This feature is part of an ongoing series by Northern State cross country/track and field student-athlete John Jacklin. Jacklin is also a member of the Northern State University Exponent staff. Despite no fall competition, the Northern State soccer program enters the 2020 season looking to build the foundations for a winning culture, as Ryszard Gorski begins his second season as head coach.
 
The Wolves started strong in the 2019 season with an overtime win on the road against Division I opponent Green Bay. However, they struggled to string together wins in conference play and finished 5-12-1.
 
With a significant roster turnover from the 2019 season, the team is utilizing the fall months to establish chemistry between the freshmen, transfers, international students and returners. Out of the 28 players on the 2020 roster, 16 were not with the program last year.
 
Most programs in the NCAA were not allowed to conduct official practice until early September, adding another challenge to the young team looking to learn about each other on and off the field.
 
"As a freshman, you expect to come in and do preseason and be with the girls 24/7," said freshman Calista Kocmick. "Right now, we're starting to get to know each other really well but at first, it was really hard to get to know the team."
 
If the season had not been postponed, the team would have only had two weeks of practice together before the first exhibition game. Any team in any sport would have difficulty clicking on all cylinders with minimal preseason activities prior to competition, especially a team with 16 new players.
 
Coach Gorski places a strong point of emphasis on conditioning and fitness, and those standards have not changed in the absence of competition. The team regularly holds pacing tests, mile-and-a-half time trials and recently ran in the Steps for Shep 5k race.
 
"Our coaching staff is treating this year like we have those games on the weekends," stated sophomore captain Emma Yeske. "They hold us to high standards every day and the next day we raise them."
 
As NSU soccer enters October - what would normally be the middle of NSIC conference play – the priorities are simple: continue learning each other's style of play, continue improving on fitness tests and continue practicing as a cohesive unit and not as individuals.
 
"At the end of the day, we still want to get better whether or not we have games," said junior transfer Lilja Davidsdottir.
 
Apart from working towards their long-term goals on the field, Northern State soccer is using this time to become more connected with the Aberdeen community. While volunteerism is more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team comes up with creative ways to serve the city and campus community while also learning about one another.
 
At the start of the season, the captains organized a trash pick-up around the city and paired returners with newcomers. The team captains and upperclassmen hope that these activities will not only give back to Aberdeen, but will assist in creating a positive team culture and comradery in ways that would be difficult during a normal season with traveling every other week and having two games almost every weekend.
 
"I think that if we keep doing what we're doing, keep getting to know each other through community service work, we will play for each other in practice and work harder for each other," noted Yeske.
 
"Our team loves Aberdeen and we love Northern," stated junior captain Teya Trujillo. "Whether it is something simple like a trash pick-up or something larger, if it's going to help the community, we're going to do it."
 
The NSIC has not ruled out the possibility of fall sports competing during the spring semester, which adds motivation to an already youthful and focused program that is hungry for competition and experience. Whether Northern State soccer's next game is in the spring or the fall of 2021, Coach Gorski and the players will be prepared and look forward to a successful season.