Laura Twidle’s return to practice could be helpful for CMU soccer team

Laura Twidle challenges a WMU forward during the first half a game in October 2010. (File Photo by Andrew Kuhn)

Help may be on the way for a Central Michigan women’s soccer team that has struggled to score goals at times this season.

Senior forward Laura Twidle began practicing this week and may be close to returning. Twidle injured her leg before the season, returned to play 12 minutes against Pittsburgh on Sept. 9, but has been out since she re-injured the leg in warmups of the next game against Michigan.

“Laura is getting much closer to coming back,” said head coach Neil Stafford. “But the exact date is still unknown.”

Twidle led the team in points the past two seasons. She had 16 and was tied for fourth on the team in goals with seven her freshman year. Last season, as a sophomore, she had 18 points and scored the sixth-most goals in CMU single-season history with eight.

But so far in 2011, the Chippewas have been without their top offensive threat and the leading scorer on this years team has just three goals.

“Look at where we would be in some of these games where we have struggled to score,” Stafford said. “If Laura Twidle is healthy it might be a different story.”

In last weekend’s 1-0 loss to rival Western Michigan, CMU outshot the Broncos 11-6 and controlled much of the action, but were unable to score.

Goals have been a problem for CMU all season, scoring 23 in 16 games, but getting Twidle, a first team All-Mid-American Conference forward, back is something that will help the entire team.

“Getting her back lifts everyone’s spirits up,” Stafford said. “Everyone knows how big of a factor her not being on the field has been and it will be a massive boost technically, tactically and for the overall moral of the team when she returns.”

The Chippewas next game is 4 p.m on Friday when they host fellow MAC contender Toledo at the CMU Soccer Complex.