Lady Bison Primed for 2017

2017 Women's Soccer Preseason Prospectus
 
SHAWNEE – A year after finishing tied for third in the Great American Conference, the Oklahoma Baptist women's soccer team is primed and loaded for a run in 2017 in the team's first season as full members of the NCAA.
 
The Lady Bison graduated just two starters after last season's campaign, Emma Beck and Kenzi Bice. Though those shoes won't be easy to fill, OBU returns the other nine starters from 2016, including National Christian College Athletic Association All-American Ruth King and the entire back line.
 
"I think it's a tremendous help," said OBU head coach Michael White. "I think the experience of the returners will come into play. They know their opponents, they know the strengths of their opponents, and I think that'll help us prepare."
 
Of the returning starters, five are sophomores and four are juniors. And though there are no seniors among the crop of starters last season, Coach White will be looking to the leadership of Dely Chavez and Ashleigh Gruns from an off-the-field standpoint.
 
"They'll provide a lot of stability off the field," said Coach White. "They're good students, very emotionally mature players. They'll help us keep our perspective outside of the game. I look to them more as the embodiment of maturity."
 
King is back to lead the forward line after racking up a team-best 11 goals in 2016, but she'll be helped by junior Abigail Hicks who tallied eight scores as well last season. Kerregan Edwards, who split time as a forward and midfielder last season en route to earning All-GAC Honorable Mention, has moved into a more midfield-centric role this season. Kelsey Lowe also returns for her junior season, while Halle Hill and Abigail Parker will push for playing time in their debut seasons on Bison Hill.
 
Honorable Mention All-GAC selection Reagan Mann, as well as Emmily Infante, will solidify the midfield. Mann and Infante combined for two goals and four assists last season. Anna Brewster is back for her junior season, and sophomore Madison Hill is back as well. A promising quartet of freshman in Emily Beach, Brenna Gregory, Mallorie Lane and Hannah White will also be looking to make their mark.
 
The back line will be bolstered by the return of 2016 Second Team All-GAC selections Jennifer Goethe and Lara Haring-Lovett, as well as All-GAC Honorable Mention Kelsey Bumgarner and Rachel Beiermann. The starting defense allowed just 1.16 goals per game a season ago, and will look to produce the same sort of defensive display this season. Gruns and Chavez will look to feature in their final seasons, and juniors Jaimie Hartley and Kaylie Lane could also provide help off the bench. Freshman Hannah Evans and Casey Jackson are also expected to push for prominent reserve roles.
 
There will be a sizeable hole to fill coming into the new season due to Beck's graduation. The senior, when healthy, was the first name on the team sheet for Coach White during her career on Bison Hill. However, the squad has been bolstered by a strong battle for the starting spot.
 
"The goalie situation is really good," said Coach White. "We had Emily Griffith transfer in from a Division I school, she played at high levels in Colorado. She's got a lot of experience, and she's coming on very strong.
 
"Jackie Stone put in a lot of hard work over the summer. She's shown great improvement. Samantha Engles is a junior, and she has those two years of experience. She's very athletic, and a very passionate player."
 
With the move to full membership in Division II comes a step up in competition. Meetings with quality opponents such as Midwestern State, Newman, Texas Woman's and West Texas A&M litter the non-conference schedule. Also included are familiar foes from Central Christian College (Kan.) and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
 
"We're trying to play as strong a schedule as we possibly can," explained Coach White. "There's quite a few programs around that are good, quality programs, and they should prepare us for our conference matchups."
 
While a strong non-conference slate is necessary to bolster the Lady Bison's standings in-region, Coach White has placed an emphasis on the Great American Conference portion of the schedule. The Lady Bison finished with a 7-4-1 record in GAC play last season, good for a share of third place, and were picked to finish third in the 2017 edition of the GAC preseason coaches' poll.
 
"I firmly believe the conference portion of the schedule is the most important part of the schedule," Coach White said. "I think those top three teams are right in there. I think any given team in this league can beat anybody else on any given night, and I'd be surprised if anyone got out of the GAC unbeaten. It's really tight at the top."
 
Fans have their first chance to catch the Lady Bison in regular season action this Thursday, Aug. 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the OBU Soccer Complex when OBU welcomes Newman to Bison Hill.