The Nevada Sagebrush

My four words to all who doubted me: I told you so.

By: Lukas Eggen

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 1:51 AM

Despite starting the season 0-5, Nevada’s soccer team finished the season 10-11 and made it to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game. The Wolf Pack more than tripled its win total from last season. Photo by Marcus Sacchetti/Nevada Sagebrush

I have a confession to make: Since the moment the soccer team’s season ended, I looked forward to writing this column. I couldn’t help but feel just a little satisfaction.

As the soccer team advanced to the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, one thought crossed my mind: “I knew it.”

After all the questions and teasing for backing the Wolf Pack soccer team, I couldn’t resist the chance to finally say, “I told you so.”

Although the Wolf Pack lost in the championship game to Boise State 1-0, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the team had an amazing season that almost no one thought was possible this year.

At the beginning of the season, how many people predicted Nevada’s soccer team would finish the season with a winning record in conference play and make it all the way to the WAC Championship game?

And, after the team started the season 0-5, how many people predicted the Wolf Pack would become a major force in the WAC and come within a game of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament? That’s what I thought.

There was, however, one person who kept the faith. One person who said the soccer team needed more time to get better. One person who refused to condemn head coach Jaime Frias to be fired. That person would be yours truly.

On Sept. 8, I wrote that Coach Frias deserved more time to revive the soccer program.

Mind you, this is when the Wolf Pack was winless on the season, had a grand total of one goal, and the Wolf Pack was coming off a season where the team won only three games total.

In addition, the Wolf Pack lost two of its top scorers from the previous season. Coupled with the 0-5 start, it seemed like it was possible that the Wolf Pack could finish the season without a single victory.

To many people, it looked like I had completely lost my mind. Not that I could blame them.

I mean, there really wasn’t too much, if any, evidence that the Wolf Pack was about to turn the corner and get better.

But, I believed this team was not nearly as bad as its record indicated. The team was still getting used to a new coach and system and an early season injury to Cristen Drummond meant the Wolf Pack had to play without one of its biggest weapons for part of the year.

But as Nevada slowly got healthier and gained confidence, it became clear this team was a lot better than people thought.

And after all the teasing I received from friends who, shall I say, disagreed strongly with me, I would just like to tell them all that I was right.

After the 0-5 start, the Wolf Pack finished the regular season 10-6. Included in that record was a 5-3 conference mark, which set the record for the most conference wins in school history.

This isn’t to say I wasn’t shocked by the amount of success the soccer team had. I did not think a trip to the WAC Tournament Championship game was in the cards for this team.

But, I did say the team would eventually get better.

And, I think more than tripling its win total from a year ago counts as a step in the right direction.

Besides the wins, this year’s team improved from last year in almost every category imaginable.

Whether you look at wins, shut outs, goals, saves or conference victories, you name it and more than likely, this year’s team improved from where it was at the end of last season.

Whatever struggles haunted the team last season were exorcised and the soccer team began to experience success that, at the beginning of the season, seemed highly improbable at best.

So, even though the Wolf Pack fell just short of the NCAA Tournament, the team has made huge strides since last season.

And for those people who said I was crazy for backing the soccer team, that Coach Frias should be fired and said the soccer team was going nowhere, I have one message: I told you so.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.

Tags: Cristen Drummond, Jaime Frias
Posted under: Other, Soccer, Sports

2 Responses to “My four words to all who doubted me: I told you so.”

SaddleUP says: November 10th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

I think I was a part of the largest crowd ever assembled in the State of Idaho to watch a Soccer match today. There must have been 800+ Screaming Bronco Lunatics on hand to witness the Lady Broncos dispatch (with ease actually) an exhausted and beaten down Wolf Pack team. Boise put Nevada under a ton of pressure the entire first half and picked up a goal off of a perfect cross/volley combo play which WOW’d the 800+ mass. The Broncos were quicker, stronger, chippier (we picked up 2 or 3 yellows today) and much more attractive than the tired sadsacks from Reno. I think the Wolf Pack must have spent all of their energy defeating their previous opponents because the could not muster any kind of attack all. I believe they only put together 1 serious scoring chance. They had a couple of corner kicks but nothing really troubled the Superstar Boise Keeper

I really think the Wolf Pack coach should be questioned for his gameplan of NOT subbing anybody until the 20th minute of the second half. It was too late. His attacking players were all gassed.

He brought in Wolf Pack #7 –aka The Dazzler–and she ran around like a wolf, but where was she in the first half coach? I also think the Wolf Pack players threw the towel in when they sat on their seats the entire game. Every Bronco player stood and stomped and cheered on their teammates the entire game. Maybe the Wolf Pack players were too exhausted to even cheer on their team?

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Proud Dad says: November 10th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Girls, ignore SaddleUP, an obvious wacko soccer parent. You’ve met the “type” all through your club life. Shake your head and hope they get some “professional” help. I attended all three games this weekend and you girls played great games against New Mexico and especially San Jose State. BSU played at a very high level on Sunday and got a deserved result. Wish them luck against UCLA. I’ve seen UCLA play in person several times this year and BSU will need more than a miracle to keep up with UCLA’s speed, technical ability, skill and phyisical play. Hopefully BSU won’t get hammered 5-0 like Fresno State did last year when UCLA’s reserves played most of the second half. Great season ladies and with the loss of only three seniors, you should have a strong season next year. Rock n Roll! GO PACK!!!

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