The Augustana women’s soccer team is heading into conference play with momentum on its side. After leading for the majority of the game, the team lost 2-1 against North Park this past Saturday. North Park has been the first of many conference games of the season.
Even though the team did not get the results they were hoping for, they are still confident in their play and are keeping a positive attitude for the remainder of conference play.
The Vikings showed stretches of strong possession and created several scoring chances throughout the match, but a late push from North Park proved to be the difference. Despite the loss, players like junior Paige Bingen said they were encouraged by how competitive the game was and felt their performance reflected the progress they’ve made since the start of the season.
For them, the result was less about being outplayed and more about a few missed opportunities.
“When you go into conference, it is like a clean slate,” Bingen said. “We are obviously disappointed we lost, but we are optimistic. There was nothing major that brought us down.”
Players say the early part of the schedule was about growth as much as results. The Vikings used their nonconference slate to sharpen fundamentals, adapt to different formations, and give younger players a taste of college-level competition, all with the goal of being prepared once CCIW play began.
“It’s been pretty up and down since we’ve started,” junior defender Allison “Gibby” Gibeau said. “But I feel like each game, we get a little bit better at the things that we’ve been working on.”
That growth has shown up most in practice. She noted the team has placed a heavy emphasis on details like first touches and passing accuracy, but also on bringing more intensity every day.
“If we can come out harder early, it puts teams on their heels,” Gibeau said. “We’ve been trying to carry that level into every game.”
The Vikings view nonconference games as a crucial foundation for conference play, not only because they give the team a chance to notch wins, but because they provide valuable lessons in what works and what doesn’t. Those September matchups are used to sharpen technical details, test new lineups, and adjust to the physical pace of competition.
By the time the conference schedule arrives, the team hopes those building blocks have created a foundation strong enough to carry them through the grind of league play.
“Nonconference, we mostly focus on playing our game and developing,” senior defender Samira Khobdeh said. “Once we get to conference season, we still push our craft, but we also adapt because we know how these teams play.”
That preparation has included tactical experimentation. Under head coach Scott Mejia, the Vikings have tested out multiple formations in order to maximize the speed they have on the wings and find the right player combinations. Khobdeh said the constant adjustments have helped the team stay flexible and better prepared to match up against the different looks they’ll see in the CCIW.
“Once we get to conference season, we still push our craft, but we also adapt because we know how these teams play,” Khobdeh said.
As they turn the page to conference play, the Vikings’ goal is to keep building on that progress by carrying the energy from recent wins into league matches, maintaining consistency in their preparation, and proving that the lessons learned in September can translate to results in October.
“It would be ideal to make it to the tournament and end with a result that we’re proud of,” Gibeau said.
