SKYHAWK SOCCER EAGER FOR OPPORTUNITY TO REPEAT AS OVC CHAMPS IN 2019
8/16/2019 2:18:00 PM | Soccer
MARTIN, Tenn. – Head coach Phil McNamara is well aware that his University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team is a marked squad for 2019. One year after the Skyhawks generated a school-record 15 victories on its way to an Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, UT Martin can expect the best out of its opposition each time they step foot on the pitch.
McNamara, who owns 250 career wins and a pair of OVC Coach of the Year awards, has been in this situation before. His Skyhawk teams have captured at least one OVC title in three different seasons and UT Martin has averaged 12 victories in the following campaign. The Skyhawks posted a 22-6-2 record (.767 winning percentage) in league play in that span.
Although UT Martin lost five All-OVC performers from last season (including the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year), McNamara is confident in his mix of 14 returners and eight newcomers as the Skyhawks recently opened fall camp on Aug. 6.
"In a short period of time, the team has worked really hard," McNamara said. "I love the commitment and the work ethic that they're all demonstrating at this point. To offset our inexperience, this group offers a real fresh approach, a willingness to improve and learning to do whatever it takes to be successful."
The lone All-OVC returner from last season is junior goalkeeper Erica Myers. The Holland, Ohio native was responsible for one of the best statistical seasons in goal in UT Martin history in 2018, ranking second all-time in Goals Against Average (0.82) and shutouts (six). She also joined all-time Skyhawk great Mariah Klenke as the only players in school history to rack up double-digit victories in a season.
Nine other UT Martin returnees boast starting experience in their careers, led by senior Nicole Collins. She is the Skyhawks' most experienced forward as she has tallied five goals and four assists while starting in 46 of her 57 career matches. Alice Adams (seven goals, five assists in 30 starts over two years), Bella Roberts (four goals, five assists in two seasons), Jaden Hildreth (hat trick last season against Jackson State), Jill Hildreth (goal in UT Martin's 2019 exhibition against North Alabama) and Hendrikje Baurmann (15 matches played as a true freshman last year) also provide the Skyhawks with some scoring punch.
At the midfielder position, Blare Gerido has starting experience in her two seasons with the Skyhawks, amassing a pair of goals and an assist. Skylar Boes gained valuable reps in 11 matches as true freshmen last season and will look to expand her role in 2019.
All five of UT Martin's returners at defender have starting experience, cracking the lineup a combined 97 times in their careers. Kamryn Chappell, who earned All-OVC Newcomer accolades in 2017, has started 36 matches while logging 3,327 minutes over the past two seasons. Jacalyn Schubring returns after 17 starts last fall, as her strong play led to a spot on the All-OVC Tournament team. Senior Lexi Thomas has seen time as a starter in each of her first three seasons in the program, piling up 27 career starts. The junior duo of Miah Olaleye (13 career starts) and Morgan Glaenzer (two career starts) will additionally seek to join a back line that only conceded 17 goals in 19 matches last season.
"Our returners understand the demands that make a successful Division I program," McNamara said. "Obviously we have a small senior class with two players but they are backed up by a large junior class. We can build off of the rhythm those returners had last season to improve the quality of the product on the field."
Eight newcomers grace the 2019 roster, as junior Baylee Arnott (transfer from Samford) joins freshmen Isabel Almarsdottir, Elin Berggren, Allie Buttry, Maria Castaldo, Catey Hunt, Lotte Koot and Sophia Mankowski. All eight have shown the ability to contribute right away, as McNamara notes that the strong suit of this class is their versatility and ability to play a number of positions.
"There are so many new faces," McNamara said. "The newcomers are extremely enthusiastic and are excited to get the season going. I fully expect several newcomers to push not only for playing time but starting time right from the first match."
One trait was clearly evident to McNamara at an early stage during the fall camp. The Skyhawks have meshed perhaps better than any team he has overseen in the past.
"The personalities on this team are very outgoing, which is encouraging," McNamara said. "The inside track from the players is that there's a really good team spirit. Obviously we are looking for everyone to pull together, push in the right direction, have a good attitude and know there's going to be some learning curves along the way."
UT Martin's banner season last fall has already carried over into one aspect of the 2019 campaign – the schedule. The Skyhawks will receive no breathers and will be tested by each of the 18 opponents who appear on the season docket.
"We have an extremely difficult schedule, probably the strongest in my tenure here," McNamara said. "That tends to happen after you have a successful year – it's always easy to schedule quality opponents because they want to play the toughest teams. I think many of our opponents will be intrigued to see how we come out of the gates given the numbers and quality we graduated from last season.
Overall, McNamara has built another strong contender to once again hoist the OVC championship trophy come November. UT Martin was selected to finish second in the league's preseason poll in a vote by the OVC head coaches and sports information directors.
"This team is extremely well-balanced," McNamara said. "For this group, every minute of every match is going to be vital to our learning process and our improvement. Game experience will be key for this group to be ready for the all-important conference season. It should be very interesting as always."
McNamara, who owns 250 career wins and a pair of OVC Coach of the Year awards, has been in this situation before. His Skyhawk teams have captured at least one OVC title in three different seasons and UT Martin has averaged 12 victories in the following campaign. The Skyhawks posted a 22-6-2 record (.767 winning percentage) in league play in that span.
Although UT Martin lost five All-OVC performers from last season (including the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year), McNamara is confident in his mix of 14 returners and eight newcomers as the Skyhawks recently opened fall camp on Aug. 6.
"In a short period of time, the team has worked really hard," McNamara said. "I love the commitment and the work ethic that they're all demonstrating at this point. To offset our inexperience, this group offers a real fresh approach, a willingness to improve and learning to do whatever it takes to be successful."
The lone All-OVC returner from last season is junior goalkeeper Erica Myers. The Holland, Ohio native was responsible for one of the best statistical seasons in goal in UT Martin history in 2018, ranking second all-time in Goals Against Average (0.82) and shutouts (six). She also joined all-time Skyhawk great Mariah Klenke as the only players in school history to rack up double-digit victories in a season.
Nine other UT Martin returnees boast starting experience in their careers, led by senior Nicole Collins. She is the Skyhawks' most experienced forward as she has tallied five goals and four assists while starting in 46 of her 57 career matches. Alice Adams (seven goals, five assists in 30 starts over two years), Bella Roberts (four goals, five assists in two seasons), Jaden Hildreth (hat trick last season against Jackson State), Jill Hildreth (goal in UT Martin's 2019 exhibition against North Alabama) and Hendrikje Baurmann (15 matches played as a true freshman last year) also provide the Skyhawks with some scoring punch.
At the midfielder position, Blare Gerido has starting experience in her two seasons with the Skyhawks, amassing a pair of goals and an assist. Skylar Boes gained valuable reps in 11 matches as true freshmen last season and will look to expand her role in 2019.
All five of UT Martin's returners at defender have starting experience, cracking the lineup a combined 97 times in their careers. Kamryn Chappell, who earned All-OVC Newcomer accolades in 2017, has started 36 matches while logging 3,327 minutes over the past two seasons. Jacalyn Schubring returns after 17 starts last fall, as her strong play led to a spot on the All-OVC Tournament team. Senior Lexi Thomas has seen time as a starter in each of her first three seasons in the program, piling up 27 career starts. The junior duo of Miah Olaleye (13 career starts) and Morgan Glaenzer (two career starts) will additionally seek to join a back line that only conceded 17 goals in 19 matches last season.
"Our returners understand the demands that make a successful Division I program," McNamara said. "Obviously we have a small senior class with two players but they are backed up by a large junior class. We can build off of the rhythm those returners had last season to improve the quality of the product on the field."
Eight newcomers grace the 2019 roster, as junior Baylee Arnott (transfer from Samford) joins freshmen Isabel Almarsdottir, Elin Berggren, Allie Buttry, Maria Castaldo, Catey Hunt, Lotte Koot and Sophia Mankowski. All eight have shown the ability to contribute right away, as McNamara notes that the strong suit of this class is their versatility and ability to play a number of positions.
"There are so many new faces," McNamara said. "The newcomers are extremely enthusiastic and are excited to get the season going. I fully expect several newcomers to push not only for playing time but starting time right from the first match."
One trait was clearly evident to McNamara at an early stage during the fall camp. The Skyhawks have meshed perhaps better than any team he has overseen in the past.
"The personalities on this team are very outgoing, which is encouraging," McNamara said. "The inside track from the players is that there's a really good team spirit. Obviously we are looking for everyone to pull together, push in the right direction, have a good attitude and know there's going to be some learning curves along the way."
UT Martin's banner season last fall has already carried over into one aspect of the 2019 campaign – the schedule. The Skyhawks will receive no breathers and will be tested by each of the 18 opponents who appear on the season docket.
"We have an extremely difficult schedule, probably the strongest in my tenure here," McNamara said. "That tends to happen after you have a successful year – it's always easy to schedule quality opponents because they want to play the toughest teams. I think many of our opponents will be intrigued to see how we come out of the gates given the numbers and quality we graduated from last season.
Overall, McNamara has built another strong contender to once again hoist the OVC championship trophy come November. UT Martin was selected to finish second in the league's preseason poll in a vote by the OVC head coaches and sports information directors.
"This team is extremely well-balanced," McNamara said. "For this group, every minute of every match is going to be vital to our learning process and our improvement. Game experience will be key for this group to be ready for the all-important conference season. It should be very interesting as always."
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