St. Peter, Minn - The Gustavus Adolphus women's soccer team kicks off its 2015 campaign at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Gustie Soccer Field, playing host to UW-Eau Claire.
Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie begins her fourth season at the helm and is excited about the potential of this season's team.
"Last year we had a lot of injuries so that prevented us from having a lot of depth, so our girls got tired when it got to the 75th minute, which is when we gave up a lot of goals," Burnett-Kurie said.
The captains this season include senior forward Brittany Chase (Victoria, Minn.), junior midfielder Coursey Edwards (Eden Prairie, Minn) and junior forward Jana Elliott (Eagan, Minn).
Coach Burnett-Kurie says the team's style of play is possession oriented, which is coined the "Gustie Tempo." The Gustie Tempo involves one- or two-touch soccer, finding a rhythm and being creative in the offense. Burnett-Kurie is relying on her captains to enforce the Gustie Tempo and lead by example.
"Brittany is the first person I've coached all the way through for four years," Burnett-Kurie said. "So she really understands the culture of the program and what we've been trying to build. She's seen a lot of improvement, especially coming into this year.
"Jana and Coursey were part of the first recruited class. They understood the culture that we are trying to build before they came in. They are really going to help push our group to the next level because they know what it takes and have been working at it for the past three years. They want to make sure they are seeing results and they can lead by example."
Junior forward Maddison Ackiss (Fairbanks, Alaska) returns as the team's top point-scorer. The West Valley High School product scored 10 of the team's 17 goals last season. She started in all 18 matches and added two assists for 22 points. Ackiss posted a .238 shot percentage and a .524 shot-on-gal mark.
First-year goalkeeper Ashley Becker (Farmington, Minn.) steps between the posts in place of graduated keeper Caroline Olson.
"Coupled with the veteran players we have, we are now bringing in a solid group of players that are going to help us get to the next level," Burnett-Kurie said. "We are really excited about the potential of the team."
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