Soccer opens season at HBU Friday night
8/18/2010 9:36:00 AM | Soccer
First the Bearkats travel to Sorrels Field at Houston Baptist to take on the HBU Huskies at 7 p.m. Friday. Then Sam Houston challenges the University of Houston Sunday at 7 p.m.
"We can't wait to get started," Bearkat sophomore Kirby Zak said. "The team has been working hard but we're ready to play against somebody besides ourselves."
Zak is one of three All-Southland Conference performers returning for Bearkat head coach Tom Brown. She led the 2009 team as a freshman with nine goals. Also returning are senior goalkeeper Jenny Pence who holds the school career record for shutouts (17) goalkeeper victories (25) and junior defender Deanna Long.
Zak, Pence and Long are joined by five other returning starters off last year's team that reached the Southland Conference tournament semi-finals and posted the program's highest league finish ever. The performance in 2009 plus the addition of several talented freshmen has expectations high for the coming season.
Pence, defenders Alex Clifton and Nicole Watkins and reserve goalkeeper Kellie Sikinger are the four senior members of the 2010 team.
"We are setting our goals very high," Brown said. "We return a high number of starting players and added a great recruiting class. We will be young but we will be a more athletic team this year and be better on the ball.."
A major area the Bearkats will focus upon is offense. Sam Houston was shutout nine times last year. This season the team intents to put more balls in the back of the net.
"We have a number of players from our past two recruiting classes who have achieved high school and club state championships, participated in the top club programs and earned lots of individual recognition," Brown said. "After two intense weeks of preseason camp, we have a few players who are fighting some injury problems, but we like what we've seen."
Brown, who begins his third year at Sam Houston in 2010, has directed the Bearkat program to its two most successful seasons and its highest Southland Conference finish. Sam Houston won nine matches in both 2008 and 2009 and finished fourth in the league last fall. The 2009 team reached the Southland
The Kats face two stern challenges in their opening matches this weekend.
Houston Baptist is led by its all-time scoring leader Isla Cameron of Scotland who posted nine goals as a junior last year. HBU defeated the Bearkats 2-0 in their 2009 meeting. Sam Houston posted 1-0 victories over the Huskies in both 2007 and 2008.
The Bearkats will be looking for their first soccer victory ever over the Cougars Sunday. Houston is 4-0 against the Kats, winning 3-1 in 2008, 1-0 in both 2005 and 2007 and 3-2 in 2004.
Sam Houston will play four matches on the road before its home opener at Pritchett Field against North Texas on Friday Sept. 3. SHSU Student Activities is hosting a special soccer tail gate party prior to the home opener against the Eagles at 7 p.m. Sept. 3
Admission to Sam Houston State women's soccer games at Pritchett Field is free. For more information about tickets to all Bearkat athletic events, contact the athletic ticket office at (936) 294-1729 or go online to www.gobearkats.com .
