COLUMN: Anagnost has right not to be happy

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Having a win being ‘not good enough’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

CMU head women’s soccer coach Tom Anagnost said he was disappointed in the way his team played in Sunday’s 1-0 win against IPFW. And let’s be honest, IPFW is a team that went 4-12-1 last year overall and 3-6 in the Summit League. It’s not top-quality competition.

But the fact Anagnost was upset with his team’s effort and aggressiveness after two weekend victories to begin the season is very good. High expectations are a great thing.

This is a team that has increased its win total every season since 2007 after winning only seven games in 2006. It is a young, growing program that is finally receiving some national recognition.

While a win is a win, the effort on display against IPFW will not get the job done against Mid-American Conference teams like Toledo and Ball State and national power Notre Dame, who defeated CMU 6-1 in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.

That being said, the team defeated Big Ten Conference foe Michigan Sate 4-0 in an exhibition game and is 2-0 overall on the regular season. It outshot its first two opponents a combined 35-6 and extended its home undefeated streak to 17 games. It shattered its attendance record in the season opener against Wright State, playing in front of 1,062 fans.

When you can platoon the defending MAC Defensive Player of the Year Shay Mannino in goal with a sophomore, I think you’re in good shape.

When 19 different players are used in a game and you don’t see much of a drop off in talent, I think you’re in good shape.

With the defending MAC freshman of the year is coming off the bench, I think you’re in good shape.
Anagnost said he’s the kind of person that can find something wrong in every performance. He said he’s tough to please and that his team can always improve.

The product is there. The talent is there. The coaching is there. The team just needs to tweak a few things and become a little more aggressive and the 18 shots against IPFW will result in several goals, not just one.

There is an excitement level for this team unlike any other season in program history. A 1-0 win being ‘not good enough’ is a very good thing.

This weekend will be a good test to see how the offense responds. If CMU can score some goals and come back to Mount Pleasant 4-0, confidence will be high and things will be fine.