How they finished in the Spring 2021 season: 5-4-2 (4-1-1 C-USA), lost 2-1 in the Quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament to Southern Miss.

Have an established goalscorer

The Owls suffered a significant drop offensively when compared to the 2019 season, where they scored 43 goals for an average of 2.05 goals per game. For the spring, they only had 12 goals with the average being 1.09 goals per game.

FAU struggled to find someone who could consistently score goals for them as they had Thelma Hermannsdottir, Miracle Porter, Amanda Martin, and Mia Sennes score two goals each, which is the most anyone got on the team last season.

What the Owls need to do is find a consistent goal scorer they can rely on and have multiple scoring options to rebuild the offense they had in years prior.

Find the No. 1 goalkeeper

FAU split between two goalkeepers for the spring: Amit Cohen and Cassidy Wasdin.

Cohen played six games, got three clean sheets, and earned a spot on C-USA’s All-Freshman team, but conceded 10 goals on her watch. The Owls had three wins and three losses with her starting.

Wasdin took part in five games, making 14 saves for a saving rate of 77.8% as the team won twice, lost once, and drew twice with her at goal. 

It will be interesting to see how head coach Patrick Baker distributes playing time between the two goalies, as he knows the talent they have for that position.

“Cassidy enters her last semester in the fall and will perform like an experienced leader. Amit grew with her first-year experience and wants more in year two. We are blessed to have two high-level keepers,” Baker said. 

Play better against non-conference opponents

In four games against teams outside of C-USA last season, FAU struggled on both sides of the pitch, having a goal difference of -6.

While the Owls were able to bounce back in conference play with a resounding 4-1-1 record, it’s important for them to show they can compete with opponents not from C-USA.

This season, FAU will have seven non-conference games, with three of them featuring the University of Miami, the University of South Florida, and Florida Gulf Coast University, teams who the Owls faced last season.

As the Owls look to bounce back with better play against said teams, they should also be prepared for the likes of Oakland, Loyola, Michigan State, and Murray State. Winning games against non-conference teams will be crucial for FAU’s progress in the fall.

Return to C-USA title contention?

After an unfortunate quarter-final exit in the 2-1 loss to Southern Miss last season, the Owls will want to show how much retooling they’ve done since then.

This year will be advantageous for them, in particular. FAU will be hosting the C-USA tournament from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7, marking the first tournament it hosted since 2017.

Playing a tournament in front of their home crowd will bring the Owls a boosted confidence that will be essential for the team to go far in the tournament and possibly qualify for the NCAA tournament.

While fixing the offense will be one of the team’s main priorities heading into the season, there can be optimism for a better start from a team with so much to prove.

FAU will kick off its schedule against Oakland on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at FAU Stadium in Howard Schnellenberger field. To view its schedule, click here.

Richard Pereira is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @Rich26Pereira.