Head coach of the women’s soccer team Paul Regrutto said the team has steadily improved. Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com.
The women’s soccer program at CSU-Pueblo will embark on its annual journey Sept. 6 to try and win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
After finishing sixth last season in the conference with an overall record of 7-9-2 and ensuring their first RMAC tournament bid since 2008, the CSU-Pueblo women’s soccer team and head coach Paul Regrutto have much to look forward to, as well as build upon.
“I think that our program is going through an evolution,” Regrutto said.
“From where we were two years ago we have steadily gotten better and better. It’s a process where the ladies are not only doing a better job but starting to understand things better. Plus for me as a young coach I’m starting to figure out what it’s takes to win in this conference,” he said.
Being relatively young and trying to establish a foothold in collegiate sports is a characteristic Regrutto shares with many of his players. The 2015 ThunderWolves roster features 16 freshmen and sophomores, only five of whom will redshirt.
“I think the thing with youth is you need them to get experience of course but it helps that our younger players have done a really good job assimilating and bought into what we’re doing. We have young players on this team already assuming roles as leaders whether it’s on the field or just how they organize things,” Regrutto said.
According to Go ThunderWolves, the team will head into the 2015 season ranked fifth in the conference by the preseason RMAC Coaches’ Poll.
Considering the Pack finished sixth in 2014 and clinched their first tournament bid in six years, things are shaping up for Regrutto and the team with the potential to make a splash in the RMAC in 2015.
“I think we should be a really good team,” Regrutto said. “The goal more than anything is to try and create a positive environment this year. To create an environment where we can be as good as we can be.”
“We are really trying to develop that synergy this year amongst the team. If we do that there’s no doubt I think we can beat anybody. It’s more of the process right now then the results, the results will come.”
Despite a blossoming team synergy and high preseason expectations, however, Regrutto and the Pack know the road back to the RMAC tournament will have challenges.
“(The RMAC is) one of the toughest conferences in the country whether you’re playing the first place team or the last place team, it’s really tough. We don’t approach any game differently than any other. We prepare for the top team like we do the bottom team.”
“I think the girls are looking forward to playing everybody this year. Sometimes when the group has had struggles against programs in the past some people think, ‘Oh that’s going to be a tough game this year,’ but the girls are looking forward to playing them. They’re motivated this year and really excited to go out and play every single team,” Regrutto said.