The three-game win streak that the East Tennessee State women’s soccer team built is dust, thanks to a 2-1 loss at Georgia State last Thursday.
Building momentum before the Southern Conference schedule begins is key, and that starts with tomorrow’s match against Appalachian State at Summers-Taylor Stadium (6 PM, ESPN+).
“App State’s not that far away,” ETSU sophomore midfielder Abbey Hayberg said during a media availability on Wednesday. They’re maybe just an hour. And so it’s kind of just a rivalry of the area. But I have full faith that ETSU is going to come on on top of that and that we are going to show who really owns the area. And so I think that we’re going to perform very well.”
ETSU (3-2-0) previously had beaten West Georgia, UNC Asheville, and Longwood by a combined margin of 5-1. Hayberg contributed to the offensive production during that win streak, scoring a goal during the Aug. 23 win at UNC Asheville and then registering an assist on Aug 30 at Longwood.
Jada Cooper, who also spoke to the media Wednesday, scored a goal against Longwood and also tallied ETSU’s lone score in the 2-1 loss at Georgia State.
“I think the connection that is made on the field really just comes from off the field,” Hayberg said. “Our team is such a family. … Not everyone’s separated by what grades they’re in. I’m a sophomore, Jada is a junior, and then Reagan [Fitzgerald] is a senior. And so that we are able to have that connection no matter what. … And I think that I can consider all of them like my sisters, and I can just talk to them and go to them for anything that I need off the field. So whenever we’re on the field, we’re not just all serious. We can make jokes, have fun with it, and that just really grows, who we are together.”
Cooper has been playing almost exclusively on the wing this season. That’s a change for her after playing the bulk of her high school and college career up top as striker. She hasn’t played wing regularly since her club days.
“Being on the wing, I can use my speed more, I feel like. And I can go one v one with the defender and get crossing opportunities, which is something that I haven’t done in a while,” Cooper said. “Really just learning that position and being able to practice there and just continue to play that position in games, I can really build on my natural position.
“Being in uncomfortable situations, it allows you to learn from your mistakes and just really, it builds character,” Cooper added, noting she had an adjustment period as she learned how the coaching staff wanted her to play the wing. “So really just making that uncomfortable state more natural, like, that’s life. It really just helps build character.”
Appalachian State (4-1-2) comes into this match riding a six-game unbeaten streak and just forged a 2-2 draw at Miami last Thursday. The Mountaineers’ top scorer is English sophomore Libby Bermingham, who ranks tied for 33rd in Division I and third in the Sun Belt with five goals this season.
Returning back to familiar confines for the first time since the Aug. 20 1-0 win against West Georgia seems to be a welcome event for this team.
“The ETSU support team here, like, it’s just immaculate. We love playing home,” Cooper said, adding, “We can focus on the game without any outside factors. And the energy is really good. The support system, the fans, we’re so excited for the energy that’s going to come.”
“Night games just hold a lot of energy … to where everyone can just come together and support us and we can hear whoever that we love cheering in the stands,” Hayberg added. “For us, it just builds the momentum to when we’re playing on the field, making us want to make that first tackle, shoot the first goal and just really putting momentum into us that not only we get from the team, but we get to have here at home.”
ETSU, by the way, opens its SoCon schedule next Thursday against Mercer — at home.