NANAIMO — The VIU Mariners women’s soccer team is looking forward to a new season with a new coach.
Bobbie Taylor who was a player with the Malaspina College Mariners from 1988-91 and a coach in the 2000 season is guiding VIU into 2022.
Taylor is excited about the team she inherits from outgoing skipper Kevin Lindo.
“We have some very strong and experienced returning players who are in their fifth year like Cara Dunlop, Shea Battie and Olivia Mazurenko. They have a wealth of experience and they are strong players in the whole conference. So I think we are in a phase where we should be contenders and make nationals.”
She doesn’t know the group very well yet but Taylor she doesn have a plan for the style the Mariners will employ for the coming season.
“We will be looking to play a very dynamic style and take advantage of transitional moments. We’ll have some structure but also allow the players the freedom to play and put their own stamp on the game.”
The Mariners finished last season with a 2-6-1. PACWEST season with a 2-6-1 record which was third in the PACWEST.
With the full schedule still to be announced the new campaign will begin on September 10.
There are exhibition matches already set up next month against teams like UVIC, Peninsula College and the Nanaimo and Gorge premier women’s teams.
The team will begin it’s quest in early August with a plan for a balance of game play and training.
“We’re going to train four days a week and do some off field training as well,” Taylor said. “I am confident the players will come in fit and strong and hopefully we will be preventative with injuries”
The late summer and fall is going to be a busy time for Taylor.
Aside from her duties with VIU she also serves as a coach and player development lead for U12-U18 females with Nanaimo United FC.
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