“Women’s soccer senior captain Britni Back has done more than her part to help the Zips meet their preseason goal of making the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time. We have a completely different coaching and playing style from last year.”
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Women’s soccer senior captain Britni Back has done more than her part to help the Zips meet their preseason goal of making the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time.

We have a completely different coaching and playing style from last year. We have better team unity, Back said. We’re more offensive than defensive and we’re scoring a lot more goals this year.

Back currently leads the Zips with seven goals.

Despite being a major contributor on the team, Back didn’t expect to do so.

It doesn’t really matter to me who’s scoring the goals, Back said. We’re just trying to make the MAC tournament.

The Zips started the season by winning six of its first seven games. Back scored five of her goals during that stretch, including two in UA’s 6-2 win over Big East opponent Pittsburgh.

She is one of the best one on one players I have seen in a long time, head coach Chris Pfau said. I told her she should be an All-Region player by the time she graduates from Akron. She has that ability. In any game, you have to leave her on the field because you know at any time she can score. That is hard to teach.

Because she is a captain on the team, Back has added responsibility.

She is a very good leader, she leads by example, Pfau said. She is soft spoken but when she speaks the team listens.

I think it’s important to have someone to look up to as well as the other seniors and captains on the team, Back said. I think we contribute both on and off the field.

Akron has split its first four conference games this season, winning at Buffalo and against Toledo.

The losses have come at Kent State and against Bowling Green last Sunday.

This Friday the Zips begin a four-game stretch against MAC foes on the road.

To be able to make the conference tournament, we need to stop making mistakes ourselves, Pfau said. When we are focused we are tough to beat, when we are not we give up bad goals. If we can limit those mistakes, we will be fine.

Back believes the team has it in them to push toward their goal.

We need to come out every game wanting to win with determination and heart, Back said. We need to play harder than the other team and pull out a win.

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