TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women's soccer hit the field for the first official day of practice at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores will have an aggressive schedule with two-a-days on the turf as ISU prepares to get ready for their first exhibition of 2022 on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Sycamores opened up the first day with their fitness testing in the morning, before hitting the turf for the first time as a team in the 2022 camp.
 
"We talk about coming in fit," Head Soccer Coach Julie Hanley said. "We accomplished that with nearly every single member passing our fitness test this morning. The importance of that is huge because the turnaround is so quick with our first exhibition game coming up this weekend."
 
Indiana State will host Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday, August 7, for the first of two exhibition matches this fall. The Sycamores will travel to Bellarmine on August 11 to wrap up their preseason.
 
The Sycamores return depth and experience across the field and welcomed back all five players that were recognized on the 2021 Missouri Valley All-Conference team headlined by midfielder CeCe Wahlberg. Goalkeeper Maddie Alexander (Second Team) and midfielder Katie Yankey (Second Team) are also back, while forwards Sasha Thompson (Honorable Mention) and Mackenzie Kent (Honorable Mention) are expected to make their presence felt throughout the upcoming year.
 
Hanley is excited about the veteran leadership coming back and their positive impact as ISU will look to blend eight newcomers to the roster after the Sycamores finished third overall in the MVC standings in 2021.
 
"One of the things I'm most looking forward to this season is the maturity of our players and leaders over the last two or three years and their overall comfort level on the ball," Hanley said. "Knowing going into this fall that we have this core group returning as coaches is really exciting. It's also exciting for our players and our core group of seniors has done a good job in changing the program in the direction we're heading. This team have a lot to prove and we're looking forward to getting going."
 
The veteran leadership on the field will also make it easier for the team to continue to adjust throughout the season thanks to the comfort level they have speaking on the field throughout practice and in game.
 
"Our philosophy has been having our players talk to the two or three teammates around them instead of having players talking to everyone," Hanley said. "We have a great group of vocal leaders on the field in Chloee Kooker, CeCe Wahlberg, Anna Holcombe, and Serra Hanrahan, but really everyone has the ability to step up and lead. From a communication standpoint all of our players like to talk and work through their things. It's always been about giving them the confidence to do it on the field."
 
As the week continues, the focus is on the exhibition game on Sunday, but also looking at the long game and preparing for the upcoming season.
 
"Our first test this season will be the exhibition game," Hanley said. "However, we're taking each game as it is and getting better. We want to play our best soccer heading into November and we'll keep building toward that. Our players are excited to get out there and Sunday will be a good opportunity for us to get after it and continue to prepare for the year."
 
ISU women's soccer will continue their two-a-day practice schedule throughout the preseason before wrapping up prior to classes starting on Tuesday, August 16.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Soccer, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Soccer by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.