The 2023 Keene State women’s soccer team had a great season. The season ended with an overall record of 10-4-7. Some key players during the games were sophomore Riley Devine and junior captain Katherine Burzlaff.
To ensure the team’s success this year, Burzlaff and Devine gave it their all. For instance, Devine said, “I think that last season was very beneficial, I learned a lot and I think I grew a lot as a player and person. I think this year is just going to be better. I know what to expect, but I’ve also put in the work.” Devine thought she did better on the field than previous years. She shared, “I think I did better on the field this year because I had a lot more confidence in myself. I think I took the time off-season to really work on what I needed to work on.”
In addition to Devine, Burzlaff also put in the work. Burzlaff stated, “I think this past season was awesome. It was a huge step for us… and I feel even better about next year because we are just going to keep building on that success.” When Burzlaff was asked about her performance on the field she replied, “I think a lot of the off-season work we put into it… off-season training over the summer really helped.”
The women’s soccer coach, Sarah Testo, also stated that the team puts in the work at practices and transfers the skills onto the field. She explained that, “We try to pride ourselves on being a possession team. So everything is about making clean passes… Putting them in situations where they are getting high pressed in practice so they have to make quick decisions under pressure.” Testo believes that making real game situation drills helps the team succeed more and prepare them for the game.
When asked about the difference between Devine and Burzlaff, Testo said, “They are similar in the fact that they both are incredibly hard working. Kate is very strong in terms of tackling and she’s not going to get beat by physical play by any means. Riley is a very smart player… really trying to understand where to move off the ball, what are the appropriate runs.” Testo also mentioned that their style of play may differ since Devine plays on the forward line while Burzlaff plays on the midfield/defensive line.
Testo also mentioned that off-season training is very important for the players even if they don’t know it. “It’s very similar to any of the fall sports…I know the girls are going to the gym and doing their own thing…We’ll start playing pickup just to keep them together.” Along with this, Testo said she will give the players a program for strength and conditioning over winter break.
Testo mentioned that their chemistry is strong even though they play two different positions. Burzlaff believes this is because they have been playing together since high school. She said, “I’ve known Riley since high school so I’ve always liked Riley a lot, she’s super sweet and that carries over onto the field… we’ve got good chemistry.” When Devine was asked how her chemistry was with Burzlaff she had a very similar answer. For example, Devine said, “We actually played together. Before college we played in DES together, which is a club team. She’s a very good captain, very good friend, always supportive, pushes people to work hard and will always work hard herself. She’s a really good role model.”
Even though Devine and Burzlaff have some differences on the field, off the field they are very similar. For instance when asked about other hobbies, Devine said, “I’m also on the lacrosse team, I like to ski and go on hikes.” And Burzlaff said, “I love working out, snowboarding, just hanging out with friends.” Both are very active even when they are not on the field. In addition to outside activities, both have similar majors. Devine mentioned she is a biology major and Burzlaff mentioned she is an exercise science major.
With off-season coming up for soccer, Burzlaff and Devine shared what they do when not in season. Burzlaff said, “I do a lot of lifting, working on power and explosion. I do a lot of sprint drills to work on my speed and endurance.” Devine stated, “I run miles, I do a lot of sprints, and then three or four times a week I would touch a ball, whether that’s shooting on a net or dribbling in my backyard.” Both agreed that their off-season work will not only benefit themselves but also the team for next year’s season.
Elyse Picard can be contacted at
epicard@kscequinox.com
