Oklahoma City University has reloaded for a comeback year in women's soccer.
Oklahoma City looks to rebound after a disappointing 5-9-1 finish to 2014. Prior to 2014, the Stars won the Sooner Athletic Conference four years in a row and won the SAC Tournament two of those years.
The Stars kick off the 2015 season at home against Lyon (Ark.) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Stars Field. OCU coach Brian Harvey will try for college career win No. 725. Harvey has coached the OCU women's soccer team since their inaugural season in 1994 and owns a 331-96-22 record and 723-274-60 overall in his 30th year at OCU.
Harvey said about last season, "To us it was a below par season. Some factors for that were goalkeeping, injuries… a lot of injuries. I've never been in a situation when we've had so many injuries but in saying that, this year we look a lot deeper and have players on the bench who can come in and make challenges. And have some experienced players who have already been here a couple seasons. I feel really good about the squad we have this year."
One of those returners is senior Allison Worsham, who has started all 57 games in her Stars career while accruing 47 goals and 14 assists. Worsham, of Edmond, Okla., led the team last year with 14 goals. Harvey said of Worsham, "I expect her to be an all-American. She processes the necessary skills and I think she will do well."
When asked about the team's leadership, Harvey answered, "Obviously, I'm looking at Worsham, but also Allie Glazner, a fifth-year senior who we redshirted last year. I'm looking for her leadership, speed and aggression. And she processes a very good left foot shot."
Glazner, of Edmond, Okla., earned first team all-SAC honors in 2013 with four three goals and eight assists. In her OCU career, Glazner has produced 13 goals and 20 assists.
Now a position-by-position look at the Stars:
Goalkeeper
Freshman Kirsten Thomas holds the reigns as the primary goalkeeper for the Stars. "She is a great goalkeeper and will help us defensively," Harvey said.
Kayla McKenna, a sophomore from Las Vegas, will serve as the backup goalkeeper. McKenna started two of the 14 games she appeared in last year and scored two goals.
Forwards
The strength of this Stars squad will lie with the forwards. Joining Worsham in the forward position will be Ailee Thompson, a senior transfer from Oklahoma Baptist. Thompson led OBU in goals with 18 and was second overall in the SAC. In her three years at OBU, Thompson started 51 games amassing 26 goals and 14 assists.
Vanessa Mendoza enters her junior year as a two-year starter, having appeared in 34 games, while notching six goals and three assists. The 6-foot sophomore, Felica Ellison appeared in six games last season and will add depth to the group.
Midfield
The midfield is an area of depth and talent for the Stars. The seniors Britani Soesbee and Carissa Turang headline this group. Soesbee scored four goals and distributed four assists in 15 starts last year. Turang started 14 of the 15 games played last year, while scoring one goal and collecting three assists. Juniors Keeley Brewer and Victoria Little add experience to the group.
MaKayla Braun returns after she transferred to North Texas but did not compete in soccer. Braun as a freshman scored seven goals and recorded an assist. Sara Ricks, of Keller, Texas, and Sara Clarke, of Tulsa, Okla., are freshman that are capable of competing for a starting position. Harvey adds, "Midfield has lots of competition for places. People coming off the bench will be hungry to get a starting position."
Defense
The Stars expect Glazner and Syrina Lopez to anchor the defense as their combined experience nearly reaches 100 games started for the Stars. Glazner is coming off an injury that caused her to miss all but one game in the 2014 season. Lopez started all 15 games last season.
Harvey said of the defense, "We added another young lady, Brianna Demuth, out of Jenks, Okla. They were state finalists. I watched her play in the final, and she was one of the best players on the field."
McKenna Murphy, Angela Clifton and McKenna all add depth to the defense. Murphy is a freshman that played Oklahoma City McGuiness. Last year, Clifton appeared in seven games, splitting time on defense and goalkeeper due to injuries.
Kailea Atkins, a two-year starter, will be redshirted.
The preseason SAC poll has Oklahoma City projected to finish third behind John Brown (Ark.) and USAO, the regular-season defending champions.
A key factor going into the 2015 season is that the Stars have majority of their players returning. "There's a huge difference between being a freshman and an underclassman," Harvey said. "Unless you got experience, it takes time to adjust from going from high school to college because of the speed of play."
