Women’s Club Soccer Team finishes 2nd in division

Senior Clare Crosh spoke to her teammates last Thursday with tears in her eyes.

Oct. 29 marked the end of her athletic career on the IU Women’s Club Soccer Team – four years of chilly Saturday morning games, two-hour practices every Monday through Thursday and long hours fundraising for new equipment. 

These past four seasons on the club team have meant a lot for Crosh, who started playing on the club team her freshman year. The team provided her with an extra family. 

“In a university of more than 40,000, being on the team makes school feel a little bit smaller,” Crosh said.

When it comes to soccer, IU carries a tradition of excellence: the men’s varsity team with seven NCAA titles, a rising women’s varsity program and the men’s club program as the reigning 2008 national champions.

Crosh said she was honored to play at IU where there is such an established soccer culture and was proud of how the women’s club team has stepped up to the plate this year.

Looking back at this season, head coach Matt Wilhoit was confident with the team’s solid roster of returning players and 10 newcomers. 

“They put in a lot of time and effort, even in the off season,” he said. “You can tell the players wanted to succeed.”

Crosh said their will to succeed can be attributed to the balance that club soccer allows within the rest of one’s college experience. During her time at IU, Crosh has also been a member of a sorority and supports a variety of other on campus events and activities.

Wilhoit sees great benefits to participating in the club program as an alternative to varsity athletics. 

“With club, you are more able to enjoy the college experience,” he said. “It’s a good balance – playing in a competitive environment while not overtaking the whole college experience.”

Balance proved to be the right mindset for the team as it finished second in its division and seventh out of 28 in the regional power rankings, an improvement from their 12th place finish for the 2008 season.

Junior Becca Davis, next year’s co-captain, found the difference between this season and previous years to be the commitment the girls held to each other.

“We get along great, and we have a deep roster full of talented girls,” she said. “Everyone was really committed and focused this year, and it really paid off.”

Their focus will continue to motivate them into next year’s season as their regional competition, scheduled for last weekend, was canceled due to potential weather problems.

While the team members were disappointed with the cancellation, they take the decision in stride and celebrate their success. 

“They are building and their record is improving,” Wilhoit said. “The program is on the rise, and there are good things to come in the future.”

The team aims to keep the momentum going forward.

“Our ultimate goal is to get to nationals for the first time, and we are definitely capable,” Davis said.