With the UT Permian Basin women's soccer season less than a week away, the Falcons have been putting in the work during fall camp to prepare for their home opener. on Thursday, September 4, against CSU Pueblo. 

Fall camp has been positive and productive for the Falcons, with players showing commitment, energy, and growth as they prepare for the upcoming season. 

"Fall camp is going really well," said Head Coach Garrett Kull. "I've been really impressed with the group that they have had a good work rate, showed effort, that they care, and they've showed up every day with a great attitude." 

The Falcons have spent countless hours not only on the field, but also in the weight room and together as a unit. That bond, Coach Kull believes, will play a critical role in the team's success later in the season. 

"The best thing coming out of camp is that we don't have any major injuries, and the group has really come together," Coach Kull added. "We've seen the group really come together and kind of build those ties that hopefully are going to be what count for us as we get later in later into the season and as we continue to build this program." 

As camp has progressed, several players outside of the usual standouts have begun to make their presence known and caught the attention of the coaching staff. 

"Andrea Garcia has been phenomenal. She came in extremely fit and has done well on the field but also has been a great vocal presence for us in the locker room and she's really kind of stepped into a leadership role for us," said Coach Kull. "Trinity Vasquez and Emily Morales, two newcomers for us on the defensive side of the ball, have showed up, worked incredibly hard, and they've been able to show what they're hopefully going to be able to bring to us this fall." 

Coach Kull also highlighted freshman Mariela Ojeda as a player who has impressed. 

"She's come in and she's been someone who has been pretty electric on the ball. She's had some pretty good opportunities to make an impact in some of the sessions that we've been in as well,  so we're really excited about those three freshmen and then Andy as the returner." 

While Kull specifically named four players, he emphasized that many others have had standout moments and that the staff expects them to continue to grow. 

"There's a lot of potential within this group. Those players who have impressed us are going to continue to improve and rotate throughout the season, which hopefully for us is a good sign of some good depth within the roster," said Coach Kull.  

Match day approaches 

With the first match just days away, the Falcons have been focused on teaching, running live-action sessions, and developing chemistry to prepare for the season opener. 

"We're starting to kind of develop that identity for the roster right now and so, for us, it's about making sure that we can just try to get everybody on the same page," said Coach Kull. "I think that'll be our biggest battle going throughout the years with having so many new players within the program is just understanding how each other wants to play and what each other feels comfortable being able to do with within the system that we're trying to outline." 

The coaching staff has been making adjustments as they go, and the team has embraced the process. 

"This is an extremely coachable group, which is exciting as well," said Coach Kull. "They want to address the problems and want to make sure they're getting it right. It's really comforting for us as the coaches that, that they want to be coached." 

The Falcons will be the Thunderwolves of CSU Pueblo on Thursday, September 4 at 7 PM at the UTPB Soccer Field.