Bearkats looking for success as soccer's fifth year begins in 2007
8/10/2007 1:00:00 AM | Soccer
Beginning the program's fifth year when the Sam Houston State women's soccer team starts preseason camp August 12, head coach Marcia Oliveira will welcome back 11 veteran players and 13 talented newcomers.
Expected to lead the Bearkat soccer team in 2007 are two preseason All-Southland Conference players, senior Tofi Chavez and junior Raquel Bueno. Also returning is Yoanna Garcia, leading scorer for last year's squad who was an All-SLC honorable mention selection last year as a junior.
Oliveira is excited about the 2007 season and looks for it to be a successful year.
“All
the hard work our girls have done the first four years of this program
has paid off,” Oliveira said. “Those teams have given us so much to
build upon for the future. Each season, we have played a hard schedule
to help the girls understand the level they need to play to be
successful. The challenge of playing top teams may hurt the coaching
record, but the benefits of playing against the best are worthwhile. We
are looking to play with confidence and more focus. We want to impose
our style of play on our opponents.”
Each year, the program has seen marked improvement.
Sam Houston State's first season in 2003 the Bearkats ranked sixth
nationally among the 13 NCAA Division I first year programs. The Kats
closed their second season with their first Southland Conference win
with an overtime victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
With
five victories and a tie in its final eight matches, SHSU reached the
finals of the 2005 Southland Conference post-season tournament. Then,
to open the 2006 season, the Kats posted their first non-league win
over a team from a major conference, defeating Mississippi State of the
Southeastern Conference.
Now, Sam Houston State women's soccer moves into its fifth year with higher expectations and goals.
“Each year we have increased our scholarships and have recruited
talented student-athletes who will be part of a team that can compete
for the conference championship,” Oliveira said. “Now we are more
experienced, renewed, and looking forward to good things in our fifth
year.”
The trio of Bueno, Garcia, and Chavez will be expected to provide plenty of offense for the Bearkats.
Garcia and Bueno ranked third and fourth, respectively, in career scoring at Sam Houston. Garcia has 12 goals and 11 assists in her three years as a Bearkat. Bueno has scored 10 goals in two years.
Garcia led the 2006 team with six goals including four in a victory over Texas Southern and the game winner on a header in overtime against Mississippi State.
Bueno was the Most Valuable Player at the 2005 Southland Conference post-season tournament when Sam Houston reached the finals.
Chavez, who has played internationally for Mexico's national team, has six career goals with four assists.
Other returning players include midfielders Charity Lett, Laura Ybanez, Monica Madden, and Noelle Wiggins; forward Alison Oakland; and defenders Carla Campbell and Brittany Foerstner.
For the first time in the program's history, the Bearkats do not have a returning starter in goal. Melissa Sauceda filled that role during the first four years of SHSU women's soccer. Newcomers expected to compete for the goalkeeper position include Kelley Sikinger of Houston Lamar and Jenny Pence of Kingwood.
Other freshmen expected to make an impact include Candace Autwell of Midlothian, Debbie Campbell of Pflugerville, Ariana Jeff of Arlington Martin, Dany Leone from Canada, April Lozano of Alief Taylor, Luana Miessa from Brazil, and Nichole Watkins of Deer Park.
The
women's soccer team will play an exhibition game at Pritchett Field on
Thursday, August 23, against Alabama A&M then open the 2007
schedule with the UTEP Miners at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 31.
Starters Returning (9):
| Player | Pos | Ht. | Class | GP/GS | Goals | Assists |
| Yoanna Garcia | FW | 5-3 | Sr-3L | 10/10 | 6 | 3 |
| Raquel Bueno | FW | 5-6 | Jr-2L | 18/17 | 4 | 2 |
| Tofi Chavez | DF | 5-6 | Sr-3L | 18/17 | 2 | 1 |
| Noelle Wiggins | MF | 5-4 | Jr-2L | 18/12 | 0 | 2 |
| Brittany Foerstner | DF | 5-10 | Jr-2L | 17/13 | 0 | 1 |
| Ashley Simmons | DF | 5-5 | So-1L | 17/16 | 0 | 1 |
| Carla Campbell | DF | 5-6 | Jr-2L | 17/12 | 0 | 0 |
| Charity Lett | MF | 5-3 | Jr-2L | 17/15 | 0 | 0 |
| Alison Oakland | FW | 5-7 | So-1L | 17/10 | 0 | 0 |
Other Letterwinners Returning (2):
| Player | Pos | Ht. | Class | GP/GS | Goals | Assists |
| Monica Madden | MF | 5-5 | Jr-2L | 13/7 | 0 | 0 |
| Laura Ybanez | MF | 5-4 | Sr-3L | 7/0 | 1 | 2 |
Starters Lost (2):
| Player | Pos | Ht. | Letters | GP/GS | Goals | Assists |
| Melissa Sauceda | GK | 5-8 | 4L | 17/17 | 0 | 0 |
| Candee Hoggatt | DF | 5-7 | 4L | 17/12 | 0 | 0 |
