all of the players are hopeful that next season the team’s numbers will increase, and it will allow them to make improvements on the field.