SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Baptist women's soccer team opens up the 2019 season with a pair of home matches at the OBU Soccer Complex. The Bison play host to Washburn on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. before turning around for a 12 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Dallas Baptist.
After going 15-5-1 last year, including the first perfect record in Great American Conference play in GAC history, the Bison are set to return their top three scorers from 2018 in
Ruth King,
Tori Kitchel and
Hannah White. King, the reigning GAC Offensive Player of the Year, scored a team-high 13 goals last fall, while Kitchel and White each tallied seven scores.
Defensively,
Kelsey Bumgarner,
Hannah Evans and
Lara Haring-Lovett return as starters to a defense that posted 10 clean sheets last year. Goalkeeper
Emily Griffith is set to feature between the sticks again after collecting 74 saves and a 1.03 goals-against average in 2018.
Washburn went 7-10-2 last year with a 3-6-2 mark in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Olivia Grasso returns to lead the attack after scoring six goals and two assists last year for an offense that averaged 1.26 goals/match. Riley Trent is set to take over goalkeeping duties after a 1.78 GAA and 11 saves in limited action last year.
Dallas Baptist went 13-5-5 last year to reach the Sweet 16. Delaney Schmidt headlines the attacking front for the Patriots after tallying nine goals and four assists last season. Hope Koym will return in goal for DBU after boasting a .80 GAA in 22 starts in 2018.
