Miller is a fast, versatile athlete with the ability to get behind a defense, and will be essential in giving the Golden Eagles a good rotation of fresh legs and quality minutes in the midfield. Sutton brings a hard-nosed toughness to the position with promise to win the ball by whatever means necessary. She will be called upon to make stops, and has the potential to become an anchor in the midfield over the course of her career.
DEFENSE
Three will return to the Golden Eagle back line, but the lost center-back experience in graduate Lindsey Reed will prove to be a tall order to fill. Last year, Reed played every minute of all 19 contests for the Golden Eagles at one of two center-back positions. Currently, Heffner anchors the Golden Eagles directly in front of the net at the other center-back position. Heffner is a technical player, good in the air and excellent at reading the attacking play. Her leadership will be key in directing the back line. Thompson is expected to fill the role of right side defender. Her confidence has grown over the past two seasons, and her attitude – hard-nosed, driven to win – is exemplary for that position. On the left side will be rising junior Taylor Hicks. Originally expected to be a forward, Hicks made the move to her current defensive position halfway through her true freshman season in 2010. She has settled into the position well, with her speed being her greatest asset. “You have to beat Taylor like, three times because she’s so fast,” Brizard said. She also has a powerful foot which will prove to be helpful in serving set-pieces from the left side. Three sophomores in Courtney Dedrick, Hayley Morton and Katie Phillips will compete for Reed’s vacated position in the center. Brizard rotated all three players into that position in the spring and will continue to assess, with the help of his returning back line, who will shoulder the responsibility in the fall. This is just another example of the depth that Brizard has available to him in the midfield area, as all three players are capable of sufficiently aiding in the defense-to-offense transition.
GOALKEEPERS Senior defender Leigh Heffner
A consistent, reliable goalkeeper is something that Brizard has been searching for since he took the helm at Tech, and he has recruited two freshmen with the goal of bringing that ongoing search to successful find. Jordan Brown is a promising keeper out of League City, Texas, with extensive Club and ODP experience. Brown played ODP soccer for ‘94 Region III and was a member of the US Regional Squad that finished second in the 2009 International Costa Rica Tournament. She was selected for the National Camp in Southern California in 2009 and the Region III Pool in 2008. Local product Allison Barlow of Tullahoma will also compete for a spot in the net. “The goalkeeper who gets the job done will play,” Brizard said simply. “We’re looking for someone who can provide steady goalkeeping skills that we haven’t had in the past. They’ll need to be someone the team can trust, and show consistency in practice and games.”
Freshman goalkeeper Jordan Brown
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Purple Pride n 2012