Photo Credit: Matt Young | The Breeze
JMU women’s soccer plays High Point University this weekend, almost three years to the day after its first and only other match against the Panthers. The Dukes (1-4) travel to High Point, North Carolina, to play in Vert Stadium for the first time in program history.
The teams’ first matchup was physical and energetic. The game was a 0-0 draw until the very end, when High Point junior forward Alex Denny tallied the game-winning goal at ‘88.
“In the country, the team most like us is probably High Point,” JMU head coach Joshua Walters Sr. said. “We both have very similar philosophies in the way we want to play the game.”
Despite the lack of history between the two teams, Walters said it doesn’t affect the team’s preparation. The process leading up to the match is the same as it'll be for teams that JMU plays frequently.
“We use a lot of data and statistics to figure out what they most likely will do … and then we try to prepare against it,” Walters said. “With technology these days, you get every game that every opponent plays.”
The Dukes’ current roster has new faces that differ from the 2018 High Point matchup. Some familiar faces on both JMU rosters include redshirt senior forwards Hannah Coulling and Ginger Deel, who said they’re sharing their perspectives from that match with their younger teammates to rally them up for game day.
“We felt that heartbreak of losing in the last few minutes of the game,” Deel said. “Especially that they beat us at home, that hurts 10 times worse.”
JMU plays a style of soccer known as “positional play,” as described by Walters. In positional play, the turf is divided into zones — each player is assigned a zone, and the idea is to draw the other team out of position, freeing up players down the field for passing and scoring opportunities.
“We have a saying, ‘Play with purpose and press with passion,’” Walters said. “We want to make the game with the ball. We want to out-possess teams; we want to be dangerous.”
High Point is also known to implement positional play on the field. Coach Walters said the Dukes don’t face many teams who play the same style on the turf.
“Most teams are just running and pressing as hard as they can,” Walters said. “It’ll be an awesome matchup to see the same style play each other — it becomes almost like a chess match, making minor movements and little changes to try to gain an advantage.”
Despite both teams following the same style of play, and possibly knowing the same tricks, Deel and Coulling said they aren’t worried that it’ll make it more difficult to successfully run offensive attacks. Coulling said practice prepares them for situations like this.
“The fact that we scrimmage each other and we play the same style against each other [during practice] can give advantages,” Coulling said. “I also think it’s easy to play against a style where you know how to create the advantages in your own game.”
JMU started its season playing top ACC teams, including No. 2 U. Va, No. 8 Louisville and No. 11 Virginia Tech. Despite accumulating some tough losses, the Dukes were able to hold their own and pose a real threat against some of the best teams in the country.
“This is our learning period, where we get to play these teams and develop how we play,” Coulling said. “I think we’ve done a tremendous job. We’ve definitely gotten some chances against big teams like this.”
Comparing the 2018 roster with JMU’s current lineup, neither team lacks in talent. Deel said the 2018 roster was one of the best teams she’s been on — the Dukes advanced to the CAA championship that season, losing to Hofstra in the final match.
“The last time we played High Point, we were a team trying to search for an identity,” Walters said. “I feel like we’re in a really good spot now.”
The Dukes’ current lineup is also full of talent and potentially has more depth than the 2018 team. This allows Walters to make frequent substitutions throughout the match, keeping the players fresh and energized on the field while wearing out the opponent.
“We have some weapons on the team,” Coulling said. “We have quality [players], and we’re challenging ourselves.”
The Dukes hope to balance its record against the Panthers with a win. Deel said it would be nice to beat the Panthers on High Point’s turf, just like they did to the Dukes in Sentara Park three years ago. Kickoff is Sunday at 1 p.m.
Story originally published by The Breeze.
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