When Tony Amato was hired by the University of Florida in late May, Arizona had to act quickly. The Wildcats did just that, hiring Becca Moros from the professional ranks to be their next soccer coach.
Moros had been an assistant coach for Gotham FC, a professional womenβs soccer team located in New Jersey. Before that, Moros was a standout soccer player at Duke. She was a three-time All-ACC selection as well as an All-American during her college career. Moros also played for the USA U21 National Team and was a sixth-round pick of the Washington Freedom in the 2009 Womenβs Professional Soccer Draft. She went on to play three years in the WPS, two years in the Nadeshiko League in Japan and six years in the NWSL.
The experience Moros offers is immeasurable for a UA program looking to build off three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last four years.
The Wildcats (1-1) will take on LSU (4-0) Thursday in Tempe as part of the Desert Classic. Theyβll wrap up their weekend with a Sunday match against Cal State Northridge.
βI think thatβs huge,β junior goalkeeper Hope Hisey said. βI think having a female head coach is not only empowering, but she is also very relatable to us. She played Division I soccer at Duke at a high-level institution, so she can relate to us in that respect, and she knows what it takes to play at the next level.β
Hisey believes that the experience Moros offers will help change the culture of the program moving forward.
βI think taking Arizona soccer to the next level is all about how we can have players continue to play after college and create a culture here,β Hisey said. βThat shows if you have professional aspirations as the womenβs game continues to grow, well this is an institution that you can go to to achieve your dreams because you have a coach that has connections and knows how to get there. I think thatβs really important for us in building our program and raising the status of what Arizona soccer is all about.β
Moros hopes to create a stable foundation in the program, establish a βpositional possessionβ style of play β and more.
βI want to empower the players to make decisions on the field autonomously and in live time,β she said. βI want to make sure all the players feel respected like theyβre being developed and appreciated for their unique qualities that they bring to the team. I also want to create a culture of hard work, commitment to excellence and one where we leave with passion.β
Hisey mentioned repeatedly that Moros is professional as both a coach and leader.
βThe gameplanning and everything is very professional because (Moros) comes from the professional ranks,β Hisey said. βHer approach to everything is to treat us like professionals, and I think that approach has helped so far β and I think that everything that she does is structured and has a purpose and thatβs really good.β
Despite not having been with the team for very long so far, Moros and the team have already found a connection that they hope to grow throughout the season.
βIβve had a great experience,β Moros said. βWeβve been together almost a month now, so it has been a lot in a very short period of time. I think one thing we all share on this team is a passion for the game, so I think weβve enjoyed getting together and training as hard as weβve trained, doing our video analysis sessions and preparing for some games so weβre having a good time.β
Corner kicks
Hisey was named the Womenβs Premier Soccer League Desert Region Goalkeeper-of-the-year for her time with FC Tucson Women. βGoing back and playing there this summer was one of the best experiences of my career so far,β Hisey said. βJust being able to play with former teammates and being able to play under Kelly (Pierce) and just with all the former (Arizona) players that are on that squad, and just showing out for Tucson. Thatβs my city, and Iβm always representing them no matter if Iβm playing for FC Tucson or for Arizona, so it meant a lot to me.β
Sundayβs match starts at 11 a.m., and will be televised on Pac-12 Arizona.
