MOBILE, Ala. – After another successful year for the South Alabama soccer team, Richard Moodie returns for a fifth season as head coach. During the 2020 campaign, the Jags won the Sun Belt Conference East Division, the conference tournament and their first NCAA tournament match under Moodie.
Nine starters return for the Jags in 2021 including first-team all-conference selection Gracie Wilson and second-team selection Morgan Cross. The Jaguars will also welcome 14 newcomers to the squad this fall.
Moodie talked about the signing class and how the incoming skill will bring much excitement to South Alabama in the upcoming season.
What is your big takeaway from last season?
The biggest one is how lucky we were to even have a season. There were some games in there that we lost and some games that were a little bit worrying for us and exposed areas we needed to improve in; I think our recruiting will show that. We've got a championship squad and culture here, and we're very fortunate to have the players we've got coming back and the additions that we've made I think are really going to help fix those issues.
What are your thoughts on the signing class?
It's a very well-executed class, you will see that a lot of these players have played at the top level in the United States, top-level clubs in their native countries or for their national teams. It's full of transfers and older players, but we also have top-level freshman student-athletes in the mix. It is a very diverse and exciting group.
What will be the biggest adjustments this season?
We're going to change some things which I feel will create excitement and nervousness. We've stepped back and taken a look at where we need to improve and we do that whether we win or lose. We're going to try to change things tactically and that will create a lot of excitement for the team.
What are you goals for the team this season?
The focus for us is statistically are we producing? We were second in the nation in goals last year. How can we recreate that moving into this year. The first conversation we have with the student-athletes is figuring out how to stop leaking goals, we gave away too many last season. We want to take that goals for average, where we were at the top of the country, and improve our goals against average, where we were at the middle or near the bottom of the conference. If we can get those two things put together, it will be a healthy combination; score more, concede less and we can win more games.
What are you most excited for this season?
Just to be back and have a season. I think it's surreal that we're still able to play. Here at South Alabama we have an administration and a conference that has allowed us to continue and give support to these student-athletes. I'm excited to get back to a more traditional schedule and play every team in the conference so we can get to see who really is the best team in the conference.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90
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