SPOTLIGHT: Finding a Way

Tied at zero in the 88th minute against Ole Miss, senior midfielder Mikaela Harvey dribbled her way into the 18-yd box, went one-on-one with an Ole Miss defender and found the back of the net to secure a 1-0 victory against the Rebels.

It was another late heroic goal for the Aggies, and it would not be the last time they would find themselves in this position. That hasn't been an issue for this year's team, however, as these were exactly the type of moments the Aggies have been trained for.

Tom Milroy, Aggie Soccer's Sports Performance Coach, has played a vital role in preparing the Aggies for this season. The Scotland native molded a fitness schedule that has helped them play through numerous overtime situations while also maintaining the physicality to execute a pressing style of play, all with the help of a GPS tracking system called Catapult.

Catapult uses satellite signals to track the player's speed, distance, change in pace, and direction on the field. Each player wears a nugget clipped on the back of her shirt where the data is then transferred onto a computer for Milroy to analyze.

"I basically looked at what they were doing in a game and turned that into a fitness program," says Milroy. "In the summertime, they are running twice a week that is equivalent to a game without actually playing a game. By the time we got to preseason, they were already fit enough."

At the beginning of the spring semester, Milroy built a schedule where players would come in three days a week for strength training. He worked with them in groups of four on core strength, speed development, and injury prevention. In the middle of the week, the girls would be given an off day. However, they would resume duties in the gym on Thursday before finishing off the week with rigorous cardio training.

In addition, practices were held four days a week, which consisted of 5-on-5 soccer and game-like scenario drills.

Throughout the offseason, Milroy strived to mold this team to be one of the fittest in Aggie soccer history. Milroy has been impressed with the team's buy-in.   

"These girls have taken ownership of their training, and their team, to the point where that has made them a successful team this season." states Milroy. "To me, that is the most impressive thing about this group. They have taken ownership of their training since day one in the spring, and they believe in each other on and off the field."

Texas A&M has found ways to win in 2017.

The Aggies have come up with late-game heroics and multiple overtime victories this season. After recording a 12-8-2 record last year with many injuries, the Aggies were determined to write a different story for the 2017 season.

"Our staff knew this was going to be the best team since 2014, so we knew we had to get the offseason right," notes Milroy. "The attitude they had in the springtime was where it all started. I had 8-10 girls stay in the summer that were here every day. I saw them do all the work. By the time preseason started, I knew they were ready."

Texas A&M cruised through the conference regular season and finished with a 9-1-0 record, falling just a point shy of claiming the SEC regular season title. Postseason play began in Orange Beach, as the Aggies made their sixth appearance in the SEC tournament. There was one goal, to bring more hardware to Aggieland.

The Maroon and White found their months of training put to the test once again in the SEC Tournament, as the semifinal match against Florida went to extra time. The Aggies came out on top in the 97th minute. In the championship match, Emily Bates was the hero with a goal in the 87th minute. The Aggies earned their third SEC Tournament title, and again, this Aggie team found a way.

Milroy believes the dedicated offseason has been a big factor in the Aggies' 14-match win streak, which is a school record. While injuries have again impacted the 2017 squad, the training and conditioning prevented other injuries and has this team conditioned as well as it can be.  

"One of the things we talked about in the spring is to run for each other," states Milroy. "It really has been a holistic approach to everything that they do, so that they play for something more than just themselves. When someone gets that winning goal, like Emily getting the winning goal for the SEC Tournament championship, we remind them that all the days you worked for is for this. You put in the work 10 months of the year for moments like this."

The journey of the 2017 season can be traced back to the offseason in the weight room, in hopes of more trophies added to an already impressive collection of hardware at Ellis Field. As the Aggies are constantly reminded; you win trophies in the spring, and you pick them up in the fall.

This squad hopes to do just that. The road won't be easy as NCAA Tournament play continues, but Milroy and the A&M coaching staff has this team conditioned and prepared to succeed. As they've done all year, the Aggies hope to continue to find a way.