Veteran Leadership Leads the Way for SFA Soccer in 2018 Campaign
8/13/2018 10:41:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SFA returns 14 for Crittenden's sixth season at SFA
The 2018 Stephen F. Austin women's soccer season gets underway in less than a week, a journey that both coaches and players alike hope to cap with a sweep of the Southland Conference championship hardware. A team loaded with athletic depth throughout the lineup and a strong core of veteran leadership figure to lend support to the cause for SFA, which embarks upon its sixth season under the leadership of head coach Wally Crittenden.
Crittenden knows a thing or two about winning with SFA, having delivered them three titles in as many seasons upon his arrival to Nacogdoches and amassing the most wins of any Southland Program (66) in that five-year span. His 66 wins at SFA also make him the winningest coach in program history, which ranks seventh all-time among Southland head coaches.
Poised to add to that win total is a capable group of 23 players, 14 of whom lettered for the team last fall and nine of whom started multiple contests. Additionally, Crittenden's nine newcomers further break down into a pair of transfers as well as a group of seven highly touted freshmen. The Ladyjacks return just about 50 percent of total points, goals and assists generated during the 2017 campaign, which saw the Ladyjacks reach double-digit wins for the 11thtime in the past 14 seasons.
"This team is going to be sophomore-junior driven team, whereas last year was more of a freshman-sophomore team with some older players factoring in as well", said Crittenden. "Seeing the returning group and the experiences they gained last year, the expectation is that they will continue along that learning curve and perhaps the soccer will be better, the timing, tempo and speed of play will be improved, and having gone through the challenges of playing soccer at this level, the piece that will be most improved is the leadership and game management."
Part of the process in dealing with a younger team last season was some growing pains associated with late-game focus and the ability to put teams away down the stretch.
"We had several games last season where we had one and two-goal leads going into halftime, and just couldn't quite close out the game, we didn't have the focus down the stretch, and that's what you run into sometimes with younger players", Crittenden recalls. "Now they've gone through that as a team, we return nine starters from last year's lineup and welcome in some very capable newcomers, so I think we've got several starting-caliber players at every position, which is a unique and a good spot to be in."
Not only are the Ladyjacks flush with starting-quality talent, but the team's average athleticism is quite possibly the highest of any team in program history, explains Crittenden.
"When you get down to the tangibles, we have players that are going to be consistent with some of the best athletes we've had in our program, and now we have more of them, so while the top-end athlete will be consistent with the top-end athletes from previous years, we now have one or two or more at every position, which is unique. We also have players with tremendous soccer IQ that also possess high technical proficiency and that top-end athleticism, all of the sudden you've got a squad that will compete on Friday and Sunday, and you've got a team that can compete in multiple looks within the same half."
With just two players picked to Southland All-Conference Preseason teams (Fondren and Arthurs), SFA was nonetheless picked to finish second in the Southland Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll released last week. SFA received two first-place votes on the way to 212 points in the poll, trailing 2017 champion Lamar (240 points). Abilene Christian ranked third behind SFA with 182 points and the remaining two first-place votes, while Central Arkansas (172) and McNeese (169) rounded out the top five.
When the Ladyjacks find themselves in the final third and looking to score this season, the hole left by 2016 and 2017 Southland Conference Midfielder of the Year Hanna Barker on offense is something SFA will have to take into account. Finding player (s) to step up and fill the gap left by a player who finished in the top five in program history for goals, assists and points can be a tall task, but the 'Jacks have options there as well. Sophomores Sophia Fondren and Katelyn Termini form a potent 1-2 punch among the returners, combining for 25 points last season. Fondren, a Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference selection, will patrol the midfield as the attacking center mid, while Termini will carve up opposing defenses up front with the remainder of the forwards.
"We have returning players that excelled in statistical output in different areas, and we have other players who will be put in more comfortable and instinctive roles for them, which will allow them to be productive on offense", Crittenden added. "You get excited for players Katelyn Termini and Sophia Fondren, who amassed our second and third highest point totals last season as freshman, and players like Sabrina Segovia who is a returning goal scorer. You get excited for players like Teia Haynes, who will challenge to be the fastest player on our team and could be one of the fastest in the league, and then you have other players like Camryn Romero, Mattie Musser, Elise Davis and Kenady Carlile who can play up top to give us different looks on offense.
Also in the mix will be Breanna Moore, the team's lone senior and a proven attacker, having netted 15 career goals for the purple and white. Moore broke onto the scene in the 2016 season, scoring nine goals and pacing a Ladyjack attack that averaged 2.33 goals per game. Moore wasted no time asserting herself in the opening moments of the 2018 season, netting the game-winning goal in the Purple and White game off a feed from Termini.
In the midfield, SFA will rely on a deep group of players, both veterans and newcomers. Fondren and Caylon McMillan (12 GS in 2017) are the resident veterans in the middle of the field, while Katie Jennings shifts into the midfield after playing much of last season on the back line. Sophomore Destiny Davis will look to carve out a bigger role this season after seeing action in six games last season. Kenady Carlile (5-5, Porter, Texas), Ryka Shea (5-10, College Station, Texas) and Camryn Romero (5-7, Frisco, Texas) join the mix with proven skills and athleticism and may make waves for SFA this season as well.
"In the midfield we expect our attacking center midfield presence to be very strong and very dynamic, and from our holding center midfield we'll see some good service and shots from range there, and depending on how wide we play, we've got some players who can slide forward in those roles as well", Crittenden said. "We're not going to rely on just one player for the majority of our scoring."
When taking into account the value of SFA's veteran leadership, the team's defensive unit is the one most buoyed by that presence. A trio of juniors (Carli Arthurs, Tyler Johnson and Mari Gillespie), each of whom made starts in the lion's share of games last season, should factor heavily into a talented back line for the Ladyjacks. Last season, the 'Jacks allowed the fewest goals in conference play, with eight, and posted eight shutouts on the season, but have their sights set on more than just placing near the top in the conference defensive metrics in 2018. Crittenden highlighted the 2014 season, in which the 'Jacks ended the season ranked sixth in the country in shutout percentage (.650), seventh in save percentage (.876) and 11th in goals against average (.588), as a benchmark on which SFA will measure its defensive prowess against.
"What is exciting to me is that the 2014 season represented one of the most successful defensive years that we've had, and when you look at the characteristics of that team you see that that team was primarily returning players", Crittenden said. "So when you look at the group we have coming back, specifically in the back half, all of the sudden now there's a professionalism, a consistency and an expectation that creates a higher baseline performance than what it would've been last year. We expect our baseline, consistent performance to be heightened because of the maturity we have in the back and the talent we have there."
Aside from the afore-mentioned trio in the back line, the Ladyjacks have other exciting pieces to add to the equation and keep opponents off the scoreboard. Sophomores Lauren Prentice and Katherine Shoffner will each look to carve out larger roles on defense this season, and are joined by freshman Paige Kanipes and transfer junior Kim Campos, who won a NJCAA national championship with Tyler Junior College last season and looks to make an immediate impact for SFA. Should opponents work their way past this veritable gauntlet of defenders, a group of highly-skilled goaltenders will await them between the sticks.
Heading into the 2017 campaign with two goalkeepers he freely praised as "1A-1B" options for his ballclub, Crittenden briefly enjoyed the services of freshman Madeline Talbot and redshirt sophomore Allyson Halliday (formerly Smith) before Talbot went down with an injury. An abrupt end to the positional timeshare bore beneficial fruit, as Smith finished out the season with a strong stretch of goalkeeping, posting six shutouts and ending the season ranked third in goals-against average (1.049) and fourth in save percentage (.826). Now returned from injury and back into the fold is Talbot, who saved 80 percent of shots faced and proved to be capable of handling the pressure of a starting spot. Also in the mix is freshman Makenzie Covington of Aledo, Texas, unproven at the collegiate level but a four-time All-State honoree in high school.
"From a goalkeeper standpoint, we have three great goalkeepers", Crittenden said. "We have Allyson returning, who played a lot of minutes and earned every minute she got, and we've got Maddie, who earned every minute she got before the injury. So we'll come into camp wide open, just like we did last year, and certainly we'll make decisions based on the exhibitions as we head into the season, but both of them have already earned the respect of the team, both have earned the right to compete with that team.
A former goalkeeper himself, Crittenden knows the demands of the position create an opportunity for a timeshare at the position, and with the talent the Ladyjacks have there, he'll have no hesitation to utilize it.
"Certainly we have the two returners in the mix, but I'll tell you Makenzie Covington is a four-time All-State honoree, so she's going to be coming in and fighting and competing to earn time", Crittenden continued. "At the end of the day, we'll track measurements and have metrics that we share with them, openly, to help guide our decisions. I'm not opposed to rotating starts and minutes like we did last year if they all can help us win. It's very difficult to expect a position like goalkeeper to be at peak performance for an entire season, so it's very important that we have three great options in goal that I'm excited to see. To be in this situation is pretty unique, and one we're excited about as we approach the season."
In the Ladyjack's two exhibition games leading up to Friday's home opener, the team performed excellently and received top marks. An unselfish and dangerous offense has certainly passed the eye test, as the 'Jacks received six goals from five different players and were inches away from a goal scored by a sixth player. The 'Jacks displayed both a healthy athleticism as well as a high soccer IQ, which resulted in several goals directly off opponent turnovers.
On the defensive end, the Ladyjacks have been stalwart, posting a pair of shutouts and allowing very few legitimate scoring chances to their opponents. Two days after completely smothering the offense of ULM at home to the tune of just two shots, the Ladyjacks stymied an athletic and persistent Houston attack in a 2-0 shutout win on Sunday.
The Ladyjacks are set to play a total of 17 contests during the fall slate, consisting of nine home matches and eight road contests. After opening the season with a home matchup with LSU-Shreveport on the 17th, the Ladyjacks will battle through a tough gamut of non-conference foes, beginning with a home tilt against Mississippi State on August 19th. When the Bulldogs come to town, it will mark the second time a "Power Five" conference opponent has traveled to play in Nacogdoches in as many seasons (TCU 2017).
From there, the Ladyjacks head to Big 12 opponent TCU on the 23rd, face SWAC opponent Texas Southern in Houston on the 31st and face the Longhorns of Texas in Austin on September 2. A home game against Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi on September 7 offers a short break to the six-game road swing, before the 'Jacks head to Natchitoches on the 14th for a rivalry matchup with the Lady Demons of Northwestern State. A quick jaunt down to Houston Baptist (Sept. 21) followed by a continuation further south to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Sept. 23) close out the road slate and preface a three-game homestand for SFA.
Having faced all of the Southland's other top teams on the road last season, the Ladyjacks will host those opponents at SFA Soccer Field in the fall, as McNeese comes to town on September 28, followed by Lamar on the 30th and Central Arkansas on October 5. A quick jaunt over to Louisiana to face Southeastern Louisiana (Oct. 12) and Nicholls (Oct. 14) on their turf wraps up SFA's road schedule, and SFA's final three games at home will be against Incarnate Word (Oct. 19), Abilene Christian (Oct. 21) and Sam Houston State (Oct. 26) to close out the regular season.
Three of SFA's six non-conference opponents are shared opponents from last season, and the six programs combined to accrue a 53-42 record last season, with two of them (TCU and Texas) advancing on to the NCAA Tournament. Adding in Southland Conference automatic qualifier Lamar brings the total of NCAA tournament qualifying teams on the 2018 schedule to three.
Whether it be measured by competitive energy, team athleticism, technical talent or any other barometer, the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer program figures to be headed for success in the 2018 campaign, carrying on a tradition that stands without equal in the Southland Conference.
-SFA-
Crittenden knows a thing or two about winning with SFA, having delivered them three titles in as many seasons upon his arrival to Nacogdoches and amassing the most wins of any Southland Program (66) in that five-year span. His 66 wins at SFA also make him the winningest coach in program history, which ranks seventh all-time among Southland head coaches.
Poised to add to that win total is a capable group of 23 players, 14 of whom lettered for the team last fall and nine of whom started multiple contests. Additionally, Crittenden's nine newcomers further break down into a pair of transfers as well as a group of seven highly touted freshmen. The Ladyjacks return just about 50 percent of total points, goals and assists generated during the 2017 campaign, which saw the Ladyjacks reach double-digit wins for the 11thtime in the past 14 seasons.
"This team is going to be sophomore-junior driven team, whereas last year was more of a freshman-sophomore team with some older players factoring in as well", said Crittenden. "Seeing the returning group and the experiences they gained last year, the expectation is that they will continue along that learning curve and perhaps the soccer will be better, the timing, tempo and speed of play will be improved, and having gone through the challenges of playing soccer at this level, the piece that will be most improved is the leadership and game management."
Part of the process in dealing with a younger team last season was some growing pains associated with late-game focus and the ability to put teams away down the stretch.
"We had several games last season where we had one and two-goal leads going into halftime, and just couldn't quite close out the game, we didn't have the focus down the stretch, and that's what you run into sometimes with younger players", Crittenden recalls. "Now they've gone through that as a team, we return nine starters from last year's lineup and welcome in some very capable newcomers, so I think we've got several starting-caliber players at every position, which is a unique and a good spot to be in."
Not only are the Ladyjacks flush with starting-quality talent, but the team's average athleticism is quite possibly the highest of any team in program history, explains Crittenden.
"When you get down to the tangibles, we have players that are going to be consistent with some of the best athletes we've had in our program, and now we have more of them, so while the top-end athlete will be consistent with the top-end athletes from previous years, we now have one or two or more at every position, which is unique. We also have players with tremendous soccer IQ that also possess high technical proficiency and that top-end athleticism, all of the sudden you've got a squad that will compete on Friday and Sunday, and you've got a team that can compete in multiple looks within the same half."
With just two players picked to Southland All-Conference Preseason teams (Fondren and Arthurs), SFA was nonetheless picked to finish second in the Southland Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll released last week. SFA received two first-place votes on the way to 212 points in the poll, trailing 2017 champion Lamar (240 points). Abilene Christian ranked third behind SFA with 182 points and the remaining two first-place votes, while Central Arkansas (172) and McNeese (169) rounded out the top five.
When the Ladyjacks find themselves in the final third and looking to score this season, the hole left by 2016 and 2017 Southland Conference Midfielder of the Year Hanna Barker on offense is something SFA will have to take into account. Finding player (s) to step up and fill the gap left by a player who finished in the top five in program history for goals, assists and points can be a tall task, but the 'Jacks have options there as well. Sophomores Sophia Fondren and Katelyn Termini form a potent 1-2 punch among the returners, combining for 25 points last season. Fondren, a Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference selection, will patrol the midfield as the attacking center mid, while Termini will carve up opposing defenses up front with the remainder of the forwards.
"We have returning players that excelled in statistical output in different areas, and we have other players who will be put in more comfortable and instinctive roles for them, which will allow them to be productive on offense", Crittenden added. "You get excited for players Katelyn Termini and Sophia Fondren, who amassed our second and third highest point totals last season as freshman, and players like Sabrina Segovia who is a returning goal scorer. You get excited for players like Teia Haynes, who will challenge to be the fastest player on our team and could be one of the fastest in the league, and then you have other players like Camryn Romero, Mattie Musser, Elise Davis and Kenady Carlile who can play up top to give us different looks on offense.
Also in the mix will be Breanna Moore, the team's lone senior and a proven attacker, having netted 15 career goals for the purple and white. Moore broke onto the scene in the 2016 season, scoring nine goals and pacing a Ladyjack attack that averaged 2.33 goals per game. Moore wasted no time asserting herself in the opening moments of the 2018 season, netting the game-winning goal in the Purple and White game off a feed from Termini.
In the midfield, SFA will rely on a deep group of players, both veterans and newcomers. Fondren and Caylon McMillan (12 GS in 2017) are the resident veterans in the middle of the field, while Katie Jennings shifts into the midfield after playing much of last season on the back line. Sophomore Destiny Davis will look to carve out a bigger role this season after seeing action in six games last season. Kenady Carlile (5-5, Porter, Texas), Ryka Shea (5-10, College Station, Texas) and Camryn Romero (5-7, Frisco, Texas) join the mix with proven skills and athleticism and may make waves for SFA this season as well.
"In the midfield we expect our attacking center midfield presence to be very strong and very dynamic, and from our holding center midfield we'll see some good service and shots from range there, and depending on how wide we play, we've got some players who can slide forward in those roles as well", Crittenden said. "We're not going to rely on just one player for the majority of our scoring."
When taking into account the value of SFA's veteran leadership, the team's defensive unit is the one most buoyed by that presence. A trio of juniors (Carli Arthurs, Tyler Johnson and Mari Gillespie), each of whom made starts in the lion's share of games last season, should factor heavily into a talented back line for the Ladyjacks. Last season, the 'Jacks allowed the fewest goals in conference play, with eight, and posted eight shutouts on the season, but have their sights set on more than just placing near the top in the conference defensive metrics in 2018. Crittenden highlighted the 2014 season, in which the 'Jacks ended the season ranked sixth in the country in shutout percentage (.650), seventh in save percentage (.876) and 11th in goals against average (.588), as a benchmark on which SFA will measure its defensive prowess against.
"What is exciting to me is that the 2014 season represented one of the most successful defensive years that we've had, and when you look at the characteristics of that team you see that that team was primarily returning players", Crittenden said. "So when you look at the group we have coming back, specifically in the back half, all of the sudden now there's a professionalism, a consistency and an expectation that creates a higher baseline performance than what it would've been last year. We expect our baseline, consistent performance to be heightened because of the maturity we have in the back and the talent we have there."
Aside from the afore-mentioned trio in the back line, the Ladyjacks have other exciting pieces to add to the equation and keep opponents off the scoreboard. Sophomores Lauren Prentice and Katherine Shoffner will each look to carve out larger roles on defense this season, and are joined by freshman Paige Kanipes and transfer junior Kim Campos, who won a NJCAA national championship with Tyler Junior College last season and looks to make an immediate impact for SFA. Should opponents work their way past this veritable gauntlet of defenders, a group of highly-skilled goaltenders will await them between the sticks.
Heading into the 2017 campaign with two goalkeepers he freely praised as "1A-1B" options for his ballclub, Crittenden briefly enjoyed the services of freshman Madeline Talbot and redshirt sophomore Allyson Halliday (formerly Smith) before Talbot went down with an injury. An abrupt end to the positional timeshare bore beneficial fruit, as Smith finished out the season with a strong stretch of goalkeeping, posting six shutouts and ending the season ranked third in goals-against average (1.049) and fourth in save percentage (.826). Now returned from injury and back into the fold is Talbot, who saved 80 percent of shots faced and proved to be capable of handling the pressure of a starting spot. Also in the mix is freshman Makenzie Covington of Aledo, Texas, unproven at the collegiate level but a four-time All-State honoree in high school.
"From a goalkeeper standpoint, we have three great goalkeepers", Crittenden said. "We have Allyson returning, who played a lot of minutes and earned every minute she got, and we've got Maddie, who earned every minute she got before the injury. So we'll come into camp wide open, just like we did last year, and certainly we'll make decisions based on the exhibitions as we head into the season, but both of them have already earned the respect of the team, both have earned the right to compete with that team.
A former goalkeeper himself, Crittenden knows the demands of the position create an opportunity for a timeshare at the position, and with the talent the Ladyjacks have there, he'll have no hesitation to utilize it.
"Certainly we have the two returners in the mix, but I'll tell you Makenzie Covington is a four-time All-State honoree, so she's going to be coming in and fighting and competing to earn time", Crittenden continued. "At the end of the day, we'll track measurements and have metrics that we share with them, openly, to help guide our decisions. I'm not opposed to rotating starts and minutes like we did last year if they all can help us win. It's very difficult to expect a position like goalkeeper to be at peak performance for an entire season, so it's very important that we have three great options in goal that I'm excited to see. To be in this situation is pretty unique, and one we're excited about as we approach the season."
In the Ladyjack's two exhibition games leading up to Friday's home opener, the team performed excellently and received top marks. An unselfish and dangerous offense has certainly passed the eye test, as the 'Jacks received six goals from five different players and were inches away from a goal scored by a sixth player. The 'Jacks displayed both a healthy athleticism as well as a high soccer IQ, which resulted in several goals directly off opponent turnovers.
On the defensive end, the Ladyjacks have been stalwart, posting a pair of shutouts and allowing very few legitimate scoring chances to their opponents. Two days after completely smothering the offense of ULM at home to the tune of just two shots, the Ladyjacks stymied an athletic and persistent Houston attack in a 2-0 shutout win on Sunday.
The Ladyjacks are set to play a total of 17 contests during the fall slate, consisting of nine home matches and eight road contests. After opening the season with a home matchup with LSU-Shreveport on the 17th, the Ladyjacks will battle through a tough gamut of non-conference foes, beginning with a home tilt against Mississippi State on August 19th. When the Bulldogs come to town, it will mark the second time a "Power Five" conference opponent has traveled to play in Nacogdoches in as many seasons (TCU 2017).
From there, the Ladyjacks head to Big 12 opponent TCU on the 23rd, face SWAC opponent Texas Southern in Houston on the 31st and face the Longhorns of Texas in Austin on September 2. A home game against Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi on September 7 offers a short break to the six-game road swing, before the 'Jacks head to Natchitoches on the 14th for a rivalry matchup with the Lady Demons of Northwestern State. A quick jaunt down to Houston Baptist (Sept. 21) followed by a continuation further south to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Sept. 23) close out the road slate and preface a three-game homestand for SFA.
Having faced all of the Southland's other top teams on the road last season, the Ladyjacks will host those opponents at SFA Soccer Field in the fall, as McNeese comes to town on September 28, followed by Lamar on the 30th and Central Arkansas on October 5. A quick jaunt over to Louisiana to face Southeastern Louisiana (Oct. 12) and Nicholls (Oct. 14) on their turf wraps up SFA's road schedule, and SFA's final three games at home will be against Incarnate Word (Oct. 19), Abilene Christian (Oct. 21) and Sam Houston State (Oct. 26) to close out the regular season.
Three of SFA's six non-conference opponents are shared opponents from last season, and the six programs combined to accrue a 53-42 record last season, with two of them (TCU and Texas) advancing on to the NCAA Tournament. Adding in Southland Conference automatic qualifier Lamar brings the total of NCAA tournament qualifying teams on the 2018 schedule to three.
Whether it be measured by competitive energy, team athleticism, technical talent or any other barometer, the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer program figures to be headed for success in the 2018 campaign, carrying on a tradition that stands without equal in the Southland Conference.
-SFA-
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/ Women's SoccerMonday, October 20
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