2016 Oklahoma Baptist Women's Soccer Preseason Prospectus
SHAWNEE, Okla. – After finishing the 2015 season with a sixth-place showing in the Great American Conference, Oklahoma Baptist head coach Michael White worked hard in the offseason and breathed new life into the Lady Bison soccer program with the addition of 17 new players prior to the start of the 2016 season.
However, the new additions to the squad will be able to count on an experienced core to help guide them through the rigors of life in Division II. Oklahoma Baptist return six starters from last season, including a pair of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First Team All-District honorees in senior goalkeeper
Emma Beck (Eurdora, Kan.) and senior defender/midfielder
Kenzi Bice (Moore, Okla.).
"I expect my seniors to lead us into a much better season this year," said White. "We have seniors in every area of the field.
Markella Suka up top will be a handful to stop, while
Kenzi Bice,
Kierra Mattingly and
Brenda Barnett are workhorses in the midfield.
Kayla Kendall will anchor the backline, while
Emma Beck will be the final wall for opponents. They are great leaders.
"I'm also excited about my freshmen, but if you don't have good leaders in front of them, then it can be a rough year. I've got good solid returners though, and I'm thankful for them. They've been through a lot, and that experience will help them, and it'll shine through this year."
Between the posts, Beck will be counted on to rebound from a tough campaign in 2015, while sophomore
Sam Engles (Bella Vista, Calif.) returns as a potential understudy for the senior netminder. Beck played all 1,522 minutes in goal last season, recording 89 saves and holding a .712 save percentage. The pair will be joined by freshman
Morgan Magee (Edmond, Okla.).
"Emma was dealing with other personal issues at the beginning of the season last year, so I think that affected her quite a bit," White said. "She rebounded and played strong later in the season, but it wasn't her best year. I expect her to return to old form this year. As a senior, she knows this is her last chance. I expect her to lead the team between the posts and make it very difficult for teams to score on us."
Junior
Kayla Kendall (Richadson, Texas) and sophomores
Jennifer Goethe (Shawnee, Okla.) and
Kaylie Lane (Siloam Springs, Ark.) return for the Lady Bison along the defensive front. The trio combined for 14 starts and 31 appearances last season, while Goethe also chipped in with a goal and assist. They'll be joined by junior additions
Dely Chavez (Irving, Texas) and
Ashleigh Gruns (Tulsa, Okla.), as well as freshmen
Lara Haring-Lovett (Norman, Okla.) and
Rachel Beiermann (Flower Mound, Texas).
"The defense is young, it was young last year," said White. "Even though we're young, we'll be more athletic than we've ever been. I feel like there will be lots of energy, lots of strength, back there, but experience and composure is what has yet to be determined."
The Lady Bison are tasked with the tall order of replacing All-GAC performers
Shelbie Shawn and
Maddie Windham in the middle of the park, but will be bolstered by returning senior starters Bice and
Kierra Mattingly (Colorado Springs, Colo.), as well as sophomore starter
Emmily Infante (Mexico City, Mexico). Infante is OBU's leading scorer among returners having bagged three goals and contributing one assist in 2015. Bice and Mattingly had an eye for the pass last season, combining for three assists.
"Emmily is going to be strong in the attacking midfield," said White. "My senior,
Kenzi Bice, will be strong running the transition midfield from defense to offense. I expect those two to lead and the rest of the new girls and returners to fight for the other positions. "
Among those battling for a starting spot are
Yamilex Sanchez (Irving, Texas), who featured 13 times in the middle of the park for OBU, notching one goal, and
Anna Brewster (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who accounted for an assist in eight appearances as a substitute. The midfield will be further bolstered by senior
Brenda Barnett (Frankfield, Jamaica), who joins the team having ran women's track at Oklahoma Baptist last season, as well as freshmen
Kelsey Bumgarner (Mustang, Okla.),
Kylee Cramer (Sand Springs, Okla.),
Madison Hill (Broken Arrow, Okla.),
Reagan Mann (Irving, Texas) and
Megan Warren (Yukon, Okla.).
The youngest position for OBU comes at the top of the field, with the forwards boasting five underclassmen to just one upperclassman. Senior starter
Markella Suka (London, England) and sophomore
Kerregan Edwards (McKinney, Texas), one of just four Lady Bison outfielder players to start all 17 games last season, return to lead the offensive charge.
The duo combined for three goals and two assists a season ago, but will also receive help from
Kelsey Lowe (Red Oaks, Texas) who contributed two goals and an assists off the bench. Sophomore
Abigail Hicks (Tulsa, Okla.), and freshmen
Ruth King (Shawnee, Okla.) and
Brooke Harden (Frisco, Texas), are expected to push for playing time as well.
"There's definitely the potential there to score, but it'll be a team effort," said White. "It won't be one or two players doing all the scoring this year, there'll be multiple people lighting up the scoreboard."
The Schedule
The 2016 edition of OBU Women's Soccer opens up on Thursday, September 2nd at 5 p.m. against Jarvis Christian College as part of a three-match homestand to open the season. They'll also welcome Central Oklahoma (Sept. 5th) and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Sept. 10th) to the OBU Soccer Complex before hitting the road for the first time.
"Being in their beds, being on the field they train on every day, having their friends watching them – a lot of these girls are from Oklahoma and Texas so families will be there – I'm excited," White said. "Our field is the best it's ever been since I've been here. We've got ten or eleven home games this year and I think it makes a huge difference for the girls."
That first road test of the season sees the Lady Bison head south to Denton, Texas, for a match against Texas Women's on Friday, Sept. 16th. Oklahoma Baptist then makes a stop in Conway, Arkansas, for an away tilt against Hendrix College on Sept. 19th before heading home for their Great American Conference opener.
The Lady Bison, who were recently picked sixth in the GAC preseason poll, face a tough start to the conference slate in 2016, opening at home against reigning GAC Champion Harding in Shawnee on Sept. 22nd. They follow that up by playing host to Ouachita and Southern Nazarene.
As September turns to October, the longest road trip of the season looms large for the Lady Bison. After visits to Ada and Alva, Oklahoma, respectively, OBU faces last season's top four teams over a span of 11 days, including matches against Southwestern Oklahoma State, Ouachita and Harding in a seven-day span from October 8th to 14th.
"That'll be a test of our endurance and fitness," explained White. "Ideally, I wouldn't want it within a seven-day stretch to play the top three teams, but everybody else is doing the same. While we do have that long stretch, the other teams will be having their long stretch, so everything will be equal."
Oklahoma Baptist closes out October, as well as GAC play, with three-straight home matches against East Central, SWOSU and Northwestern Oklahoma State. The last match, against Northwestern, is set for Oct. 29th, and is OBU's final home match of the year.
The last regular season tilt in 2016 is set for November 3rd in McPherson, Kansas, when the Lady Bison make a visit to Central Christian College.
Oklahoma Baptist will play three exhibitions, including two home contests, to gear up for the new season. Fans will have their first chance to catch the Lady Bison in action on Monday, August 22nd at 7 p.m.
