Marshall University Athletics
Women's Soccer Ready to Begin the 2010 Season
8/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 17, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- Head Coach Kevin Long and the Marshall squad are eager to begin the 2010 season. The Thundering Herd returns eight starters from a team that stamped itself into the MU record books by posting nine shutouts and played its way to a 12-7 record (the schools highest win total in program history). With 17 letter winners returning, the women are excited about their recent success but enter the season with one ultimate goal in mind...to still be playing in November. "I am looking forward to seeing how the team responds to their success of recent seasons," Long said. "We will have several challenges to overcome this fall if we are going to get close to surpassing or duplicating last year's efforts."
Defense
The Thundering Herd defense stole the spotlight early last season, posting seven consecutive shutouts to begin the year, and remained one of only five schools in mid-September who had yet to allow a goal. The Herd will look to its experienced backline to fill the shoes of former co-captain Rebecca Voss and four-year starter Liz Orton. Orton concluded her senior season as Marshall's career record holder in saves, shutouts and goalkeeper minutes.
The defense returns three starters from last year's squad who only allowed 27 goals on the season. Seniors Kristen Berquist and Emma Harrison have proven to be key physical members of the Herd's defense. Each tallied two shots last season, while Berquist netted a career-high two goals on the year.
After being moved to the backline last spring, Freya Holdaway has been a dominate defender and the Herd will look to her to continue to be the vocal leader of the team.
Senior Meghan Wetzel looks to return in full force this season. She appeared in 12 matches last season, after returning from a knee injury that ended her 2008 campaign.
Paige Oechsle and redshirt freshman Blair Schneider each return for the Herd looking to make an impact on the defensive end.
Newcomers Abby Barber, Morgan Cain and Kristine Culicerto all bring experienced and successful background with them to Huntington and will look to vie for time on the field.
"We return a very strong core of defenders, who did very well to guide us a year ago. Although Berquist, Harrison, Holdaway and Wetzel return to stake their hold on what proved to be a very stingy defensive effort last year. With the recovery of Paige Oechsle, Blair Schneider and a strong recruiting class, we will be deeper than ever on the defensive side of the ball," Long stated.
Lindsey Kerns, Caroline Harwell and Lexa Hughes all look to battle for playing time between the pipes. Kerns gained experience this spring, starting in all nine matches. Harwell is an All-Conference and All-Region recipient during her career at Mooresville Senior High School. While, Hughes was a two-time Washington State Champion at Archbishop Murphy High School, where she earned All-Area and All-State honors. As a member of the Washington Crossfire Premier, the fifth ranked team in the US Youth Nationals in 2009, she experienced five Washington State Championships, two Region IV Championships and one USL National Championship.
"The competition will be intense at the goalkeeper position as we believe we have three very capable keepers looking to step in and fill the void of Orton," Long commented. "Kerns did a fantastic job for us during the Spring, and incoming freshmen Hughes and Harwell have already proven to be able to perform at the youth level."
Midfielder
The Herd welcomes back all members of its midfield, including 2009 Conference USA All-Freshman
Team selection Sarah Vinson. Vinson registered three goals a year ago and earned a spot on the University of Kentucky All-Tournament Team.
 Sarah Vinson, member of the C-USA All-Freshman team  | |
Senior Marisa Leconte, along with juniors Angela DeSumma and Erin Blakely will each be looked at to lead the Herd's young midfield position. DeSumma lead the team in assists and shots last season. She ranked 85th in the country in assists per game and enters the season second in career assists at MU. Blakely returns from a season-ending knee injury that she suffered against Tulsa late in the year, while Leconte appeared in 16 matchups in the midst of battling through injuries of her own.
Junior Katie Ball brings great experience, having started 18 matches in her first two seasons. Ball along with Kaitlin Devine, Ariel Marder and Robin Waskowski will all look to increase production from the midfield position.
Devine, a redshirt sophomore was injured in the home opener last season and looks to come back strong for the Herd. Marder and Waskowski each enter their sophomore seasons after seeing significant time as a freshmen, appearing in 17 and 15 matches, respectively.
Incoming freshmen Lizzy Lemons and Casey Walsh round out the midfield cast. Lemons's physical play and Walsh's attacking style look to be great additions to the group.
"This past year, we were able to generate a great deal of offense from the midfield. We hope that Vinson will return to her freshmen form, dominating the midfield from all angles. Angela and Marissa will continue to push the level offensively with the assistance of Waskowski, Marder, Blakely and Ball. Devine had a strong spring coming off a season-ending injury suffered early last year and I am sure she will be pushing her way into strong minutes this fall," Long continued. "I know that Casey Walsh and Lizzy Lemons will raise the level of competition in our team's most coveted spot of center mid."
Forwards
Erika Duncan and Megan Tabler come off productive 2009 seasons. The two combined to register 14 goals, 1 assist and 59 shots a year ago.
Duncan netted a team-high nine goals for the second consecutive season and ranked 95th nationally in goals per game. She tallied five game-winning goals for the Herd and was named second team All-Conference.
 Erika Duncan, 2010 Preseason All-C-USA selection | |
After being moved to a forward last season Tabler scored in two of the first three matches of the season and finished the season with five goals. MU will continue to look to these two to lead Long's aggressive offensive style.
Sophomores Annabelle Bramwell and Chelsey Maiden will be looked at to replace the output of Molly Snead, who was a C-USA All-Conference second team selection last season and generated three goals and four assists on 36 shots in 2009.
The lone addition to the forward clan is Janine Valerio. Valerio brings another offensive minded threat to the frontline and has a successful past of finding the net. She will look to make an immediate impact to the Herd's attack.
Offensively, we return Duncan and Tabler who proved to be very potent up top for us last year. We look for their continued development along with the addition of Valerio who has proven to be a very effective goal scorer throughout her youth career," Long said. "One of our most versatile players, Bramwell returns in with an endless supply of energy and will find herself along the midfield line or joining the attack."
Schedule
Marshall for the second straight year opens its season against Cleveland State. MU enjoyed a 2-0 victory over the Vikings to jump start a seven-game win streak.
The Thundering Herd continues on to face three consecutive Big South opponents. The Herd heads back to Rock Hill, S.C. for the Winthrop Tournament as it takes on Winthrop and defending Big South Conference Champions, Liberty. Marshall earned its first-ever victory (1-0) against the host Eagles last season.
September kicks off with the Herd's home-opener and its only non-conference home matches of the season, in the Thundering Herd Invitational. The weekend begins with Radford as the Highlanders look to battle back to the top of the Big South. MU wraps up the tournament with its first-ever meeting with Appalachian State.
The Thundering Herd's nonconference schedule concludes in the Tri-State area with trips to Athens, Ohio and Lexington, Ky., to take on Ohio University and the University of Kentucky. The Bobcats will look to avenge last year's 1-0 loss to the Herd, while MU seeks its first-ever win against the Wildcats, who lead the all-time series, 4-0.
Conference USA action opens for the Thundering Herd in Hattiesburg, Miss. against Southern Miss. Marshall and the Golden Eagles enter the matchup with the series all tied up at three. The Herd continues on to Orlando to battle defending C-USA Regular Season Champions UCF.
" The Conference USA schedule is once again very tough and I look forward to seeing a real battle for the top spots. We know we will have to find success on the road this year, traveling to Southern Miss and UCF to open the conference schedule," Long commented.
October jumpstarts with a weekend series at Sam Hood Field for matchups with Tulsa and SMU. The Herd looks to rebound from last year's 4-1 loss to the Golden Hurricane, that started a four-game losing streak. The Mustangs hope to hoard off Marshall from evening the all-time series at two apiece.
The Thundering Herd finds itself on the road for back-to-back weekends. The trip hits UAB and Memphis before settling in Texas to take on Rice and Houston. Marshall tallied its first-ever victory verse the Blazers of UAB last season in a 1-0 double-overtime battle.
The 2009 C-USA Tournament Champion Tigers, will once again present a tough challenge for the Herd. MU fell just one goal shy of a second half comeback that could have all but solidified the Thundering Herd a spot in the conference tournament.
Rice and Houston will look to bounce back from last season where they found themselves at the bottom of the conference pack. The Herd seeks its fourth-consecutive win against the Cougars and intends to continue to chip away at the Owls 3-1 series lead.
Sam Hood Field finds itself the center of a three-game home stand to wrap-up the 2010 regular season. Colorado College and UTEP travel to Huntington for potentially the Herd's toughest weekend of the season. The Tigers and Miners finished second and fourth, respectively in conference last season and scored four goals apiece on the Thundering Herd's stingy defense.
Senior Night will again take place against ECU. The Pirates spoiled Marshall's postseason hopes with a 1-0 victory to end the Herd's 2009 campaign.
The C-USA Tournament will be hosted by UCF in Orlando, Fla., November 3-7.
