Women's Soccer's Backline Holds Strong into Ivy Play

For the Harvard women’s soccer team, defense truly rules the school.

In compiling an impressive record, the Crimson (7-3-2 1-1-1 Ivy) boasts several statistics that tell the story of the season. Perhaps the most telling is this staggering stat­—in its seven victories this season, Harvard has not given up a single goal, seven shut outs. Both of its ties were 0-0 results.

In fact, the team has given up only five goals through 12 games on the year for an outstanding goals against average of .416. Playing such a difficult schedule, it’s obvious that the Crimson is doing something very right on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive success for the Harvard women can be attributed to three distinct factors: coaching, athleticism, and communication.

The 2005 season brought Stephanie Erickson to the helm of the Harvard women’s soccer team. Erickson, an assistant under former coach Tim Wheaton, has brought an important new philosophy to the team—defense is an 11-woman endeavor.

“Team defending starts from the top, with forwards. Everything is not left to the backs and the keeper,” Erickson said. “Forwards hear from the backs. If all 11 defend together at once then we will be very successful.”

Freshman forward Erin Wylie echoed her coach’s words about a complete team defense.

“One of our team mottoes is unity; it’s important for us to play as one,” Wylie said. “If I, as a forward, lose the ball, then I’m expected to try to win it back or hustle to put pressure on the other team right away, not just let the task fall to our back four.”

Yet what a back four they are.

The four defenders who compose the stone wall in front of outstanding senior captain and goalie Katie Shields are certainly a diverse group. Each of the four backs is from a different Harvard class.

“[Sophomore] Michelle Hull is, without a doubt, the fastest player on our team,” junior captain Laura Odorczyk said.

Hull’s blazing speed is certainly well documented among her teammates and her ability to play such outstanding one-on-one defense, typically on the opposition’s most talented forward, is a big part of the Crimson’s defensive success.

Freshman Nicole Rhodes has faced a significant challenge in jumping into the starting lineup in her first collegiate season. According to her coach and teammates, she has responded better than anyone could have expected.

From the young of the defensive line to the old, Sara Sedgwick—if only for her senior class status—can be considered the grandma of the group. Yet her play is far from pedestrian.

“Sara is adjusting to a new position as a defender and is doing a fantastic job of reading the game and organizing her fellow defenders to stop the attack,” Erickson said.

Yet, one of the toughest positions on the field falls on Odorczyk, who helps her goaltender direct the defense. However, she is much more than a leader.

“Laura is one of our most athletic players,” Shields said. “She is always in good position and is almost never beaten in a one on one situation.”

Shields herself is the center of the team’s third defensive crux, communication.

“[Shields] is the general out there,” Erickson said. “One of our biggest successes as a team is that we communicate so well as a group.”

With five games remaining, four against Ivy opponents, the team knows that a tough road to the Ivy championship lays ahead.

However, the opportunities are there and the team knows that its ultimate success or failure rests in its ability to buckle down and hold the opposition off the scoreboard, just like it has done all season.