New conference, same goal
Kuhar excited to face GLIAC every week
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HOUGHTON -- Having spent the last four years at Drury, which competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, new Michigan Tech soccer coach Melissa Kuhar is not intimately familiar with the GLIAC, but she knows that the teams her squads have faced in non-conference matchups have proven very tough to beat. It also helps that she is joining a Michigan Tech program that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament last season as well.
"Through the years, and just everything we've played, random teams from the GLIAC, I mean, I played in the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference), so we played the GLIAC," she said. "(Wisconsin-)Parkside's always, even when they were in the GLVC, were always that scrappy team that was grinding out games. The Midwest region, in general, (is tough).
"When I was at Drury, we lost to Saginaw Valley in the national tournament (in 2021). So, you're very aware of the teams within our region."
It doesn't hurt to make good connections with other coaches, as well.
"I know a lot of these coaches in this conference," she said. "As much as Northern is our big rival, Jon (Sandoval) over there was one that helped me get this job. He kind of helped me. He put my name in the hat. So, (I am) forever grateful for that, but I want to beat him."
Of course, Sandoval is not the only coach Kuhar is familiar with.
"I know the Parkside coach. I know the Grand Valley coach," she said. "You know, I know all these coaches. I know everyone's going to give their 'A' game in terms of everything. The intimidation factor of the GLIAC is there. It's a little scary. Grand Valley, multiple national titles, and Ferris State, they've been to the Final Four within the last couple years. Northern's come out of, maybe, at the bottom, and just excelled."
While the conference is loaded with teams that are consistently strong, Kuhar has made that the goal for Michigan Tech.
"Parkside beat us here last year," she said. "Every year is going to be different, but I'm trying to stress this to our team. I want Michigan Tech to become the team that everyone else has to adjust to.
"I don't want to have to adjust to all of them, and how they're playing. I want us to play our style, us to do really well, and play our style to the best of our ability, and everyone else has to watch film and adjust to how we do it. That's my goal. The reality is it's not going to be right away, but in this conference, every day will be a battle."
Last season, the Huskies, who finished second in the GLIAC behind Northern Michigan, learned a harsh lesson in the conference tournament when Parkside defeated them at Kearly Stadium in the quarterfinals.
"It might be the team that's at the bottom of the table in terms of standings, but that game could be the hardest grind out, a down-to-the-wire game," Kuhar said. "It's just the reality of this conference. You play almost everyone twice. It's going to be fun. They're going to be good, entertaining games."
In order for the Huskies to be successful, Kuhar wants her team to demand control of the ball for as much of the game as possible. The reasoning is simple, but makes very good sense.
"Every coach has their own style, but I'm going to be big on possession, keeping the ball," she said. "If the other team doesn't have the ball, and we have it, then they can't really score. So, we'll be a very big possession-based team and very dynamic. I think that is a good word to describe it. Our girls will have the tools in their toolbox to be able to perform what I'm asking, and our staff is asking, of them."
She wants her team to carry a very workman-like attitude.
"I'm a big blue collar-type attitude, hard-working like that," said Kuhar. "Our team's going to work hard. Our team's going to be fit. We're going to be able to, in the 90th minute of a game, still be at our highest level, hopefully. I'm big on the energy and effort you put in is what you're going to get out of it."
Being a ball possession team on offense should help take the pressure off the squad defensively. The Huskies were a very good squad defensively last year at outnumbering opponents to force turnovers, and that is something that Kuhar hopes to continue to build on this season.
"In my career at Drury, we didn't give up a lot of goals," she said. "We had a lot of shutouts. We led the nation in shutouts a couple of years. So, I'm big on that, and I think the girls have, obviously, bought into that.
"We were a good defensive team, but now it's like, can we put it all together, right? Can we just take risks, and take chances? That's how you're going to score goals. That's how you're going to defend, and get shutouts. You have to take some risks. You have to take some chances. You have to grind it out."
Given that Michigan Tech student athletes are as talented in the classroom as they are on that field, Kuhar believes that her team will be able to adjust quickly to how she wants to play.
"We have to be able to move the ball from one end of the field to the other, and do it well," she said. "So, hopefully, they figure it out. If they're putting in the work, and they buy into it, I think there's no problem there. They'll figure it out."
She also knows it will not be an immediate change, but it should come with time and work.
"There's going to be bumps in the road," she said. "I'm very aware of that. We're not going to win every game. If we win every game, I shouldn't be here."
Kuhar and the new-look Huskies will take to the field for a scrimmage against Lewis on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Kearly Stadium, and then will face Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a scrimmage at home as well before they play their first game of the season on the road at St. Cloud State on Thursday, Sept. 5.