Tigers soccer head man gives an update on early-season results

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

MARSHFIELD — With a number of new front-line players, finding a way to score goals was a known issue for the Marshfield girls soccer team coming into the 2015 season.

After suffering their second-straight shutout of the season, a 3-0 loss to Wausau West in its Wisconsin Valley Conference opener Tuesday, the Tigers are continuing their search for consistent offensive play.

Hub City Times caught up with Marshfield girls soccer coach Steve Lindner following the Tigers’ loss for an update on the team’s early-season play. Marshfield had a 1-2 record heading into a nonconference game Friday at home against Chippewa Falls.

Hub City Times: The game was pretty even with you getting six shots on goal and West five, but they got three in, and you didn’t get any in.

Steve Lindner: We had some decent shots on goal. We just haven’t found the finishing touch this year. We have to have better shots at angles or at the corners and low shots, not right in the stomach or chest area.

HCT: You have practiced for three or four weeks. Now you are getting into the games, which must be a big difference with conditioning plus a lot of new kids are playing for you this year. Do you feel things are coming together over this first week?

SL: It’s developing and an ongoing process. It is a process with the younger kids, knowing where to be and understanding the conditioning and what to do on both ends in the transition game. The transition is the hardest part for the younger players, going from offense to defense and defense to offense. We’re a little slow at reacting and not anticipating the way I would like to. I’m sure we’ll keep developing.

HCT: For your first conference game, do you think this is a good measuring stick early in the year as to where you are and where you want to be, where you want to get to?

SL: I really believe Wausau West, us, Wisconsin Rapids, and Wausau East are right in that middle of the pack. Merrill is improving each year. I think we’re right in the mix with all of those teams. Stevens Point and D.C. Everest, I believe, are the strongest teams in the conference, and the rest of us are trying to catch up to them.

HCT: What’s it going to take to get you to that point?

SL: We have to work hard, and we have to continue to react quicker and move to the ball faster. We have to win more 50-50 balls. We’re not challenging as hard as I think we can. To compete with teams like West and get over the hump, we have to win more 50-50 balls and challenge the ball more. We need to be the aggressor.