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U of S women’s soccer head coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton says he likes Ripplinger’s “attacking mentality” — her mind-set to want to drive to defenders and put them under pressure.

“She can finish,” he said. “She can score goals. Her work rate is what we’ve been working on, off the ball, defensively. And it’s gotten much better and that makes her a complete player.”

In the Huskies’ 3-2 win over Winnipeg, Ripplinger scored in the 84th and 85th minutes. She also assisted on the Huskies’ first goal.

The next day against the Bisons, she scored the Huskies’ first goal in the 52nd minute and assisted on the second Huskies goal in the 88thminute.

“Her movement off the ball was perfect timing,” said Barandica-Hamilton. “She was very active-minded, not scared to run at opponents and, as a first-year, that’s a big thing. Usually, you see that in third- or fourth-years that have a little bit of confidence and know the league. What I like about our rookies, second- and third-years is they have that little bit of freedom, that little bit of energy to attack and those are game-changers. That’s why we’re so excited as a coaching staff. If we can find that with our senior players, it makes magic.”

Ripplinger, a Regina Football Club product, is one of 10 rookies on the Huskies’ roster, which also includes 19 holdovers after graduating Meagan Manson and Erica Hindmarsh.

“She’s definitely a top recruit, but all the players we bring in we know they have the quality and it’s talent and potential, right?” added Barandica-Hamilton. “The moment when potential becomes talent is when you consistently do it. You always hope they do it but you never know how it’s actually going to go. You see it training and you see it in glimpses and you know it they can do it, but it’s a different thing to do it in training than do it in a game.