Sophomore forward Chelsea Martin has played a key role in the Spartans’ successful start to their season. The UT women’s soccer team has had a great start to their season so far. With a record of 7-0-2, the Spartans are currently ranked thirteenth in the nation. They also occupy first place in the Sunshine State Conference. Their current goal differential is an astonishing +33, as they have scored 35 goals in their first nine games, while only conceding two.
“The team has bonded very well together this year. We took a slightly smaller squad eliminating fringe players who in the past have been hurtful to the mood within the team. The feedback we’ve received is that this year’s team get along well with each other. We have taken away the borders of each academic class and made them aware that we are all one. The returning players came back with strong belief that we can succeed and the incoming players have caught onto their drive,” said head coach Gerry Lucey.
Like Coach Lucey, Martin also believes that her team’s bonding has contributed to their good results. “We have great chemistry this year. I think everyone is wanting to work harder and fight harder. We’ve gotten off to a good start with that” she said.
Martin also believes that her team has even more to offer. She said “I think we could work on communication out on the field. We also need to work on strength and aggression on the field to win tackles.”
A local girl from nearby Bradenton, Martin has made a large impact on this team during her time here so far. “I feel that I have the heart and desire to want to be here. I have a positive attitude and always try to stay as positive as I can” said Martin.
When asked about Chelsea, Coach Lucey was quick to praise her. He said “Chelsea has been a valuable member of the team over the past couple of seasons. She has worked her way into a starting position and has been pretty much ever present this season. Chelsea is an attack minded player who has the technical quality to beat players off the dribble and see the best options available. She still has a long way to go in her development and hopefully we will be able to help her achieve those goals.”
Those goals are something that Martin is keen on achieving. “Personally, I want to get stronger and fight harder” were her words.
The team also has big goals for the remainder of the season. “[Our goal is] to win a national championship. I feel like this is the year, because we have a lot of potential,” Martin explained.
Coach Lucey also added “We just want to keep on improving individually and once we accomplish that goal we will become far better collectively. We have a lot of room for improvement and hopefully the players will continue to strive to reach their team and individual targets.”
Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew.stamas@theminaretonline.com