Central College women’s soccer season outlook

Central College

Outlook

If enthusiasm translated directly into victories, new coach Mike Kobylinski and the Central College women’s soccer team would be NCAA tournament contenders in 2011.

Kobylinski is the coaching equivalent of a high-energy drink.

“We want to be very aggressive,” he said. “We want to have a confident attitude when we step on the field. That starts now, carries on into the preseason and hopefully continues when we get outside in the fall.”

The first-year coach recognizes that a turnaround will take time. The Dutch won just six games combined in the past three years, with a 2-13-1 mark in 2010. But Kobylinksi likes what he’s seeing from the team’s returning players, who include nine starters.

“I’m excited for this group,” Kobylinski said. “They’ve certainly worked hard, not only on the field but in the weight room.”

And despite not getting the job until spring, he has already had some recruiting success, giving the Dutch an immediate boost.

“The previous coaching staff did a good job of staying in touch with the 2011 recruits before I got here and I just tried to build on that,” Kobylinski said.

Kobylinski is committed to a disciplined style of play.

“We want to be organized,” he said. “Each player will know her role. We’ll be a little more
committed on set pieces and try to maybe pick up a few goals if we can’t get them through the run of play.”

“It all starts on defense. We will play a disciplined style of soccer which we build from the back and once we get in the attacking third our players will be given the ability and freedom to be creative.”

Goalkeeper

Central returns a pair of experienced players in senior Abby Norman and junior Steph Hasken. Norman started six games in 2009 before spending fall semester in Europe through Central College Abroad. Hasken started five games last season and also started six games in the field.

Norman spent part of the summer competing in Europe with Ambassadors in Sport for the second straight year.

“She spent a lot of time with some high-level players, including players from defending national champion Messiah College (Pa.),” Kobylinski said. “She was part of a good group and the team did well. Hopefully Abby can come in and be ready right away.”

If Hasken remains a goalkeeper, she’ll press for time as well, along with a pair of freshmen, Lauren Weber of Muscatine and Annette Dean of Dubuque.

“They’ll create a competitive environment, which is what we want,” Kobylinski said.

Defenders

Three starting defenders are back in seniors Alex Kleis and Lacey Merfeld, and sophomore Kelsey Schippers. Kleis is a team co-captain. Another returning starter, sophomore Molly Potts, was used in the midfield but could be a defensive anchor.

“Molly was one of our most consistent players in the spring and also one of our most fit,” Kobylinski said.

Sophomore Samantha Quick will also contend, along with freshmen Jackie Bell of Johnston, a state tourney veteran for Dowling Catholic High School, Lauren Portz of Davenport, Emily Holt of Moline, Ill. and Liz Daniels of Oconomowoc, Wis.

“I’m really excited about Liz especially with how she performed at our HS Residential Camp this summer,” Kobylinski said. “The coaching staff was impressed with her size, strength, and distribution from the back. “

There are several good options for the defensive line.

“It’s a matter of mixing and matching to see who works best together,” Kobylinski said.

Midfield

Kristi Klatt, a second-team all-Iowa Conference midfielder in 2007, gets a second shot at her senior season. She suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason scrimmage last fall.

“Kristi brings experience,” Kobylinski said. “She’s a very solid player and a vocal leader. We’re delighted she’s coming back. I know she’s overjoyed to get back out on the pitch and the players are excited to have her there. I hope she’s ready—knowing her and what a gritty player she is, I think she’ll be ready to see some time.”

Junior Liz Clancy is a team co-captain and junior Nancy Huddleston is a returning starter while junior Ginny Severns is back after a year away and sophomores Hannah Davy, Morgan Gray and Alyssa Fuller are also in the mix.

“Liz (Clancy) was really consistent in the spring and showed good signs of leadership,” Kobylinski said. “Nancy (Huddleston) has a very solid touch as a very technical player who we’ll look to for experience in the midfield.

“Hannah (Davy) could play center midfield or forward. I’m just ecstatic to have her on the field. She had a phenomenal spring and trained hard this summer. She’s ready to have a big year. She will be a handful for the opposition.”

Fuller played in all 16 games last year while Gray appeared in nine games off the bench.

“Alyssa (Fuller) is a very speedy player and Morgan (Gray) has also worked very hard to improve her game,” Kobylinski said.

Potts could play on the flank if she’s not in back.

“We just want her on the field, she is a difference maker,” Kobylinski said

Severns was Central’s Newcomer of the Year Award winner in 2009 but didn’t compete last season as she focused on track.

Freshmen Gabbi Muse of Waukee and Katie Johnson from California will also compete for time in the midfield. Muse brings some strong credentials, having served as a captain for a high school team that reached the Iowa state finals in 2A.

“Gabbi is a very solid player,” Kobylinski said. “She’s aggressive and can bring some bite that we need into the midfield. As a past All-CIML performer, that experience should help her transition well into the college game so she can be a force for us.”

Forwards

The Dutch should get some much-needed scoring punch up front. Junior Sierra Kuhns and sophomore Alayna Bailey each had a team-high three goals last year. They benefit from a season of experience and an off-season of intense training.

“Alayna was unbelievable in the spring,” Kobylinski said. “Her size, strength, speed and knack for trying to get better will take her a long way. She will be a force in the Iowa Conference and for any team we go up against.”

Sophomore Julie Wunder also returns while Central could get some immediate help from freshmen, including Brittany Hinton of Davenport and Katie Edgar, a captain for state semifinalist Valley High School of West Des Moines.

“Brittany (Hinton) is a former honorable mention all-stater and all-conference player,” Kobylinski said. “Brittany scores goals. That’s what she does. She brings a different mentality and aggressiveness to our team that we need. We need everybody hungry to make a difference.”

The schedule is a daunting one for a team looking to climb.

“The schedule is going to be tough, especially in the beginning of season but we are hoping that will prepare us for conference” Kobylinski said. “We open against Grand View (Sept. 1), which is a very solid NAIA team. But that’s why we play the game. We want the players to be challenged and we want them to be competitive.”

Loras, Wartburg and Dubuque held the top three spots in the conference last year and Kobylinski expects them to contend again. But Kobylinski is focused on the Central program’s rise.

“We try to focus on just improving our team with each game as that is something we can control,” he said. “We want to get into the conference tournament, that’s our first goal. Our focus is to improve each game and to grow the Central women’s soccer program for the future. I’m excited for our players, staff and alumni for what we can all try to achieve together. ”