by Natalie D'Anna
The University of Arizona Women's Soccer program has experienced a lot of change over the past few years, and senior Hayley Estopare has seen it all: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Playing defensive midfield, Estopare has seen the team change dramatically, from winning only one game in the beginning of her UA career, to a team that is determined to win every single game.
“Everyone has completely switched their mentality, and with the coaches, it is so much different,” Estopare said.
The team's new mentality didn't develop on its own. In 2012, Athletic Department made a change and hired a new coaching staff.
The team welcomed the new coaching staff with very little confidence and a lack of competitiveness. It didn't take long for the team to start switching gears.
“Before, we didn't think we could win anything, now we are taking on Stanford and wanting to beat them,” Estopare said. “With a different coaching staff, we have a different perspective of taking every game individually; trying to compete with every single opportunity that we have and make sure that we are using everything that we have at every practice to our benefit.”
Estopare has personally benefited from the new coaching staff. She has become much more confident in her skills, she has been able to find who she is as a player and has been playing harder than she ever has before.
Despite the team's dramatic change, one thing does remain the same; the women on the team.
“We have always been there for each other,” Estopare said. “We are not a team with a lot of drama and we are good friends.”
The team with the losing record soon became the team to make it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The team is still improving and has high hopes for this season. There is still room for growth in the program, and they are determined to get there.
Achieving these goals used to be unthinkable for Arizona. Estopare said that it is important for the team to keep their mentality and to stay competitive.
As one of the team's veterans, Estopare has made a lot of memories on the team, but one sticks out in particular.
“Once we won that game in the first round everyone was ecstatic,” Estopare said. “It was so exciting because we had never gone that far,” said Estopare.
The Wildcats are back in action this Friday as they travel to Pullman, Wash. to take on the Washington State Cougars. The match is set for 7 p.m. MST on the Pac-12 Networks.
