2007 Season Outlook
The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team begins the 2007
campaign on foreign soil with its sights set on extending the season though
the GLVC and the NCAA post-seasons.
The Screaming Eagles are scheduled to play three exhibition games in London,
England, as a build-up to making a run at the GLVC Tournament for the second
time in three seasons and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament
for the first time since 1998.
Under the direction of fifth-year Head Coach Krissy
Engelbrecht, USI is hoping to turn around a 4-13-0 season in 2006
and return to the upper half of the GLVC standings. Engelbrecht has directed
the Eagles to a 25-42-3 record in four seasons.
FORWARDS:
The Eagles are loaded up front, led by seniors
Julie Collins and
Katie Grossman.
Grossman was USI’s top scorer a year ago. She had a team-best nine points on
four goals and one assists. One of her goals was a game-winner, the third of
Grossman’s career.
Collins, the 2005 second team All-GLVC performer, was second on the team
last year with seven points on two goals and three assists. She also ranks
in the USI top five all-time in points, goals and assists. She has seven
career game-winning goals.
Coming back to join Collins and Grossman up front is junior
Jessica Stawick and sophomores
Rachel Caksackkar,
Julie Vaughan, and
Katie Tieagarden. Stawick was
fourth on the team in scoring with four points on two goals.
USI has two new forwards for the 2007 season in freshmen
Victoria Fralick and
Kaycie Hibdon.
Fralick is crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky to begin her collegiate
career. She joins the USI squad after lettering in soccer at Lyon County
High School (Eddyville, Kentucky). The three-time Kentucky All-State
performer also was a four-time first team All-Region and three-time
All-District soccer player.
Fralick finished her prep career at LCHS as the all-time leader in goals
scored and assists. She also set the single-season record in both
categories.
Hibdon finished her soccer career at Gibson Southern High School (Ft.
Branch, Indiana) with a school record 65 goals after setting the
season-record with 23 goals as a junior. She was a two-time GSHS Most
Valuable Player and four-time All-County performer during her four-year high
school soccer career.
MIDFIELD:
The 2007 midfield will be anchored by six returning players, led by junior
Cara Jansen and sophomore
Shauni Boudia. Boudia started
all 17 games as a freshman and had one assist, while Jansen appeared in 15
games with 11 starts.
In addition to Jansen and Boudia, the Eagles return juniors
Jessica Snyder,
Serena Loewenthal, and
Lauren Pineda; and sophomore
Kara Georgeff.
New to the midfield for 2007 is freshman
Casey Bryan. Bryan was a
three-sport participant at Portage High School (Portage, Indiana), lettering
in soccer, track, and basketball. She was the soccer team captain the last
two seasons and the Most Valuable Player in 2006. PHS advanced to the Indiana
state finals in 2006.
DEFENSE:
The Eagles’ defense remained steady in 2006 after showing marked improvement
over the last three seasons. Leading the defense is senior goalkeeper
Meagan Homolla and senior defender
Keri Land.
Homolla played in 16 of the 17 matches as a junior, posting a 1.80 goals
against average with 78 saves. She also became the USI all-time leader in
saves with 251.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jami Martin
returns as Homolla’s back-up between the posts. She had a 1.67 GAA in three
matches and two starts in 2006.
New to the roster in 2007 is freshman goalkeeper
Ashleigh Lemp. Lemp was a
three-time All-District and All-Conference performer for Marian High School
(Mishawaka, Indiana). She also was named the Northern Indiana High School
Goalkeeper of the Year in 2006 after setting the MHS record for career
saves.
Land, along with senior Katie Barisano;
junior Casey Alexander; and
sophomore Alison Conquest,
lead the defense in front of the goal. The five are a veteran group have
who played in a combined 169 matches.
Conquest, who also had one of USI’s four game-winning goals last season, was
third on the squad in scoring with six points on three goals.
In addition defensively, the Eagles also return senior
Mallory Minor and sophomores
Jenna Keusch,
Jaclyn Clements, and
Katie Austin.
