Head Coach Mark Batman enters his third year coaching the Toledo women's soccer program. The Rockets feature a young roster with 10 freshmen and 15 total newcomers, while returning several defenders from a unit which tied a program record for fewest goals allowed in 2024. After narrowly missing out on the MAC Tournament last season, Toledo looks to return to the top six and compete for the conference title in November.

What stands out to you after the first couple of weeks of practice?
 
Batman: The youthfulness, athleticism and depth all stand out. We have some returners that can fill some major minutes, especially on defense. If the freshmen develop the way that we think they can, they're going to be very, very talented. We're going to have some growing pains with such a young group. The transfers that we brought in are younger, but come from championship environments and are helping the first-year kids understand what that environment looks like. It's very exciting.
 
Who are some of the freshmen that have stood out?
 
Batman: We've seen our freshmen stand out on any given day, and it's difficult to pick out individuals because the competition has been so tight. I think that's a good thing and I don't think we've had that strong competition among the freshmen in years past. They've all been very impactful so far.
 
How have the five transfers fit in with the program throughout the spring and summer?
 
Batman: They're doing well and they're slowly figuring out how to put their footprint on this program. I've had some individual conversations with them about having a bigger voice, since they are not new to college soccer. Madelyn Rousseau has stepped into that role a little bit and we're hoping Keira Billis and Emma Rhoades do the same. We obviously hope they play well, but that they also have a strong field presence and locker room presence.
 
You have several returning sophomores who saw a lot of playing time as freshmen. What will they add this year and how will their roles change, if at all?
 
Batman: Their roles will stay relatively similar, but they now bring some more experience and confidence. Amya Usher and Morgan Spitler have looked great and have been impactful throughout the preseason. Sydney Hardesty had a great spring and we're going to need minutes from her this year. Gabby [Anulare] is Gabby and she's been really good, aSchedulend Cameron Cole has been good as well. That whole class has been steady.
 
After tying a program record with just 16 goals allowed last season, how do you continue the success on defense?
 
Batman: I think it's doing the little things daily. We definitely want to score more goals as well. Last year, we lost games where we dominated statistically, such as Cincinnati, where we had more shots and had more corners. If we can avoid allowing careless goals, we'll always stay in games and good things will happen, so we'll always defend very hard.
 
Could you talk about how the goalkeepers -- Agnes Stenlund, Paige Dornheggen and Olivia Eaton -- have looked thus far?
 
Batman: All three have done very well. I think Agnes is slightly ahead based off game experience, but Paige is coming off a great spring and has had good minutes this fall, while Olivia has surprised us in a really good way. If she continues to develop, she'll be really good.
 
How can you boost the offense and score more this season?
 
Batman: I think it's about our kids' courage in going forward and not playing so safe. We've never asked them to be safe, but rather to be aggressive and have courage in the attacking half. I'm hopeful that we have strength in numbers and Kaema Amachree won't have to be an 80-minute player because of players such as Cameron Cole, Ella Zoerhoff and Kylie Costa, which should help keep the offense fresh later in the season.
 
With only a few seniors, how have they helped integrate everyone into the program?
 
Batman: All of the seniors have been very good, especially Alli Macbeth. Tori Lyncha, who unfortunately had to medically retire, has also helped out. They are helping the group understand standards, how to be a professional and how to take care of themselves. It's a small group, but a very impactful one.
 
What has former Rocket Chloe Tadolini added to the coaching staff?
 
Batman: I think she's a great resource for the group because she's been there, done that. As a player, her role with us wasn't as a starter, but as a consistent contributor off the bench. She played a major role in a lot of big matches. She embraced that role and the vision of that role and did it to the best of her ability every single day. Embracing everyone's role on the team will be something valuable that she'll pass on to the group.
 
What will the opening-week road tests against Eastern Kentucky and Cincinnati tell you about your roster?
 
Batman: Getting ourselves tested on the road is exactly why we're playing these matches. We have some tough away MAC matches this season, but they're winnable ones. So, I like to be tested early on to understand what we've done really well and what we need to fine-tune. We're going to try to minimize mistakes. If we do that, we'll put ourselves in a good position to win on Thursday. We'll figure out Sunday when that comes around, but Thursday is the most important piece right now.

Several players over the summer played in the USL-W League, including some on Toledo Villa FC's debut squad. How has that helped them?
 
Batman: That's a great question. I think the league is great, but I also think it's challenging because these girls are playing multiple times a week throughout the summer. It's a fine balance of wanting them to play and stay sharp but also wanting them to come back in refreshed in the fall. Also, those coaches are asking for different things tactically than what we might ask. It's a double-edged sword. We'll see in the next month or so if those girls that played still have it in the legs and how much they have benefitted from playing in the league.
 
What does that mean for women's soccer in the city of Toledo itself?
 
Batman: It's great. Anytime we can get visibility on campus for soccer, it's fantastic and broadens our fan base. The fact that Toledo Villa FC uses Paul Hotmer Field is also great. The more people we can get here, the better. Youth girls' soccer in this area is huge. We can hopefully rely on a lot of youth soccer players to be at our matches and supporting our group. Toledo Villa and GTSC having high-caliber teams in the area will be beneficial for us.