WINONA, Minn. — Consistency, passion and commitment. Those are the three characteristics Saint Mary's University women's soccer coach Eric Zimmerman has been stressing to his team throughout the preseason.
And Zimmerman hopes those three things — not to mention a strong core group of returning players — are the Cardinals' keys to a rise up the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ladder.
“In terms of expectations, we want to be competitive in every match,” said Zimmerman, whose team finished 9-8-1 overall a year ago. “And with more experience comes the expectation that we are able to get results.”
With Sibik, the Cardinals boast one of the most feared scorers in the league. The four-year starter is coming off a career year in 2009, when she scored 14 goals and added four assists for 32 points.
Zimmerman has the luxury of returning a bevy of experience, but the Cardinal head coach also has his share of holes to fill.
“Mariana was really the backbone of our defense last year,” Zimmerman said. “But you have to deal with (losses to graduation) every year, and this year is no different.
“We're excited about all our returning players and what they bring to the table in each of their specific roles.”
When asked what will be the key to the Cardinals' success this season, Zimmerman answered quickly — and in one word: Consistency.
“If we want to be better than last year, we need to be more consistent overall, and especially more dangerous in the final third of the field,” Zimmerman said. “We need to play as a group for 90 minutes.”
