After winning the 2023 SUNYAC championship this past fall, the Cortland Women’s Soccer team has set the standards high for their upcoming 2024 season. The Red Dragons have been using their off-season to focus on different things so they could get that back-to-back SUNYAC championship again.
Looking back at their last season, the Red Dragons had massive success with an undefeated regular season, becoming regular season champions and tournament champions, an NCAA appearance, seven all-conference players, and three all-region players.
Senior forward Elizabeth Allen sat down with Ava Bongiorno to talk about the main objectives this off-season and provided insights into their upcoming fall season. Here is that conversation:
Ava Bongiorno: What’s been the primary focus of your spring training this year?
Liz Allen: “Our primary focus for the off-season has been working on filling the voids of losing major starters who graduated. It has opened many opportunities for players to step into new roles. Which is allowing us to focus on what our future will look like as a team for the fall.”
Bongiorno: How does the off-season training differ from the regular season in terms of intensity and focus?
Allen: “There really is no difference in season and off-season when it comes to intensity and focus. Each day we all come to training to work hard and get better individually and as a team. If anything, intensity is much higher in the off-season due to seniors graduating and the opportunity for players to step into a new role.”
Bongiorno: Are there any new training strategies that the team has implemented this year?
Allen: “Not really, but… for the spring we are really focusing on bettering our first touch with passing drills. We are also implementing much more gameplay than in season. Lots of full-field game practices and short 6v6 on the goals.”
Bongiorno: How do you and your teammates stay motivated during the off-season training period?
Allen: “Coming off a big season winning the SUNYAC championship we are all excited for next season to go for a repeat and are willing to put in the work now. We are also playing two good teams for our spring season and are very excited to go against high competition.”
Bongiorno: What role does strength and conditioning play in your off-season preparation?
Allen: “Off-season is huge for strength and conditioning. We go three times a week to build up muscle and run at practice to stay in good shape for the summer.”
Bongiorno: What are your personal goals for improvement during this off-season, and how do they align with the team’s goals?
Allen: “My personal goal is to be more unpredictable in my gameplay as a forward. As a team, we are starting to become more creative with our play and becoming less predictable towards opponents for both offense and defense. Our main goal is becoming a stronger unit and creating good chemistry.”
Bongiorno: How do you think your off-season preparation will contribute to the team’s success in the upcoming Fall season?
Allen: “Our team is always working hard when stepping onto the field. The opportunity for players to take on new roles creates such a competitive environment which is very beneficial to us as a whole. It allows us to never settle individually and as a team. We also know that we will have a huge target on our backs for the upcoming fall and are willing to put in the work now to be successful in the future.”