In the best sports stories, it is not how you start but how you finish that defines a season. However, that doesn’t take away from CWU Women’s Soccer’s 5-0 start to the 2016 season. This start is the best in school history.

After an unsatisfying 7-9-1 2015 campaign with a new coaching staff, Head Coach Michael Farrand is not surprised by the hot start of his team this year, currently sits with a 6-2 record.

“We changed our entire coaching staff after four years of continuity,” Farrand said. “The system we run is fairly complicated, and the learning curve was pretty big. Now [the team] is more confident and comfortable in what we do.”

While the great start by the Wildcats can be attributed to great team play, with 8 different players scoring goals in their 5 game win streak, the play of freshman goalkeeper Emily Holt has been a huge factor.

Holt had 3 shutouts in the first five games, and gave up only one goal in each 2-1 victory over San Francisco State and Hawaii-Hilo during the five-game win streak. Her save percentage through eight games was 88.5 percent, and her 46 saves are tied for the highest number among goalkeepers in the GNAC.

Holt does not take all the credit for her stats, as the play of her veteran teammates has made her job much easier. From the Wildcats that have started at least five games this season, Holt is the only one who is not a junior or senior.

“All the upperclassmen have been super nice and encouraging and I’m just blessed to be here,” Holt said, “I don’t think there’s a better situation I could come into being a freshman with my spot being open and returning a whole back line that knows what they’re doing. I got placed in a real good spot.”

After starting 5-0 on the road, the Wildcats dropped two straights games at home, a 2-1 loss to UC San Diego (ranked #6 in Division II at the time) and a 2-0 loss to Simon Fraser. The four goals scored by their opponents were equal to the amount given up through their five wins.

The team rebounded in a 1-0 win against Seattle Pacific. Junior midfielder Mackenzie Nolte scored her second goal of the season in the game. Nolte and senior midfielder Keilin Farrand have combined for 38 percent of the team’s shot attempts, being used as the focal points of the offense.

Whitney Lowe, junior forward who has a goal and two assists this year, says that the fast start for the team, comes from the team’s view of playing one game at a time.

“We’re not really looking at [the season] as where we’re at, our stats or anything,” Lowe said. “We’re looking at [the season] as the next game and moving forward, working on each game. I think that’s something that we didn’t do as well last year. We’re stepping up and taking each game seriously.”

Coach Farrand believes that the team’s experience is what is needed to make it out of the West Region of Division II soccer as well as the GNAC. Seattle Pacific won the Division II Women’s Soccer Championship in 2008, and Western Washington made the final four in 2013 and 2015.

“The west region is probably the toughest region in Division II soccer,” Farrand said. “Being able to survive the west region is a big accomplishment. Our conference has had two teams make the final four, one won the national championship. We’re fortunate we play in a conference that’s tough.”

The Wildcats face Western Oregon on Sept. 29, MSU-Billings on Oct. 1, and Seattle Pacific on Oct. 4, all of which will be home games. CWU currently has one victory at home this season.