University of Minnesota Athletics
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Previewing the 2020-21 Gopher Soccer Season
2/10/2021 10:29:00 AM | Soccer
When the Gopher Soccer program opens the 2020-21 season on Feb. 21 with a home game against Nebraska, it will mark the first time in 484 days in which the Maroon & Gold have taken the field. Although that is the longest stretch of time the team has gone without competing in the 27-year history of the program, the Gophers will set off in search of their fifth Big Ten Regular Season Championship and fourth Big Ten Tournament title.
Despite the fact that the schedule looks much differently this season, Minnesota will still have the opportunity to face off against 11 different Big Ten Conference opponents. The only no-plays this spring are Ohio State and Indiana. The Maroon & Gold will play six home games and five road contests, beginning with the season opener against Nebraska. Other 2021 home opponents include Northwestern (March 4), Illinois (March 6), Purdue (March 25), Maryland (March 28) and Wisconsin (April 3). The Gophers will take on Michigan (Feb. 25), Michigan State (Feb. 28), Iowa (March 13), Penn State (March 18) and Rutgers (March 21) on the road.
The Gophers return 18 players on the roster from the 2019 team, seven of which totaled 1,000 or more minutes last season: defender Alana Dressely, midfielder Katie Duong, defender/midfielder Paige Elliott, defender Athena Kuehn, goalkeeper Maddie Nielsen, midfielder/forward Celina Nummerdor and forward Patricia Ward. Headlining that group of returning talent will be seniors Arianna Del Moral (midfielder), Kuehn, Makenzie Langdok (forward), Nielsen and Nummerdor.
In addition to the team's surplus of returners, Minnesota also welcomes five freshmen to the playing field this spring: forward Maddie Baker, midfielder Sophia Boman, forward Abi Frandsen, defender Lauren Holland and forward Josie Wood. All five of these newcomers will look to add immediate depth to roster.
This year's Gopher roster features one of the more versatile ones in recent memory. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see several key contributors playing at different positions on the field throughout the upcoming season.
In the goal, Nielsen has the most experience for the Gophers, starting all 19 games in 2019 and playing every minute. The former 2018 Big Ten Tournament Defensive Most Outstanding Player is accompanied in the ranks by junior Ana Aguado and sophomore Megan Plaschko. Both add depth to the position for the Gophers.
Kuehn represents the most experience in the back line, as the senior captain has played in 61 games with 41 starts and 4,674 minutes throughout her career as a Gopher.
Dressely had a breakout season in 2019, playing in 19 games (14 starts) one year ago. The junior will be an integral part in Minnesota's defending corps and brings great experience. Juniors Delaney Stekr and Katie Koker are primed to take big leaps forward this year, while sophomores Keziah Inniss and Eva Bruer will look to carve out increased roles as well. Holland could also potentially push for immediate minutes as a freshman, while Elliott is positioned to be heavily involved as both a defender and midfielder depending on how everything shakes out.
Speaking of the midfield, Elliott will likely see minutes alongside sophomore Katie Duong and seniors Del Moral and Nummerdor, the latter of which could fill minutes either in the midfield or up top. Junior Megan Gray could fill a similar role as well, while Boman appears to be in line for significant playing time as a freshman after making an immediate impact in the training environment.
At forward, the senior-leading Langdok will be a staple for the Gophers with 49 career games played and 19 starts to her credit. Junior Patricia Ward should also provide a dynamic finishing threat for Minnesota up top, while fellow junior McKenna Buisman stands as a popular breakout candidate after impressing as a freshman in 2018, but missing all of the 2019 season. As mentioned previously, Nummerdor and Gray could also see some time at forward, while sophomore Sadie Harper will aim to build off of her 13-game cameo from 2019. Meanwhile, Baker, Frandsen and Wood could all have major roles in their rookie campaigns while simultaneously pushing the veteran members of this group.
On the sidelines, head coach Stefanie Golan and company welcome two fresh faces to the coaching staff in assistant coach Maya Hayes and volunteer goalkeeper coach Tarah Hobbs. Both will be making their Minnesota coaching debuts in the Feb. 21 season opener, as will student assistant coach Lauren Roberts, who joins the coaching ranks after previously playing for Minnesota as a freshman in 2019. Assistant coach Becky Maines adds stability to this group, as the 2020-21 campaign will mark her third season with the Gophers.
As for Golan, the upcoming season will make her the longest-tenured head coach in the history of Gopher Soccer. 2020-21 will be Golan's ninth year at the helm of the program, meaning she will surpass her predecessor, Mikki Denney Wright, who served as the head coach at Minnesota for eight seasons. In the last four seasons, Golan has coached the Gophers to two Big Ten Tournament Championships and one Regular Season Big Ten Championship.
To follow along with Gopher Soccer throughout the upcoming season, please visit GopherSports.com for live stats for all regular season games.