WOMEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW 2016
S
pring Hill College women’s soccer head
Mobile found the back of the net twice last year
season at the helm of the Badgers with
ville, Tenn., and freshman Alexandra Vallas from
coach Allison Whitworth enters her first a young team in terms of numbers,
but the heart of the squad features a cadre of
experienced veterans. “Having a young team is
a challenge for any new coach,” says Whitworth. “But in this case we are reestablishing a culture
and creating a new identity for the program, so
it’s not all bad. We want a core group of players
who lead on and off the field. It’s my job to identify and lead that group.”
On the field, Whitworth wants an attacking
offense that moves quickly and with purpose.
“Scoring is fun,” she says. “You do that by attacking and denying the other team opportunities.
We need to be organized and disciplined on defense. Defense sets up your offense.” Whitworth is also aware of just how good the competition is in the Gulf South Conference (GSC). “The
GSC always features some of the top recruiting
in Division II and it’s a physical conference,” she
says. “In our case, naivety might be a blessing for our younger players, but we must establish our
style of play early and we need to show growth. It takes time, but Badger teams have a reputa-
tion for always fighting hard and we’ll need that attitude again this year.”
For the Badger offense, junior Madison
Camet of Kenner, La., is the leading returning scorer with six goals and four assists in 2015 while senior Darby Rasch of Madison, Ala.,
needs seven assists to tie the SHC career mark. Junior Beryl Newchurch from Madison and
sophomore Gabrielle Burmaster have impressed Whitworth in the early workouts. “Maddie is
really accepting her leadership role and Gabby
is learning more every day,” she says. Freshman midfielder Sydney DeJohn of Hoover, Ala., has also caught the coach’s attention. “Sydney has
great spirit,” Whitworth says. “She’s a very vocal
player and she is making our players better.” Fellow freshman midfielder Johanna Meister from
Germany will make an immediate impact on the SHC offense. “Johanna is a very calm player,”
Whitworth says. “She will have to adjust to the
American college game, but she has a calmness about her that we need.” Senior Lillian DeSousa from Mary G. Montgomery High School in
while junior Shannon Gleespen of Henderson-
St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Mobile each look to make their contributions.
The midfield will feature four sophomores
as Tatum Shacklett of Scottsdale, Ariz., and
Kaelin Dull from Plano, Texas, join SarahBeth
Hyde of Hattiesburg, Miss., and Melissa Schwartz from New Hyde Park, N.Y., as important cogs in the Badger transition game.
In defense, seniors Kait Eichorst of Cave
Creek, Ariz., and Lauren Clement of Scottsdale, Ariz., have teamed with fellow senior Brittany
McNair of Ocean Springs, Miss. “Our Arizona
connection has good chemistry and it’s exciting to see what they bring each day,” says Whit-
worth. Juniors Becca Roth of O’Fallon, Mo., and Aiesha Ledda of Memphis, Tenn., will also work with sophomore Meagan Byrnes from Kansas
City, Mo., to support the SHC defense. “Becca, Aiesha and Mimi all enhance our style of play
and have the ability to shift us from defending and into the attack. Francesca Talotta (junior;
Mobile) also keeps finding her way onto the field and making things happen, so it’s a fun battle to watch,” says Whitworth. Senior Jessica Keelen of Metairie, La., together with senior Audrey
Sanchez of Miami, Fla., freshmen Julia Gielniak
of Shelby Township, Mich., and Sabrina Sousa of Covington, La., will each add to Badger defensive depth this season.
Whitworth faces a tough decision when it
comes to final piece to the puzzle of 2016. At
goalkeeper, redshirt freshman Hannah Shankman of Alachua, Fla., is going head-to-head with freshman Kayla Beaston of Madera, Calif., for the starting role. “It’s always good to have to make tough choices,” says Whitworth. “It’s a good dilemma.”
The 2016 season will be the start of a new
era in SHC women’s soccer and Whitworth is
proud to lead it. “I’m really excited about this
year,” she says. “Our players surprise me at each practice. They know what caliber of person they
want here at Spring Hill and they want to leave a legacy. The team understands that we are here to develop the whole person and we want to
be known for more than just athletics. This is a
season of possibilities regardless of the results.”