Kats host UCA in Southland opener Friday
9/17/2015 10:00:00 AM | Soccer
The Sam Houston State soccer team opens Southland Conference play Friday, welcoming Central Arkansas to Pritchett Field for 6:30 p.m. kick.
After boasting a program-best 8-2-1 record in league play and notching a second-place finish a season ago, the Bearkats (3-3-1) were selected runner-up by the conference's head coaches during the preseason. The results largely reflected in the preseason as the Kats posted wins against Louisiana-Lafayette and UTSA – two teams they lost to last season – as well as Prairie View A&M.
“I think we have more confidence in ourselves,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “We still played against good quality competition (last season) but we didn't have the record we would have wanted. I think the team feels good about themselves but they know we've got to get better.”
Sam Houston has spent six of its first seven matches on the road and posted a 1-1 draw against Baylor in its only home competition. While it was not the win the squad wanted, it continued a team goal of not losing at home.
“It's a goal that they established, not a goal I gave them,” Brown said. “I remind them of that and their ownership of that goal and that they have to make sure they are doing the things off and on the field to help them accomplish it.”
The Kats will play six of their 11 conference matches at Pritchett, with Friday starting three straight, although for now, the team is just relieved to get a break from the travel.
“We're definitely happy to be at home for a while,” Brown said. “We've definitely been road warriors. It's nice to have that bit of time where you don't have to spend it traveling and with only one game to focus on this weekend, we've been able to back off the team in terms of volume while keeping the intensity.”
The Kats are led by senior Mariah Titus's four goals and 15 shot attempts offensively while Sam Houston's stingy defense has allowed nine goals in seven matches. The Bearkats have shared their seven assists equally with Titus, Jordan Jarzombek, Kylie Dick, Maddy Panozzo, Bailey Strong, Whitney Woodward and Megan Bennett tallying one each.
Brown says the squad has improved over the last few weeks possessing and moving the ball, which was highlighted in a 4-0 victory at Prairie View A&M on Sunday and included an outburst of 23 shots and season-high in goals scored.
Meanwhile, the Kats opponent, Central Arkansas sits at 3-5 but is coming off a 5-2 victory against Mississippi Valley State in which junior forward Shelby Wilson scored a hat-trick. The Bears were picked 10th by the league's head coaches during the preseason but gave Sam Houston all they could handle in a 1-0 Bearkats win a season ago.
“Last year we went up there and it was a tough team,” Brown said. “They're a team that works hard and they do a good job of compacting space when you're trying to attack so you have to figure out ways to get around them. We'll just have to make sure we get in and compete hard with them.”
Admission is free to Friday's match and the first 100 students in attendance with a valid Bearkat OneCard will receive complimentary Wingstop. For the latest on Bearkat soccer, follow @SHSUSoccer on Twitter and visit GoBearkats.com.
