As part of a special weekend in Moravian University and Muhlenberg College athletics history, four of the traditional fall sports from each respective institution competed for not the previously known prize, the Sodexo Cup, but four distinct trophies. Field hockey, men’s soccer and football all took on the Greyhounds on Saturday, Sept. 7, but to kick off the festivities, a battle under the lights between each school’s women’s soccer programs took place on John Makuvek field at Moravian University on Friday, Sept. 6.
Along with pride amongst neighbors, the players in these two programs, along with the aforementioned fall sports, got to compete for a trophy this year that will now be shared between schools every year. The winner gets the rights to the trophy until the teams meet again the following season. Although new, a trophy objectively heightens any atmosphere and is a welcomed addition to the rivalry.
The result did not, however, go the Mules’ way on Friday night, with the Greyhounds coming out on top with a 3-0 victory, but there were still positives to draw from the match. “We have a lot of success when we keep the ball on the ground and possess,” commented forward Sara Pecorelli ‘25. “We have been most successful when we play through our midfield to move the ball and get forward. This has given us plenty of opportunities to get up the field, but we are also very comfortable keeping the ball and using our defenders to switch the field if an offensive moment is not on.” Often, teams find themselves in a position to dictate a game regardless of the result, and it is clear the Mules want to perpetually instill their style of play from minute one to 90.
On top of that, players’ ability to connect almost telepathically on the pitch can make that process easier. Midfielder Bri Astbury ‘25 added, “We’ve been working a lot on our team chemistry, trying to find different combinations that work in different situations. Given that we’re such a young team, getting to know how the girl playing next to you plays has been so important for us.”
With four official games and two scrimmages behind them, the Mules and their coaching staff now have a solid idea of things they want to continue to work on, now with more consistency and sharpness. “We are really trying to improve on taking more chances in the attacking third,” said Pecorelli. “We spend a lot of time at practice working on ways to break through defenders and use our wingers to get the ball to the end line to slot it back on the ground for our other forwards to finish. We have a lot of promising ideas offensively, but our biggest weakness right now is that we are not executing those plays all the way through. I believe we have a lot of potential offensively and that we just need to be more comfortable taking risks and being aggressive to do whatever it takes to score.”
Forward Ivy Dias ‘27 echoed a similar message regarding the Mules’ untapped potential in the offensive third. “The team would like to improve on playing together rather than individually… focusing too much on our own skills. This is one reason why we have not found success in the attacking third. Once we master this, everything else will fall into place.” The mindset within the squad is training-centric and precise, with hammering home the little details acting as the team’s north star.
With any new season, fresh tactic, novel system or distinct style of play, regardless of any other factor, the players on the field must execute. A big part of the absorption of new material as well as the product on the field is the players’ understanding of their roles and teammates’ tendencies. An understanding rooted in team chemistry, something the Mules feel is strong in their squad. “Our team chemistry is very positive right now,” said Pecorelli. “We brought in nine new players this year, and they have all gotten very comfortable around the returners quickly. One of our goals for our team chemistry is to make sure everyone’s voices are heard, regardless of age. I think we have done a good job so far with this, as I have seen our freshman speak up more as we transitioned from preseason to the regular season.”
The Mules travel to Madison, N.J. on Saturday, Sept. 14 to take on Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham before hosting New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) powerhouse Rowan on Wednesday, Sept. 18 on Varsity Field.