Page 9 - The Bell Tower - Winter/Spring 2014

title game, Coach Levesque’s squad lost seven starters. While the team quickly reloaded with new recruits, Levesque opened the season with 14 first-year players on his roster. Everything pointed toward a rebuilding, or transitional year for the Lady Bengals. But to anyone who knows anything about Coach Levesque knows he wasn’t conceding anything for the 2013 cam- paign.
“It’s always tough when you lose a great group of seniors like we did in 2012. But we did a great job with our 2013 recruiting class, and our returning players provided great leader- ship and set the tone early to ensure success. No one on the team really cared about who
got the recognition for our successes, it was just about winning. When the players buy into that, it makes my job much easier,” said Coach Levesque.
Levesque credits team chemistry as the rea- son the women were able to gel as a team, to be
competitive, and ultimately play for the national title again.
“I think what really helped us was our team chemistry,” said Levesque. “This past year, our first-year players gained confidence early on in the season, because of the support they received from our returning players. The skills were there, but having the support of their teammates made the transition that much smoother for everyone. Once we had the mind set to compete at a high level, everything else fell into place.”
UMFK’s women’s soccer 2013 First Team All- Americans selections included: Ferland, Forbes, Laberge-Pelletier, and Mills. The 2013 USCAA National Championship All-Tournament team included Ferland, Forbes, Laberge-Pelletier, and Montagne. Ferland was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Coach Levesque already has plans for filling positions
held by graduating seniors, or strengthening his squad in other ways.
“We have a pretty solid recruiting class com- ing in for next fall. I really like the way things are shaping up for us for the 2014 season. We don’t need a whole lot, but adding depth is always a good thing. That way we can absorb any injuries, or other unforeseen circumstances,” Levesque notes.
As for the talk about a Lady Bengal dynasty, Levesque welcomes the reference.
“I view the term dynasty as the ultimate compliment. It shows that all the hard work our teams have put in over the years has paid off, and our consistency is being noticed and talked about. We always set our goals high, so we’re not afraid of the expectations and pressures that come with using that term.”
The Bell Tower
| 7