Soccer looking to build off tournament run

HUNTSVILLE — After a run to the conference tournament championship in the spring, the Sam Houston soccer team hit the field this week for the start of training camp.

The Bearkats are in a unique situation this season. After the 2020 fall campaign was pushed to the spring of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sam Houston has a quicker turnaround between seasons.

"We are excited to be back on the field and preparing for another season," head coach Tom Brown said. "It is a quick turnaround from playing this spring, but it is not any different from what the players were used to when playing club. The new players are fitting in great and have shown what they will be able to add to our team."

The Bearkats are entering a new conference for the first time since the program was created in 2003. Following a 17-year run in the Southland Conference, Sam Houston, along with Lamar, Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin have joined the WAC.

The Kats left the Southland Conference with an impressive showing in the league's postseason tournament. Seventh-seeded Sam Houston upset No. 2 Lamar and No. 3 Abilene Christian before falling to Southeastern Louisiana in the title game in Beaumont.

The Bearkats have the offensive core of that team returning, including leading scorers Brooke Jones, who was an all-conference selection, Grace Stine, Landri Townsend and Ashley Friedrichs. Goalkeepers Tatum Krueger and Abby DeLozier combined for five shutouts with the assistance of defenders Katarina Baehren, Danielle Forsyth, Rachel Downey, Katie Leal and others.

Sam Houston also has 10 newcomers who should solidify the team as the Bearkats open the season with an exhibition match against Missouri in Frisco on Aug. 10.

"I think the returners saw the potential of this team when we made the conference tournament final last spring," Brown said. "We only graduated one player who started any games for us and so we have a lot of experienced players back with us. The newcomers will add some things that last year's team did not have and so we believe we can be stronger this year."

Soccer looking to build off tournament run

Players Mentioned

Katarina Baehren

Abby DeLozier

Rachel Downey

Danielle Forsyth

Ashley Friedrichs

Brooke Jones

Tatum Krueger

Katie Leal

Grace Stine

Landri Townsend

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