2009 Preview: What a Difference a Year Makes
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - When the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team opened camp for the 2009 season, there were 18 first-year players among the 31 who reported. That's a roster stocked with nearly 60 percent rookies. But, to hear it from the SFA coaching staff, the Ladyjacks are in much better shape now, from an experience standpoint, than they were at this time a year ago. This despite the fact that, in 2008, SFA returned 17 letterwinners --six of whom were seniors -- nine starters, and six preseason all-conference selections.
The reason? Even with all the newcomers, SFA has a solid group of returners where it matters most: the sideline. Head coach George Van Linder and his staff -- assistants Kelli Partridge and Trae Manny -- are back for their second campaign after fighting their way to a 9-7-2 record in their first go-round with the Ladyjacks. According to Van Linder, a year's worth of practices and games has made all the difference.
"When we got here, our system was quite a bit different than what the players were used to," Van Linder said. "With the players we have now, it's become like second nature for them, so that's a big difference.
"Last year, we had plenty of good players, but we had to do so much teaching and learning. It was frustrating for them, because they were having to go away from a system in which they'd seen a great deal of success. It was frustrating for us, as coaches, because we spent so much time teaching, and we wanted them to pick up on it quicker."
The Ladyjacks played a tough non-conference schedule and got out to a 2-5-0 start through the first seven games. After putting the growing pains of a new system behind them, they rallied with a four-game winning streak and finished tied for second in the Southland Conference, holding the opposition scoreless for the final five games of the season.
The improvement and growing comfort within Van Linder's system manifested itself with SFA's late-season success last year, and has done so again by giving the Ladyjacks a leg up in their early preparations this season. SFA returns 11 players who saw significant minutes last year.
"That helps, because we're able to spend more time working with the newcomers," Van Linder said. "The returning players have been great helping with that, as well. Something we've enjoyed seeing is the returners helping the first-year kids learn the system. That just didn't happen last year, because everyone was trying to learn."
Not all the teaching is being done between the white lines, though. With a large contingent of newcomers, the team has devoted a lot of its meeting time early on to helping the rookies acclimate to college life.
"The big thing is trying to get them up to speed on everything related to the college experience, off the field," Van Linder said. "When you have this many first-year players, there's a lot of time devoted to working out housing issues and just getting them prepared for college life in general."
The coaching staff has enjoyed one unexpected benefit of starting camp with a big crop of newcomers.
"A big advantage of having so many newcomers is you don't have to compete with their pre-conceived ideas about how things should be," Van Linder said. "We set the bar really high right from the beginning, and they don't know anything different. That's caused them to attack their training really hard, and it's created a very competitive environment among both our newcomers and our returning players."
Following is a position-by-position summary of the Ladyjacks' expected starters heading into the 2009 season.
Forward
Megan Cash is one of three seniors on this year's squad and a Preseason All-SLC selection. She is the Ladyjacks' top returning scorer from a year ago (six goals, one assist) and served as a team captain during the spring. In her two years at SFA, she has parlayed her speed and aggressiveness into success at two positions, splitting time at forward and defender, depending on the team's needs.
"Cash is clearly a great player for us," Van Linder said. "She does a lot of different things well."
Joining her up front are junior Kim Kimmel and freshman Laura Sadler.
Kimmel started four games last season and finished the year with a goal and two assists. With the added minutes and opportunities of a regular starter, Van Linder expects a strong campaign in 2009.
"Kim is really good with the ball on her foot," the coach said. "She's one of our strongest one v. one players."
Sadler, though a freshman, brings championship experience to the SFA front line. She led her Coppell High School team to the Class 5A state title as a senior. Sadler registered a goal and an assist in the championship game to earn state tournament MVP honors.
"Laura is really a great hybrid between Cash and Kimmel," Van Linder said. "She's got good speed, and she's really unpredictable and tough to defend. We also like that she has a history of finding the net in big games."
Midfielder
On the surface, the SFA midfield looks like one of the least experienced spots on the field. None of the four players penciled in as preseason starters lettered for the Ladyjacks in 2008. Senior Kelli Wilson and redshirt freshman Breanne Vernon succumbed to injuries last season -- Vernon before the year began and Wilson after playing the first five games. The other two expected starters, Kylie Louw and Becky Johnson, are both freshmen.
But Wilson started all 20 games in SFA's championship campaign in 2007. Her 23 points (nine goals, five assists) that season were second on the team and rank her 10th on the program's single-season list. She was named First-Team All-SLC for her efforts. With 10 career goals and seven assists, Wilson has more career points (27) than any other player on this year's roster.
"Kelli seems to be back to form after missing most of last year with an injury," Van Linder said, "so, hopefully, she'll have another all-conference type of season."
Likewise, Vernon has some SFA experience, although she has yet to touch the field in a regular-season game. After sitting out last season, the Canada native is set for her first live game action since signing with the Ladyjacks before the 2007 season.
"Vernon may not have played for us last year, but she's been here learning," Van Linder said. "We're excited to have her on the field."
Louw is a freshman only in terms of NCAA eligibility. The 20-year-old South African is a veteran of highly competitive soccer -- just not in the American collegiate arena. She brings with her three years' experience on the South African National Team after transferring from the University of Johannesburg.
"Kylie is great for us in the midfield," Van Linder said. "She's done a good job of replacing [departed senior] Amanda Lackey, and it's great to have someone like her at that position."
Johnson, the only pure freshman in the middle, is already a favorite among teammates for her quick decisions when distributing the ball. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has international experience, having played in Norway, Sweden and Brazil.
"Becky really seems to work very well with and complement our forwards," Van Linder said. "She does a good job of getting them the ball in good position to attack, and I know they like that."
Defender
Like the midfield, the group vying for time in the SFA back line is comprised of three first-year players. Unlike the midfield, though, all three have collegiate experience. Junior Kelli Barnes returns to lead the group. She is joined by transfers Jordan King, Wallis Young and Kayla Mason.
Barnes was the only Ladyjack to start all 18 games last season, and she joins Cash on the preseason all-conference team.
"Barnes is kind of our `minister of defense,'" Van Linder said. "She's doing a great job taking over the leadership responsibilities for [graduated senior] Jessica Cotton at center back."
King, Young and Mason will compete for the other two defensive slots. King played in 10 games at Oklahoma as a freshman last year. Young transferred to SFA following a rookie campaign at Baylor, where she played nine games and recorded two assists. Mason started 17 games and was an all-conference honoree at Tyler Junior College last season.
"All these transfers have college experience, two of them in the Big 12," Van Linder said. "They should feel comfortable and confident playing in the Southland."
Goalkeeper
Junior Courtney Bauder is entrenched as the starter in net after a solid sophomore season. The Las Vegas, Nev., product started the final 17 games of the season and posted a 9-6-2 record. Her 15 goals allowed last year rank fourth all-time at SFA, and she enters the 2009 campaign with a 0.93 goals-against average that would stand as a school record among career marks.
"Bauder ended the season with a five-game shutout streak," Van Linder said. "We're hoping she'll bring the momentum from that with her and build on it. So far, it looks like she'll be able to."
-- SFA --
