Photo by Justin Brown 

 

LOU FUSZ ATHLETIC FINDS WPSL WINNING FORMULA

 

 

 

What began as a simple goal to give collegiate-level players more touches on the ball during the off-season has turned into a highly successful recipe for Lou Fusz Athletic as the club contends for the Gateway Division regular season title.

 

A few years in the making, Lou Fusz Athletic joined the WPSL U21—now WPSL Division II—in 2022, playing just one season in the lower level before making the leap to the league’s first tier The club finished fourth in the Gateway Division in 2024, and is in contention this year for the division title with two games to play–outscoring opponents 14 to one. 

 

Behind this newfound success are a few key tactical shifts and strategic decisions made by the technical staff and the club leadership.

 

Head Coach Jeff Tottleben, who has coached on a volunteer basis with Lou Fusz Athletic for 17 years, has worked with both boys’ and girls’ youth club teams before transitioning to the competitive women’s side. His depth of experience has equipped him with a strong understanding of how to build a successful program both on and off the pitch.

 

 

Photo by Justin Brown

 

This summer, 80 collegiate players returned to Lou Fusz to compete at a high level before returning to their respective universities in the Fall. To manage this influx and capitalize on player demand, Tottleben and his staff created three distinct teams based on ability, availability, competitive drive, and summer goals.

 

“We noticed last year that the best teams that we played had a core group of 18 to 20 players that were committed to everything. They wanted every match you could give them, home and away,” Tottleben said. “Starting in our identification sessions last winter, we really worked hard to identify a core group. We said, ‘Hey, if you want to be on this team, you have to put the same effort into the road games as the home games.’”

 

The top-tier group plays in the WPSL, following a rigorous training and travel schedule in a highly competitive setting. The second team, while not officially part of the WPSL Division II , competes against many second division teams to give players more touches without the full commitment. The third team plays locally, offering low-commitment training and games once a week.

 

The structure is intentionally fluid, giving players the chance to move between teams based on performance and need. It also allows coaches to maintain consistency and accountability among core player groups.

 

“There are players who just want to train and try to develop some match fitness playing locally. But there's players who want more,” Tottleben said. “They're in good college programs, competing for spots when they get back in the fall. They want competitive, high-level matches. And that's what the WPSL offers to them. They really like the experience.”

 

As the team wrapped up Match Week Eight of the season, the club is unbeaten in league play. Just as crucial as the on-field structure has been the players’ receptiveness to coaching and tactical adjustments in real time.

 

“I'm really proud of the adjustments they've been able to make mid-game. In the past, we would have said something at halftime like, ‘We need to try this a little differently,’ and maybe they didn't buy into it,” Tottleben said. “But this year, they really are willing to make adjustments in-game to try to do something technically. And that's made a big difference for us. It feeds into having the same people there because now you're talking to the same people every week.” 

 

 

Photo by Justin Brown

Beyond their coachability as a whole group, several players have delivered standout performances, helping drive the team’s success on both ends of the pitch.

 

Offensively, Mia Devrouax and Rylee Howard account for more than half of Lou Fusz Athletic’s total scoring output so far this season followed by Madison Vasiloff.Tottleben praised Devrouax, who plays for the University of Missouri, for her gametime energy and quiet leadership.

 

“She's [Devrouax] very fast and very energetic. And she's a relentless winner of the ball, and she's very quick when she gets moving forward. Just a lot of energy, a lot of stamina, a very, very high work rate. She's constantly working really hard. She leads with her actions,” Tottleben said.

 

Howard, a recent transfer from the University of Wisconsin to Saint Louis University, has found her rhythm up top by both creating chances for others and finishing them herself.

 

“[Howard] is really doing a lot of dirty work for us in the nine. Pressuring the opposing back four. She has a lot of assists. She has a couple goals…and is winning a lot of balls,” Tottleben said.

 

Vasiloff, who has played under Tottleben since her youth soccer days, this WPSL season is serving as valuable preparation for her upcoming junior year at Lindenwood University.

 

“I've been coaching her [Vasiloff] since a young age. I think she's one of these players that's kind of learning how to take that next step. And when she goes back to college in the fall, her team's going to be counting on her to carry a bigger scoring load. She is using this summer to make that progression to the next level,” Tottleben said.

 

Defensively, Lou Fusz has conceded just one goal all season. Goalkeeper Caroline Ritter has played an instrumental role in giving the team consistent clean sheets and overall wins. Rutter was named Defensive Player of the Week after her performance in Matchweek Three where she recorded eight saves in two clean sheets on the week. 

 

Photo by Justin Brown

 

“She's [Ritter] played every minute of every match for us. She’s locked in and wants to play. The  communication between the goalkeeper and the back four, the verbal communication, has been excellent,” Tottleben said.

 

Although winning the division is at the forefront of the team’s collective vision as they transition into the second half of the season, Tottleben believes success can still be attained beyond the win-loss column.

 

“To me, it’s a successful season if all those players that are in our program can look us in the eye at the end of the year and say, ‘Hey, coach, thanks. I had a great training experience and I feel like I'm going back to school healthy and I'm a better player than I was at the beginning of the summer.’ That  is certainly what motivates me…that's worth everything,” Tottleben said.  

 

Lou Fusz Athletic will play its last two games at home Friday, June 27 against Peoria City and Sunday, June 29 against FC Pride, both at Lou Fusz Athletic Complex.

 

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