2007 SFA Soccer Preview: Wise Beyond Their Years
8/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 20, 2007
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - On paper, the 2007 Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team is one of the youngest squads in the Southland Conference. There is only one senior listed on this year's roster, and, of the 20 other players, more than two-thirds are underclassmen. Luckily for the Ladyjacks, though, games aren't played on paper, and experience far outweighs age.
Third-year head coach Jaime Frias returns nine of eleven starters from a solid 2006 campaign that saw his team go 9-8-1 overall with a 5-2-1 conference mark, good enough for third in the SLC. The Ladyjacks bring back 13 letterwinners, in all, from that team. Twelve of the returning players each saw action in at least 12 games last season, including five players who took the field in all 18 contests and another four who saw action in 17 games.
"We're still going to be a very young team, overall," Frias said, "but our sophomore and junior classes have a ton of experience they can draw on. They've gotten onto the field in a lot of important games, so they're an experienced group that is used to the intensity of big games."
Much of that experience is the residual silver lining from the cloud of injuries that hung over the Ladyjacks last year. After entering the season as the odds-on favorite to win a third-straight Southland Conference championship, SFA suffered a rash of infirmities that added up to a net loss of 48 games played spread among eight players -- five of whom were starters.
"The injuries we had last year caused us to go deep into our bench," Frias said. "Because of that, all our players got quality playing time. They learned so much from that. They were in some key games, and now each and every one of them is battle-tested and will be able to contribute significantly to our success this year."
That's an opinion shared by Frias' peers, as evidenced by the SLC preseason coaches' poll. League head coaches overwhelmingly favor the Ladyjacks to win their fifth conference title, as SFA enjoyed a 12-point edge in the voting and garnered more first-place votes -- four -- than any other team in the league. It marks the third consecutive year for the Ladyjacks to be ranked atop the poll of conference head coaches. SFA has won the league title in two of the last three years.
"That's always our goal -- to go out and win the conference title," Frias said. "You can never assume anything, but we've put ourselves in position to have a good chance, year-in and year-out, to be in the hunt for a championship."
The Ladyjacks have reached this level by upping the ante in recruiting season. SFA annually attracts some of Texas' top talent but has taken its hunt for high-caliber players past the Lone Star State's borders in recent years. The Ladyjacks pluck talent from different hot spots in the Southwestern United States and have even established a solid recruiting pipeline to Canada.
The strategy has paid off in terms of wins -- SFA's 49-22-6 record over the last four seasons is the best four-year stretch in program history -- and in acclaim. The Ladyjacks' last two recruiting classes have each been ranked among the Central Region's Top 25 by Soccer Buzz Magazine. The seven-player 2007 class was the top group signed in the Southland this spring and ranked No. 23 overall in the region.
The incoming freshman class will be in good company as far as accolades go. The Ladyjacks return five All-SLC players from last year -- first-team selections Amanda Alders and Lauren Fricks, along with Jessica Huggins, Kelli Wilson and Jenna Turner, who were honorable mention choices a year ago.
"On paper, this is the most athletic group we've had since I've been here," Frias said. "Due to the success we've had in the past, we're attracting better athletes every year. We keep getting closer and closer to the total package."
As mentioned earlier, though, games aren't won or lost on paper. Frias knows this. He also knows his team is made of sterner stuff than the paper it looks so good on. The 2007 Ladyjacks are wise beyond their years and toughened by the adversity they faced last season. They're a better team for it, according to their coach.
"This is probably the closest team we've had in my time here," Frias said. "They all developed such close relationships last fall and through the spring. We saw that closeness bleed over into the games, and it helped us beat some really good teams during our spring schedule. We'll try to continue that trend with our incoming freshmen as we move into the upcoming season."
• Update: SFA opened the exhibition portion of its season Friday by playing Centenary to a scoreless tie. The Ladyjacks will finish off their preseason schedule with a second exhibition Wednesday against TCU. The game against the Horned Frogs is set for a 5 p.m. start from the SFA Soccer Complex. The Ladyjacks will begin the regular season on August 31, when they host St. Edward's in a 7 p.m. match.
Watch for stories in the coming days with information on what to expect from each position this season.
-- SFA --
