Despite a pair of tough losses last week, the Minnesota womenâÄôs tennis team understands that there is no reason to panic.

âÄúEvery good team goes through this,âÄù junior Magdalena Wiecha said. âÄúIf we give 100 percent weâÄôll be fine, and the results will come.âÄù

Head coach Tyler Thomson said the Gophers have been meeting throughout the week to discuss how they can get back on the right track.

âÄúWeâÄôve had some good team discussions, good conversations, about what can help us be as competitive as possible,âÄù Thomson, who is in his 10th season as head coach, said. âÄúThe problem has been inconsistency; weâÄôve got to gel as a team. We have the elements that can help us reach our goals, but we have to keep striving to put those together as a unit every single match.âÄù

Minnesota will have an opportunity to get back on track Friday against Missouri before it begins a tough two week stretch of matches in which it will play four of the nationâÄôs top teams.

 âÄúWe need some momentum in the other direction right now,âÄù said Thomson. âÄúMissouri is a great opportunity for that.âÄù

After Missouri, the Gophers will travel to North Carolina where they will play No. 5 North Carolina and No. 49 William and Mary.

Minnesota will then kick off Big Ten play the following week against No. 4 Michigan and No. 69 Michigan State.

The Gophers were also scheduled to play Drake on Friday, but the match was cancelled because Drake could not field a team due to injuries.

 Despite the difficult schedule ahead, the Gophers are not looking past the Tigers, who are coming off of a big win against the Spartans.

âÄúEvery time we play a ranked team itâÄôs a huge opportunity for us,âÄù Wiecha said. âÄúHowever, Missouri is a good team that we need to be ready for, and they will be great preparation for these games ahead.âÄù

Missouri will undoubtedly be a handful for the shorthanded Gophers, who are still uncertain of the status of several key players.

Still, the Gophers are confident that they will be successful no matter who takes the court on Friday.

âÄúIt would be good if everybody was healthy, but either way, we will be fine,âÄù Wiecha said. âÄúWeâÄôre confident we can beat our opponents.âÄù