Despite a slow start to their second season, both Calgary Wild players and management are feeling confident in the team’s overall standing.

Through their first five matches played, the Wild are winless and have a -13 goal differential. Twenty-four-year-old defender Grace Stordy said that though the soccer gods haven’t been on their side thus far, it’s important to remember the big picture.

“It’s been a grind and I don’t think we started necessarily how we wanted to, or how anyone would expect us to start,” the Calgary-native told LWC.

“I’m proud of the team for how hard we’re working and obviously everyone wants to win games, everyone wants to bring home a championship, but I think right now we’re running with an underdog story and we’ll want it more at the end of the day.”

The team has been without a head coach to start the season. Navigating that process has been the biggest change compared to last season.

“We’re still patiently waiting for that (new coach), but I’d say not loads of changes (since last year). The club and organization did a good job of keeping the culture where we left it, which was really good last year,” Stordy said.

“We’re just trying to keep that momentum and move on, but once we get a new head coach here, it’ll really excel this club in the direction we want it to go.”

Lara Murphy, Wild Co-Founder, President and CEO, said that with every day that passes, more details are ironed out for Alberta’s first professional women’s sports team.

“Moving forward, it’s really exciting that we have one training facility now. We’re partnered with the city at the MaxWell Centre, and having one one pitch that’s very similar to the surface at McMahon Stadium, so obviously the players really enjoy that,” she said, adding that players also have access to a gym, meeting room, locker room and catered lunch at the centre.

“It’s been a real joy.”

Aside from upgrades to the team’s practice experience, Murphy said the organization has been working hard on its partnerships, sponsors and match presentation.

“Last year we were building the plane as we flew it, and so this year we’re really putting a lot into fan experience and continuing to build the profile of the club,” she said.

“We’ve been putting on free clinics in partnership with the city and building up to the World Cup. We just had our first clinic yesterday, so it’s free for young players to come and participate and that’s been amazing.”

Stordy said that though she isn’t scheduled to attend the clinics until later in the summer, the fact they are offered at all is great.

‘I want to win’: Wild players hungry for success

Looking to the rest of the year, Stordy said her main goal is to stay as competitive as ever.

“Individually I want to be a good competitor, I want to win,” she said.

“Last year, I led the league in tackles and that’s something that I want to do again. I am a really fierce competitor, and I take a lot of pride in being the best. If that means winning every tackle, then so be it, I’ll take that battle any day.”

A secondary goal is to pitch-in offensively where possible.

“I do want to get some more points on the board this season. I scored a goal last year, my first professional goal, and that was pretty sweet. I want to contribute to the attack a lot more this year as well,” Stordy said.

The creation of the Northern Super League (NSL) as a whole couldn’t have been timed better, Stordy said.

“Women’s sports is a hot topic right now, and has been for the last couple of years, so they timed it perfectly,” she said.

“The NSL overall did remarkably for their first year, we had lots of people watching, lots of people coming to games, lots of people watching on live streams. They’ve set themselves up for success and it will only get better from here.”

Throughout the rest of the season, Murphy hopes the Wild’s loyal fanbase is rewarded with warm game days, as the first handful of home matches have all been played in sleet, rain or snow.

Stordy and the Wild return to the pitch this weekend in Halifax against the Tides.