soccerfanatic
Active member
Lauren Ryan
The toughest challenge for Coach Gibson with Lauren Ryan should be figuring out where to play her to take advantage of her suitcase of talents. Ryan has shown her ability as a center forward, as a midfielder, as an offensive wing, and as a defender. The obvious conclusion is that she needs to be on the field as much as possible… the question is where will she make the biggest contribution. Coach Gibson has remarked that we will see Ryan holding the middle in the forward line, but I would be surprised if we did not also see Coach rotate Ryan into and out of other offensive roles during the season.
Ryan is one of my favorite players on the team. She works hard on the field, is consistent, is technically competent, and plays smart soccer. I expect Ryan to continue to improve, be asked to shoulder more responsibility, and to become one of the keys players in the offensive attack of the Bengals for the next three years.
Ryan showed flashes of offensive brilliance last year. Over the course of last year, Ryan put up 8 shots, four of those on goal. She got over freshman jitters and became more aggressive as the season progressed. Over the first ten games, she attempted only one shot, then 7 in the final 8 games. By the spring season, Ryan appeared to gain confidence and was a constant offensive threat. She scored a powerful goal against Boise State in the spring game, then went on to make three other attacks on the goal that could have easily turned the match into a complete rout. The Broncos could do nothing to harness Ryan’s offensive attack. She also played a great game against the Alumni team. If Ryan starts this fall season where she left off in the spring, look for her to be one of the top scorers in the conference this season.
The toughest challenge for Coach Gibson with Lauren Ryan should be figuring out where to play her to take advantage of her suitcase of talents. Ryan has shown her ability as a center forward, as a midfielder, as an offensive wing, and as a defender. The obvious conclusion is that she needs to be on the field as much as possible… the question is where will she make the biggest contribution. Coach Gibson has remarked that we will see Ryan holding the middle in the forward line, but I would be surprised if we did not also see Coach rotate Ryan into and out of other offensive roles during the season.
Ryan is one of my favorite players on the team. She works hard on the field, is consistent, is technically competent, and plays smart soccer. I expect Ryan to continue to improve, be asked to shoulder more responsibility, and to become one of the keys players in the offensive attack of the Bengals for the next three years.
Ryan showed flashes of offensive brilliance last year. Over the course of last year, Ryan put up 8 shots, four of those on goal. She got over freshman jitters and became more aggressive as the season progressed. Over the first ten games, she attempted only one shot, then 7 in the final 8 games. By the spring season, Ryan appeared to gain confidence and was a constant offensive threat. She scored a powerful goal against Boise State in the spring game, then went on to make three other attacks on the goal that could have easily turned the match into a complete rout. The Broncos could do nothing to harness Ryan’s offensive attack. She also played a great game against the Alumni team. If Ryan starts this fall season where she left off in the spring, look for her to be one of the top scorers in the conference this season.
