The University of Akron Athletics
Preseason Q&A With Head Coach Chris Pfau
August 22 | Women's Soccer
What are the general goals and expectations for the season:
To continue to develop as a team and be ready for conference.
Our non-conference schedule is very hard this year and I wanted to
be tested before we get into conference.
What do you see as the team's strengths entering the
season:
Most of the players returned from last season, so there will be
some continuity within the team and their expectations of how I
want to play. There will be more depth this year.
What are some of your concerns entering the
season:
That if we don't get wins right away, we stop playing. We feel good
about our spring and that we can compete. That is good, but I hope
they realize that it is what we do at the end that matters.
You have a large class of newcomers and two transfers,
discuss what that does to the team dynamic:
No matter the size of the class that comes in at the end of each
fall season, the dynamic of the team changes - new leaders, new
responsibilities and new players. The players came in a couple days
early on their own, they got to know the new players before
preseason and that has helped.
You are taking a slightly different approach to the
non-conference schedule this year, talk about that:
My first season I wanted to push the team as long as I could and
see how they handled that. I wanted them to win every game and put
them under that kind of pressure. We got a little burnt out towards
the end of the season. We also did not use our bench as much. When
we got some injuries our players on the bench were not fit. This
year, we want to look at a lot of different players and we will use
non-conference to see these line-ups. I am not saying I don't care
if we win or lose, but we need to use our bench better and keep
more players involved knowing that we will have injuries.
What are your thoughts on the schedule:
I like our schedule, I want to be ranked in the region. To do that
you have to play the best teams. We also have to start to realize
that we can compete with them on any given day. The more you play
the top teams the more you get used to playing them. We will
continue to play them year in and year out.
What do you anticipate in terms of the Mid-American
Conference race:
I expect one thing, that we will be in the tournament.
What type of characteristics do you look for in
recruits:
I just look for players that bring something to the table every
game. If they are fast, goal scorers, tough defenders, whatever
their strength is, that they show that every time I see them
play.
What is your feeling on system of play and how the players
affect that system:
System of play to me is based on the talent I have. This will
change year to year with the recruits that I bring in. I believe on
the talent dictating what system we will play.
What style or brand of soccer do you like to
play:
Possession with a purpose. Get the ball on the ground and
attack.
Why would a recruit choose the University of
Akron:
I truly believe we can build a top-30 program here. We have the
support, the facilities and a great coaching staff. We are already
getting some incredible recruits to commit that have visited and
seen this for themselves.
What direction do you see the program heading in future
years:
I want to be a top-30 program. I want to be able to attract the top
players from all over.
What do you want people to know about your program and
philosophy:
My philosophy is to develop each player every year to become better
than they were the year before. That when they are finished playing
for me and Akron, not only did they had a great time but they
learned how to play the game.
Outside of the soccer experience, what do you find special
about the University of Akron experience:
The biggest thing I have noticed is the friendships that each of
the teams have with each other. For a big school, there is a lot of
support for one another across the board. That when women's soccer
players graduate, not only do they have a great education but they
have made friends outside of their sport.
