For the Point Park University women’s soccer team, the 2010 season marked the beginning of the Mark Platts era, and the team finished with a record of four wins and 13 losses and lost all 10 contests in conference play. “I believe last season was a great success for our team and as a building program,” Captain Lauren Evans said. “We came in with a new coach and a lot of new recruits and came out a strong, better skilled and more united than I have seen so far in my three seasons.  I think we need to just keep our momentum from last season and train hard this spring to have a solid season in the fall.”            While the 2010 season may not have been successful for the team, Kevin Taylor, director of athletic communication, noted that with the addition of Platts, the team now had its own coach.Jeroen Walstra, the men’s team head coach, was previously coaching both men and women teams before Platts’ hiring.            “The number one strength is that women’s soccer has a coach of its own and men’s soccer has a coach of its own,” Taylor said. “On the women’s side, first year underclassmen had a lot of adjustments that needed to be made, and some getting used to the new program. I don’t know how much you can turn things around in one year but they made a step towards where Coach Platts wants to be and you can only expect that they would continue to move forward in year number two.”            Despite a losing season, Platts notes that it has not affected his recruiting. “I pretty much stick to my guns, but if they are a talented athlete, then I will go after them whether we’ve won eighteen games or won zero games,” Platts said. “I know that we are going to have a large in-coming freshmen class this year. We had 22 players last year, and I’d like to be around 25 if possible this coming season, so numbers wise, it’s probably going to be the largest recruiting class that we’ve had from the women’s side.”            Platts, who has just finished a signing in Cinncinnati, is encouraged by the talent he has seen and hopes to get for the women’s team. “We’ve got four commitments so far and I’d say that we’ve got probably about 12 other players I am still interested in,” Platts said. “I am not recruiting for the sake of numbers and they’re all going to be strong and solid players. There has been one local signing but one is from Cleveland, one is from Cincinnati and the girl is an American player, but she’s from South Korea.”            Even Evans is excited for the talent to be ushered in for the next season.            “I am excited to play with Amanda Mikolay [from East Allegheny] because I played with her sister for two years,” Evans said. “If she is anything like Erica, she will be a great addition to the attack of our team.  I’ve seen Amanda’s tape and she has great composure on the ball which will help our passing game and in the mid field.”                       In addition to the recruits that have signed with the team thus far, Platts notes thediversity of the recruits, with “commitments from players all over the field.”  However, his recruitment tour has not been met without some difficulties.             “I know that the allure of living downtown and in the city is a good pulling power for people outside of the state,” said Platts. “I attempt to get a lot of players from 20 or 30 miles from Pittsburgh saying that they want to get away from Pittsburgh, so I have been looking in the Ohio, Maryland and New York.”Evans cited Robinet and took a playful jab at her male counterparts while she spoke about the recruits and their diversity.”I think it’s great that the girl’s team is finally getting some overseas players, the boys team took up all of them,” Evans said.In addition to the new recruits, the team will be getting a new assistant coach as well. According to Platts, Jessica Weary relocated to Hershey, Pa., to work for a publishing company full-time.” [It] seemed like an opportunity of a lifetime for her, so she moved on over the new year, and I’m looking for a new assistant which hopefully will be up on the website within the next week or two,” Platts said.With all of the change occurring on the Point Park women’s soccer team, expectations for Platts and Evans are high. “We were a little out of shape last year, and it wasn’t until probably our last four or five games that we really competed against teams that had beaten us quite badly,” Platts said. “My expectation is if we can come in in shape [for the spring season], then we’ll compete from our first game.”Tough conference games this season will also prove to be an obstacle that the team must overcome.”We have to play three of our better teams in the conference twice this year,” said Platts. “I am just hoping that in both games, we really compete and the games we are meant to win, we win comfortably.”Evans, too, has confidence in the team.”It will be my senior year so I hope to end on a high note, continue winning games and building the program,” said Evans.