Defiance College women's soccer 2020-21 season preview

*Disclaimer: The article was written and the interview with Coach Pheasant occurred before the cancellation of the 2020-21 women's soccer season.

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance College women's soccer team will begin the 2020-21 season with a road game against Bluffton on Tuesday, March 2 at 3:30 pm. Second-year head coach BJ Pheasant's team went 4-15-1 last season. Pheasant's team will consist of a strong class of exciting newcomers along with a few well-experienced veterans.

"With the amount of freshman we brought in this year this season is going to be building year", said Defiance head coach BJ Pheasant. "We have to balance what we're doing spring with looking ahead to next fall with what expects to be a regular season and quick turnaround."

The Yellow Jackets will play a nine-game schedule this March, facing each Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference team once. "Not having a non-conference schedule has changed our expectations a little bit. Typically in a regular fall season, your schedule is built to lead into conference play but this year we are going right into it," said Pheasant. 

The team's roster features nine freshmen, and Pheasant is impressed by the progress that the class has made. "I'm very happy with the entire class. I've gotten to know a lot of these girls throughout the recruiting process and I'm am excited to see them develop. We have a lot of freshmen who are getting their first taste of college soccer but I like what I've seen from them so far."

Along with the freshmen, the Yellow Jackets will have a few veterans to lead the young squad. The versatile Rachel Lowell will provide the Yellow Jackets with some lineup flexibility, as the senior can lineup at forward as well as play in the net. Sophomore Brianna Snider will look to lead the Defiance offensive after finishing last season with four goals and an assist.