One of the team captains for TJC women’s soccer team, Gabrielle Wiebe, sat down with The DrumBeat to talk about the team’s fall season. The Lady Apaches are having an exceptional year with a seasonal record of 16-2-3 as of today.
Q:Looking back on a remarkable season, you have played 19 games with only 1 loss, What would you say has been the key to your team’s success this season?
A: Honestly, I feel like we put more work in than most teams out there. And we started off really hard at preseason, you know, working two days, we did technically like three days and just worked really hard. And I think it also had, you know, made us have a team bond like chemistry. And I feel like that’s made us really successful.
Q: Your team has had two tie games with Navarro College this season, a team known for its physicality, strength, and speed, which goes to show how these games can get very intense. How does your team stay motivated and maintain focus during such intense games? What’s the team’s mindset in such moments?
A: Our mindset is, first, we, you know, we have to focus we started off really well with like a good warm-up. And then we all just look at each other and we say we’re gonna do it for each other. So just working hard knowing we’re doing it for the person next to us.
Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals that you do?
A: We have a really funny cheer, and we do it for every game, but it gets us hyped up and ready for the game.
Q: Can you share any memorable moments from your season that you and your teammates will always remember, and what makes these moments in particular stand out for you?
A: I know for sure one memorable game was our first game against Navarro. We had the band out. We had all the students out. It was a great game. And we were down 1 – 0 until the last five or 10 minutes and we came back and tied it. Sam Roddenhof, one of the forwards, scored and helped us win the game; well tied the game, but it felt like a win because it was last minute.
Q: That’s a great segue into the next question, how do you and the team handle the pressure of representing your school on such a big stage. We mentioned that you might be headed to the national tournaments. So how do you keep a steady mind?
A: I believe Coach Rose and Coach Katie both did really well recruiting all of us players and we all just have the good morals our focus. We all try our best in school, try our best on the field and just try to keep our mind right for these big moments like we’re going into nationals just being able to all have or be surrounded by girls that have the same morals and work ethic it’s helps us stay focused.
Q:As you reflect on the team’s most recent loss to Hill College, can you share the key takeaway that the team will carry with them into the upcoming games?
A: We focused on it today in practice. It’s just lighting that fire back you know. At the beginning of the year, we had worked hard and had that really good fire. We all worked together. And then I feel like it’s slowly decreased and after that game, I feel like we all got motivated and snapped into place real fast, you know, we figured out that we needed to focus up a little more and light that fire again.
For more information on the women’s soccer team, visit apacheathletics.com. or find them on Instagram @tjcwsoccer.
