Sometimes, an act of faith helps people discover a whole new part of God’s plan. Amanda Burge, the new women’s soccer coach, says that’s all her move to HU was: a step of faith.
Coming to HU, Burge said she pictured lots of ways she was going to invest in the lives of her players but was not ready for how her players would invest in her and show her God’s love as well. And that’s just off the field.
On the field, Burge is excited to learn about her team and grow with them as together they begin developing a new program.
“The potential is there, and it’s incredible,” Burge said of the women’s soccer team.
She admits the team is still working through some of the kinks, and she and her players are growing accustomed to one another as she settles into the head-coaching position.
“I’ve asked the team to play a whole different style of soccer than they were accustomed to, so naturally there has been a certain learning curve and period of growing pains,” she said.
The Foreseters are 2-3-1 on the season so far and are looking to continue to improve and compete with Crossroads teams, as well as the non-conference teams on their schedule.
“Every day we put another piece of this new puzzle together, every day we grow stronger, in a greater understanding of each other and what God has in store for this season on and off the field,” Burge said.
The Foresters’ most recent win was on the road over the Saints of Aquinas College. Matea Knispel’s early goal held the lead for the Foresters the whole game as they finished with a 1-0 victory.
The night before, September 9, the Foresters traveled to Cornerstone University where they suffered a 0-2 loss after a tough 90-minute battle.
Previously, the Foresters had triumphed in a double-overtime game with Marygrove for their first win of the season. Audra Klopfenstein scored her first collegiate goal in the second OT to boost HU over their opponents.
While the HU women’s soccer team may be going through preliminary adjustments, Coach Burge says that their success will be measured in more than on-field performance.
Success will look like “a team comprised of women who understand the intricacies of working together to strengthen this program as a whole,” she explained.
Burge said that matter what happens on the field, if the HU women continue to keep Christ as the focus of their team and program, success will be evident no matter the form in which it appears.
The Huntingtonian 