Iona uses spring season to develop strong winning mentality

Iona will have 10 new players on the team next season.

The Iona College women’s soccer team went into the spring season with expectations to develop a winning mentality that can be carried into the fall.

“It’s a been a very positive spring,” head coach Sarah Brady said. “We’re .500 for the spring, which is a nice goal to have for the season.”

Back in February, Brady introduced a recruiting class featuring 10 players that will join the Gaels’ roster, which has 16 returners. Brady is confident that the new players will give Iona more of a competitive edge. 

“College soccer is not just about having the best 11,” Brady said. “It’s about having a strong squad, and we feel like with the 10 kids coming in, we’re in more of a position to challenge as a squad this year.”

Iona will be losing nine players due to graduation. This will force the younger players to step up in the leadership position.

“It’s more of a shared leadership than one or two people leaving the team,” Brady said. “There’s a little bit more intrinsic motivation across the team and people willing to put their contribution in.”

Usually, the Gaels would experiment with their play-style to see what works and what doesn’t against certain teams around the season. This spring, Brady is sticking to one formation and play-style.

“Usually I’m a big experimenter,” Brady said. “I think a large part of it had to do with [not having] every piece that I would ideally want. It’s been good for the kids. We can do some things now that we weren’t able to do in the last couple of years.”

Brady hopes that the changes to the squad and managerial style will help them achieve their goal of finishing with a winning record in the upcoming regular season. 

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