Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Wright State women’s soccer coach Pat Ferguson knew a treacherous non-conference schedule would pose problems, and he wasn’t sure if his players could handle some early struggles and keep a positive outlook.
But with the help of a strong senior class and some team-wide mental toughness, the Raiders have emerged from that rough stretch with their confidence intact and appear poised to do damage in the Horizon League tournament.
After going 1-5-1 against the likes of Louisville, Cincinnati and Tennessee, they’ve posted a 5-2-1 league record going into the season finale at 7 p.m. Friday against Detroit Mercy. Milwaukee (8-0) has locked up the title, but Wright State, Cleveland State (6-1-1) and Northern Kentucky (5-2-1) are all jostling for top seeds in the tourney, which will start Monday at campus sites.
“We had the toughest non-league strength-of-schedule in our conference. Once we got into that, it was a matter of keeping the players from (panicking) in the non-conference portion,” Ferguson joked. “They did a good job of staying with it. Once we got into the conference, we’ve done a pretty good job.”
The Raiders will hold their Senior Night against Detroit, honoring their top two scorers along with some other prominent players.
Forward Aaliyah Patten, a Fairborn product, has a team-high 13 points (four goals, five assists) and has earned all-conference honors the last two seasons. Midfielder Mattie Cutts (Colorado Springs) is the second-leading scorer with 11 points (four goals, three assists).
“Aaliyah stepped on campus and was an impact player from day one,” Ferguson said. “Mattie needed a year to get to Division-I fitness level, but since that time, she’s made a big impact. Those are two kids that other teams pay attention to.”
While he’ll miss that dangerous duo, midfielders Brooklyne Mason (Middletown) and Lexie Ulrich (Beavercreek) also will leave a void.
“They’ve maybe from a playing perspective not had the same impact as Patten and Cutts, but from a human standpoint, they’ve been really, really good for the program,” Ferguson said.
The Raiders are assured of a home tourney game and have shown they can compete with the top-tier teams. They lost to Milwaukee and Cleveland State on the road by a single goal, while tying Northern Kentucky at home. No one else in the league has a winning record.
Milwaukee, which is 14-1 overall, will host the semifinals and finals.
“They’re probably the strongest team, but I think they’re beatable,’” said Ferguson, who is in his 14th year. “And I’ve been in the conference long enough where I’ve said of some Milwaukee teams, ‘There’s not a chance.’ But I think there’s a good chance if we face them, we can get them.”
The Raiders have never won the league tourney, but they’ll be a tough out.
“In terms of liking each other and having a common goal, this is probably as good as any team I’ve had,” Ferguson said. “They’re resilient. Sometimes it can be tough playing for me. I’m quite honest with the players. But they just keep coming back.”
