SFA Women’s Soccer 2019 Season Preview

SFA Women’s Soccer 2019 Season Preview

8/22/2019 3:48:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: SFA Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The SFA women's soccer team opens the 2019 regular season in sunny South Carolina this weekend, ringing in the seventh season at the helm for head coach Wally Crittenden. We sat down with Crittenden to preview the 2019 slate, which features a total of 18 matches (10 home, seven road, one neutral).

GOALKEEPERS
A pair of experienced goalkeepers in Allyson Halliday (R-Sr) and Madeline Talbot (R-So.) give the Ladyjacks peace of mind in net, as they will once again share the responsibilities between the sticks in 2019 until separation in game. Halliday has the lion's share of experience coming into the campaign, having started 20 games during the 2017 season and posting a 1.05 goals-against-average in 1630 minutes, a campaign which saw her end the season as one of the Southland's best keepers.

With Talbot recovered from the injury that cut short her 2017 season, the timeshare between the two in 2018 saw them split time evenly. Talbot rebounded well in her redshirt freshman campaign, posting a 79.2 save percentage, a 4-2-1 record and a 0.98 GAA while making six starts and appearing in a total of 16 games.

DEFENDERS
The defensive unit will also be a strength for the Ladyjacks in 2019, as the starting backline is buoyed by returning starters and seniors Carli Arthurs and Tyler Johnson, who each started all 19 games for SFA last year. Lauren Prentice (19 starts) and Katherine Shoffner (13 starts) both return on the backline as well. Arthurs leads the group as a team captain and Southland Preseason All-Conference First Team selection, and will look to build on a five point campaign (2 goals, one assist) last season. Sophomore Paige Kanipes and senior Madeline Speanburg return additional experience from last season, and are joined by freshmen newcomers Harlie Wiley (Belton, Texas/Belton HS), Lauren Toma (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) and Jamie Jezierski (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak HS).

MIDFIELDERS
Southland Preseason All-Conference selections Sophia Fondren and Katelyn Termini headline a dangerous midfield group that will look to take another step forward in the 2019 season. Fondren, a Frisco native, led the team with 11 points (4G/3A) after posting a team-high seven assists in her freshman campaign. Tying Fondren for the team lead last season with four goals, junior Katelyn Termini enters the season as a Southland Preseason All-Conference Second Team selection. The Frisco native turned her play up to another level in the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament, scoring the game-winning tally in the quarterfinal and opening the scoring for the 'Jacks in the semifinal victory as well. The junior duo gets help from returners Caylon McMillan (10 starts), Destiny Davis (18 GP), and Ryka Shea (5 GP), as well as newcomer Peyton Graves (Conroe, Texas/Woodlands HS). Senior Mari Gillespie slots in as a returning starter for the Ladyjacks, having spent much of her 19 starts last season operating as the defensive center midfielder.

FORWARDS
Scoring will be of paramount importance to the 'Jacks in 2019, as they look to build upon the attacking momentum of last season. Enter the SFA forwards group, which features a mixed group of veterans, freshmen and transfers that will challenge opposing defenses all season. Preseason Southland All-Conference Second Team honoree Katie Jennings headlines the attacking unit, having started all 19 games for the 'Jacks a year ago.

Veteran attackers Elise Davis, Camryn Romero, Teia Haynes, Sabrina Segovia and Mattie Musser all return to the fold in good form as the season approaches, and junior transfer Morgan Wessling figures to make an immediate impact as a tall forward with good pace. Kenady Carlile will be an important component for the 'Jacks in the upcoming campaign, having taken a medical redshirt last year after appearing in two games.

Freshman forward Colleen Feagins (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood HS) has the technical tools to make an immediate impact on the offensive end and will challenge to be the program's fastest player on the pitch this season.

NOTES

• The Ladyjacks were picked to finish sixth in the Southland Conference via the league's preseason poll earlier this month. SFA tallied 142 total votes, just four behind Houston Baptist in fifth.

• SFA opens the 2019 season with a pair of games in Charleston, South Carolina this week. The Ladyjacks will face College of Charleston on August 23, before facing UNC-Wilmington in a neutral site contest on the same field two days later. The games are part of the four-team Under Armour Invitational, which also features Furman.

• The Ladyjacks return a total of 84 percent (46/55) of their total points from a season ago, including point leaders Katelyn Termini and Sophia Fondren.

• 15 of the Ladyjacks' 27 players started games last season, and 17 total players return with experience playing in the Southland Conference Tournament.

• Last season, SFA became the SLC's first ever seventh seed to win an opening round game in the conference tournament, later doubling the achievement by advancing to the title game by knocking off host Lamar in the semifinal.

• Crittenden has posted a 73-36-10 (.665) record at the helm of SFA during his tenure, which includes a 49-12-6 (.776) record in league play during his first 6 seasons.

-SFA-