2011 William Penn Women’s Soccer Preview

William Penn Women's Athletics

2010 record: 5-11-3 (1-6-1 MCC, 8th)
Starters returning/lost: 6/5
Letterwinners returning/lost: 16/12

Notable returners:
Melisa Wink Sr. Brookfield, Ill.
(Honorable-mention all-MCC, 2 goals, 4 assists)
Mandy Martell So. Culpeper, Va.
(6 goals, 1 assist)
Brittany Hajicek Sr. Grand Prairie, Texas
(1 goal)
Dana Tamos Sr. Victoria, Australia
(1 goal, 2 assists)

Notable losses:
Ashley Hart
(Four-year starter)
Victoria Schiebel
(Four-year starter)
Erika Larson
(Two-year starter)
Aubree Gallego
(2010 starter)

Notable newcomers:
Ashur-Eden Amai Jr. Queensland, Australia
Megan Kling So. Mesa, Ariz.
Jaymie Padilla So. Mesa, Ariz.
Marci Smith Fr. Runnells

With an abundance of individuals on the pitch, battles for starting spots will be more intense than normal as the Lady Statesmen soccer team endeavors on the 2011 campaign.

William Penn strained through a 2010 season that ended with a 5-11-3 mark (1-6-1 Midwest Collegiate Conference), but with numbers on its side, Head Coach Greg Walter’s squad looks to get back in the league mix.

“We lost a large number of four-year starters from last season,” Walter said. “However, this is a great opportunity for others players to make their mark in this program.”

Lauren Terrell (Sr., Chandler, Ariz., Chandler HS) and Melisa Wink (Sr., Brookfield, Ill., Lyons Township HS), who have both claimed honorable-mention all-MCC honors in their careers, will lead the charge this fall in their final hoorah.

Forward

Terrell (3) and Wink (2) combined for just five goals last year, but are the most experienced players in the navy and gold and will be pushed for higher production in 2011.

“Lauren had knee surgery during the offseason and she is working hard to get back to 100%,” Walter said. “Melisa is determined as a senior captain to make this her best year yet.”

Brittany Hajicek (Sr., Grand Prairie, Texas, Mansfield Timberview HS) put one shot in the back of the net last year, but is two seasons removed from scoring seven times as a sophomore. Terrell, with nine goals, and Wink, with four goals, are also hoping to get their goal numbers back to that of 2009.

“Brittany can be a very quiet player, but when she gets in her zone, she is very difficult to stop,” Walter said.

Returners Amanda Brown (Jr., Gilbert, Ariz., Gateway CC) and Rebecca Brenner (Jr., Cheyenne, Wyo., Cheyenne Central HS) and newcomer Megan Kling (So., Mesa, Ariz., Gateway CC) will vie for time up top as well.

“I am going to have some hard decisions to make for these starting spots,” Walter said. “We have several players who are ready to start and have experience coming off the bench from last season or the prior year.”

Midfielder

One dozen players are removed from last year’s program, but the Lady Statesmen are likely hurt the most in the midfield as four-year starter Ashley Hart has graduated.

Although just in her second year, Mandy Martell (So., Culpeper, Va., Culpeper County HS) will be sought to fill that void, a year after tallying a team-best six goals.

“I cannot say enough positive things about Mandy,” Walter said. “We can put her in the midfield or up top and she is going to score and/or create opportunities for her teammates to put the ball in the back of the net.”

A handful of returners are hoping to complement Martell in the middle, including Breanna Hochhalter (Jr., Gilbert, Ariz., Higley HS), Rita Garcia (Sr., Chandler, Ariz., Gateway CC), Mollie Plocher (Fr., West Plains, Mo., West Plains HS), and Brittany Grier (So., Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., Waynesville HS).

Leslie Hernandez (Fr., Bolingbrook, Ill., Bolingbrook HS) redshirted in 2010 and is on the inside track as well by sitting on the sidelines last year.

Two of Walter’s top recruits, Jaymie Padilla (So., Mesa, Ariz., Gateway CC) and Ashur-Eden Amai (Jr., Queensland, Australia) figure to see the field plenty in their first seasons at William Penn. Marci Smith (Fr., Runnells, Southeast Polk HS) and Shayna Walters (Jr., Oskaloosa, Indian Hills CC) will also add depth to the midfield.

“We are looking at starting a whole new midfield this season,” Walter said. “We have been working very hard with our midfielders to get them all working together and knowing how everyone plays. Even though we are young in the midfield, we have lots of talented individuals who are going to do some wonderful things out there.”

Defender

Dana Tamos (Sr., Victoria, Australia, Ringwood College) and Rocio Bonilla (So., Sun City, Calif., Paloma Valley HS) will headline the last line of defense as both step back on the turf this fall.

Bonilla plans to add an offensive spark from the backfield after scoring three goals as a freshman. Tamos scored once as a junior as well.

“Leadership and experience in the back will be the heart of our team this season,” Walter said. “Rocio has the experience from last season to lead our defense against some of the top forwards in our conference.”

Taylor Parks (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) and Rachel Carnes (So., Washington, Washington HS) received extended minutes last season and hope for more in 2011. Marisol Barragan (Fr., Sun Valley, Calif., St. Genevieve HS), a 2010 redshirt, and Karin Stewart (Jr., Des Moines, Carlisle HS) and Brittany Rouze (Sr., Ottumwa, Ottumwa HS), both of whom did not play a year ago, will provide experience.

Then come the new faces and there are plenty of them on the defensive unit. Linden Schulz (Fr., Pleasant Hill, Southeast Polk HS) and Jordan Davis (Jr., Centerville, Indian Hills CC) are area products who are new on defense, while Sarah Heltsley (Jr., Greenville, Ky., Kaskaskia CC) and Desiree Rosario (Jr., Brunswick, Ga., South Carolina Salkehatchie) bring their talents from across state lines.

“All of our players will be gaining a lot of experience right away,” Walter said. “Our coaching staff is pushing them to learn our style of play very quickly.”

Goalkeeper

The loss of 2010 starting goalkeeper Aubree Gallego is a sharp knife as well, but Walter expects the winner of this year’s battle to be a menace for opposing strikers.

The duo of Laura Gentry (So., Fruitland, Idaho, Fruitland HS) and Ali Parks (So., Omaha, Neb., Central HS) will face off with newcomer Brenay Fonseca (Jr., San Bernardino, Calif., Chaffey CC) for the right to stand between the pipes.

Gentry played in six games (two starts) last year, while Parks saw a bit less time, entering three contests off the bench.

“All three goalkeepers are going to have an opportunity to play right away this season,” Walter said. “They will all compete very hard for the starting spot.”

Schedule

No western trip will lead off the 2011 season, but the Lady Statesmen still hit the road for some bigger trips as they prepare for MCC play.

The non-conference slate is highlighted by competing in the Calumet-St. Joseph Tournament in Indiana, while the Lady Statesmen also host the William Penn Classic in early September.

“Once again we have a very tough schedule,” Walter said. “We start the season on the road and this should allow us to really see what type of team we are going to be.”

Conference

Ashford claimed both the regular season (tie with St. Ambrose) and tournament titles and will be one of the favorites to hoist 2011 hardware. St. Ambrose leads a lengthy list looking to contend this season.

“Once again Ashford and St Ambrose should be the two top teams in our conference,” Walter said. “Grand View and Viterbo are always tough teams as well. As for us, we were a better team last year than what our record showed and we hope to improve in the league this year.”

“It is time for the women’s soccer program at William Penn to get back to the top of the conference,” Walter concluded. “The coaching staff is demanding more of our players and we want to reach our full potential this season. We are a young team and we are frequently going to be the underdogs, but we are fine with that.”