UT MARTIN SOCCER OPENS UNCHARTED 2020-21 SEASON WITH EXCITEMENT AND OPTIMISM
2/27/2021 2:31:00 PM | Soccer
2020-21 Soccer Media Guide
After an offseason which has experienced trials and tribulations unlike any other, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team is preparing for an altered season with unique optimism and excitement.
When the Skyhawks open the season on Tuesday, March 2 against Eastern Illinois at Skyhawk Field, the team will have gone 486 days since last competing on Nov. 3, 2019 in the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship quarterfinal.
The Skyhawks have been looking forward to the start of the 2020-21 campaign for nearly seven months since the fall season was abruptly postponed and moved to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing the 2019 campaign at 8-6-5 overall and 6-2-2 in OVC play, the Skyhawks hope to get back in championship contention under head coach Phi McNamara, who enters his 11th season at UT Martin.
In his first 10 seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks, McNamara has boasted a 98-81-20 career mark to rank as the program's all-time winningest coach while posting a 55-33-11 record in league play. The two-time OVC Coach of the Year and three-time OVC champion is just excited to get back to work with a reconfigured squad.
"It has been over 15 months since we have been on the pitch and I think the girls are really excited but nervous as the same time," McNamara said. "We are delighted to have a home match to start the season, we just hope that not only our team but that all teams stay safe. We do not want to skip matches, miss matches or rely on averages in the regular season. We want to crown a true champion this spring for the good of the sport."
While McNamara and his staff have missed coaching and getting the most out of their players in the competitive arena, he is proud of how his student-athletes have responded to an unconventional offseason.
"Our players deserve a great deal of credit for how they have dealt with a really difficult year," McNamara said. "They have been first-class in how they have been flexible and relentless in their academic work and training. They have really put in the work even when, at times, there were not matches within sight and bought into the long-term process. For that, they are in a healthy position just with their attitude and how they have looked after each other and the team spirit. I am excited for them to be out where they deserve to be."
After the regularly scheduled season was postponed in August and a conference-only season was announced in late October, the Skyhawks found hope and could begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. While positive news has been hard to drum up in a challenging year full of uncertainty, McNamara and his Skyhawk squad used the fall semester to their benefit to learn and develop, hoping to use the delayed season as a "redshirt" season to get a grasp on its strengths and minimize its individual weaknesses.
"A benefit to playing in the spring has allowed us to slow down the natural process of what the fall season looks like," McNamara said. "I think long-term it will be a benefit to our team. We had some players that probably were not ready to play meaningful minutes in the fall that are ready now. We also have some internationals that have been able to gain extra time to find their feet, get some extra training, fitness, strength and conditioning. Because of that delay, their bodies are better equipped now than they would have been in the fall. We look at ourselves being stronger now in the spring than we would have been in the fall and we are encouraged by that."
Another notable difference from the fall to spring campaign has been the preseason preparations – specifically the practices leading up to the first match with the loss of preseason competition. UT Martin will play a conference-only schedule which features five home matches against Eastern Illinois (March 2), Murray State (March 9), Jacksonville State (March 23), Eastern Kentucky (April 2) and Southeast Missouri (April 6). The Skyhawks will also travel to Belmont (March 5), SIUE (March 12), Morehead State (March 16) and Tennessee Tech (March 26).
Additionally, the OVC Soccer Championship field has been reduced from eight teams to four for the 2020-21 Championship cycle – making every match even more critical.
"This is such a totally different year across the board," McNamara continued. "Thankfully, we have four weeks of preparation this year when we normally only have two weeks. I think that is important because we are going straight into our most important element of competition which is our conference season with no preseason or non-conference games. The lack of non-conference games is such a big thing especially with our sport being as physical as it is, we are used to seeing massive improvements in those first couple matches. Now we will need that to happen naturally while we try to bang out results and fitness."
With every match holding additional value this season, UT Martin will rely heavily on its returning core to lead the way – including a decorated senior class which features Alice Adams, Baylee Arnott, Kamryn Chappell, Blare Gerido, Morgan Glaenzer, Jaden Hildreth, Erica Myers, Bella Roberts and Jacalyn Schubring. The class helped win an OVC regular season title while winning a program-record 15 matches in 2018.
Along with the team's seniors, the Skyhawks welcome back Hendrikje Baurmann, Skylar Boes, Maria Castaldo, Blare Gerido, Jill Hildreth, Catey Hunt, Lotte Koot and Sophia Mankowski. The roster is then rounded out by seven newcomers Gracie Aric, Megan Drake, Kiarnie Latham, Ryann Mushkin, Isabelle Thibault, Courtney Turner and Emely van der Vliet.
"I like all of our returning seniors," McNamara said. "I think most of them will play a big part in who we are and the success we will have. Then there are also a number of newcomers which will add a lot of potential energy and compete for our starting 11. We have some really good pace on this team and we feel like we will have very strong depth. I am really excited to see how it is going to go."
One of the key headliners for the Skyhawks will be Myers, who was named an OVC Preseason Player to Watch. The senior goalkeeper ranks amongst program leaders in several career categories including victories (24, second), shutouts (13, second), minutes (4866, second), matches played (54, third), saves (224, fifth) and goals against average (1.39, sixth). After garnering All-OVC first team honors as a sophomore, Myers posted five shutouts last season while notching a .770 save percentage with 104 saves on the campaign. Backing up Myers in goal will be Turner, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer.
"Erica has looked really good in goal," McNamara said. "She has really grown on and off the pitch this last year. She has demonstrated so much more confidence off the field. Her communication with the staff along with her confidence with the girls in the locker room has carried onto the field. The girls feel very safe going back to her possession-wise and not a lot of goalkeepers are given that added pressure. She is going to need to make some big saves in matches and we know she can do that."
While a quality goalkeeper is invaluable, the defensive back line is the anchor to a team's success. The Skyhawks hope continuity will pay dividends for a championship run as three starters return to the fold with Chappell, Schubring and Castaldo retaining their prominent roles. The senior pair of Chappell and Schubring have combined to start 90 matches over three seasons at the center back positions while Castaldo posted a decorated freshman campaign with All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer honors at right back in 2019.
The Skyhawks will look to fill their remaining spot on the back line with freshman Latham while fellow newcomer Thibault and Glaenzer will provide depth.
"On defense I think collectively it should be a very well-organized, high IQ group," McNamara said. "We have several players that can run anyone down with their positioning, reading of the game and experience. We feel like that can definitely be a strength of our team."
Moving up to the midfield, UT Martin had six players which saw action at the position last season. That group includes Roberts, who was an All-OVC second team selection after tallying six goals and two assists on the season for 14 total points. Hunt also returns to the fold after a strong freshman campaign in which she started 16 of the 19 matches she played while tallying two goals and two assists.
While those two will likely lock down two of the three starting spots on the midfield, fellow returners Baurmann, Boes, Gerido, Koot and Mankowski could compete for the third spot while newcomer Aric will look to provide depth.
"When you look at the midfield, we had some really nice performances," McNamara said. "Bella had a phenomenal year last year with All-OVC honors while Catey played a lot of minutes and brings so much energy. She is just so physical, works hard and isn't afraid of a tackle. I think Sophie is the most improved player from a development standpoint while Skylar is a good bit better and has really come on."
UT Martin is feeling one of its biggest strengths will be at the top of its formation with its depth at the forward position. The Skyhawks feature three of the team's top four point scorers at the forward position with the return of Jill Hildreth, Baurmann and Adams combining for 17 goals and 12 assists in 2019.
Along with the key returning group, the Skyhawks are looking for an increased workload from Mankowski at the forward spot while the additions of Drake and van der Vliet will compete for starting minutes early.
"This is the best attacking group that we have had in a long time," McNamara said. "The potential is definitely there, we just need them to score a few more goals. There is a better balance of forwards that don't just run straight and we have a mix of technical, speedy, and athletic players that can even hold the ball up. This is a more dynamic and diverse group of forwards – teams aren't going to be able to zone in on double-teaming one particular player, all six will be difficult to play against. Frankly, we feel like we are going to be able to run some teams."
Â
After an offseason which has experienced trials and tribulations unlike any other, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team is preparing for an altered season with unique optimism and excitement.
When the Skyhawks open the season on Tuesday, March 2 against Eastern Illinois at Skyhawk Field, the team will have gone 486 days since last competing on Nov. 3, 2019 in the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship quarterfinal.
The Skyhawks have been looking forward to the start of the 2020-21 campaign for nearly seven months since the fall season was abruptly postponed and moved to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing the 2019 campaign at 8-6-5 overall and 6-2-2 in OVC play, the Skyhawks hope to get back in championship contention under head coach Phi McNamara, who enters his 11th season at UT Martin.
In his first 10 seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks, McNamara has boasted a 98-81-20 career mark to rank as the program's all-time winningest coach while posting a 55-33-11 record in league play. The two-time OVC Coach of the Year and three-time OVC champion is just excited to get back to work with a reconfigured squad.
"It has been over 15 months since we have been on the pitch and I think the girls are really excited but nervous as the same time," McNamara said. "We are delighted to have a home match to start the season, we just hope that not only our team but that all teams stay safe. We do not want to skip matches, miss matches or rely on averages in the regular season. We want to crown a true champion this spring for the good of the sport."
While McNamara and his staff have missed coaching and getting the most out of their players in the competitive arena, he is proud of how his student-athletes have responded to an unconventional offseason.
"Our players deserve a great deal of credit for how they have dealt with a really difficult year," McNamara said. "They have been first-class in how they have been flexible and relentless in their academic work and training. They have really put in the work even when, at times, there were not matches within sight and bought into the long-term process. For that, they are in a healthy position just with their attitude and how they have looked after each other and the team spirit. I am excited for them to be out where they deserve to be."
After the regularly scheduled season was postponed in August and a conference-only season was announced in late October, the Skyhawks found hope and could begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. While positive news has been hard to drum up in a challenging year full of uncertainty, McNamara and his Skyhawk squad used the fall semester to their benefit to learn and develop, hoping to use the delayed season as a "redshirt" season to get a grasp on its strengths and minimize its individual weaknesses.
"A benefit to playing in the spring has allowed us to slow down the natural process of what the fall season looks like," McNamara said. "I think long-term it will be a benefit to our team. We had some players that probably were not ready to play meaningful minutes in the fall that are ready now. We also have some internationals that have been able to gain extra time to find their feet, get some extra training, fitness, strength and conditioning. Because of that delay, their bodies are better equipped now than they would have been in the fall. We look at ourselves being stronger now in the spring than we would have been in the fall and we are encouraged by that."
Another notable difference from the fall to spring campaign has been the preseason preparations – specifically the practices leading up to the first match with the loss of preseason competition. UT Martin will play a conference-only schedule which features five home matches against Eastern Illinois (March 2), Murray State (March 9), Jacksonville State (March 23), Eastern Kentucky (April 2) and Southeast Missouri (April 6). The Skyhawks will also travel to Belmont (March 5), SIUE (March 12), Morehead State (March 16) and Tennessee Tech (March 26).
Additionally, the OVC Soccer Championship field has been reduced from eight teams to four for the 2020-21 Championship cycle – making every match even more critical.
"This is such a totally different year across the board," McNamara continued. "Thankfully, we have four weeks of preparation this year when we normally only have two weeks. I think that is important because we are going straight into our most important element of competition which is our conference season with no preseason or non-conference games. The lack of non-conference games is such a big thing especially with our sport being as physical as it is, we are used to seeing massive improvements in those first couple matches. Now we will need that to happen naturally while we try to bang out results and fitness."
With every match holding additional value this season, UT Martin will rely heavily on its returning core to lead the way – including a decorated senior class which features Alice Adams, Baylee Arnott, Kamryn Chappell, Blare Gerido, Morgan Glaenzer, Jaden Hildreth, Erica Myers, Bella Roberts and Jacalyn Schubring. The class helped win an OVC regular season title while winning a program-record 15 matches in 2018.
Along with the team's seniors, the Skyhawks welcome back Hendrikje Baurmann, Skylar Boes, Maria Castaldo, Blare Gerido, Jill Hildreth, Catey Hunt, Lotte Koot and Sophia Mankowski. The roster is then rounded out by seven newcomers Gracie Aric, Megan Drake, Kiarnie Latham, Ryann Mushkin, Isabelle Thibault, Courtney Turner and Emely van der Vliet.
"I like all of our returning seniors," McNamara said. "I think most of them will play a big part in who we are and the success we will have. Then there are also a number of newcomers which will add a lot of potential energy and compete for our starting 11. We have some really good pace on this team and we feel like we will have very strong depth. I am really excited to see how it is going to go."
One of the key headliners for the Skyhawks will be Myers, who was named an OVC Preseason Player to Watch. The senior goalkeeper ranks amongst program leaders in several career categories including victories (24, second), shutouts (13, second), minutes (4866, second), matches played (54, third), saves (224, fifth) and goals against average (1.39, sixth). After garnering All-OVC first team honors as a sophomore, Myers posted five shutouts last season while notching a .770 save percentage with 104 saves on the campaign. Backing up Myers in goal will be Turner, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer.
"Erica has looked really good in goal," McNamara said. "She has really grown on and off the pitch this last year. She has demonstrated so much more confidence off the field. Her communication with the staff along with her confidence with the girls in the locker room has carried onto the field. The girls feel very safe going back to her possession-wise and not a lot of goalkeepers are given that added pressure. She is going to need to make some big saves in matches and we know she can do that."
While a quality goalkeeper is invaluable, the defensive back line is the anchor to a team's success. The Skyhawks hope continuity will pay dividends for a championship run as three starters return to the fold with Chappell, Schubring and Castaldo retaining their prominent roles. The senior pair of Chappell and Schubring have combined to start 90 matches over three seasons at the center back positions while Castaldo posted a decorated freshman campaign with All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer honors at right back in 2019.
The Skyhawks will look to fill their remaining spot on the back line with freshman Latham while fellow newcomer Thibault and Glaenzer will provide depth.
"On defense I think collectively it should be a very well-organized, high IQ group," McNamara said. "We have several players that can run anyone down with their positioning, reading of the game and experience. We feel like that can definitely be a strength of our team."
Moving up to the midfield, UT Martin had six players which saw action at the position last season. That group includes Roberts, who was an All-OVC second team selection after tallying six goals and two assists on the season for 14 total points. Hunt also returns to the fold after a strong freshman campaign in which she started 16 of the 19 matches she played while tallying two goals and two assists.
While those two will likely lock down two of the three starting spots on the midfield, fellow returners Baurmann, Boes, Gerido, Koot and Mankowski could compete for the third spot while newcomer Aric will look to provide depth.
"When you look at the midfield, we had some really nice performances," McNamara said. "Bella had a phenomenal year last year with All-OVC honors while Catey played a lot of minutes and brings so much energy. She is just so physical, works hard and isn't afraid of a tackle. I think Sophie is the most improved player from a development standpoint while Skylar is a good bit better and has really come on."
UT Martin is feeling one of its biggest strengths will be at the top of its formation with its depth at the forward position. The Skyhawks feature three of the team's top four point scorers at the forward position with the return of Jill Hildreth, Baurmann and Adams combining for 17 goals and 12 assists in 2019.
Along with the key returning group, the Skyhawks are looking for an increased workload from Mankowski at the forward spot while the additions of Drake and van der Vliet will compete for starting minutes early.
"This is the best attacking group that we have had in a long time," McNamara said. "The potential is definitely there, we just need them to score a few more goals. There is a better balance of forwards that don't just run straight and we have a mix of technical, speedy, and athletic players that can even hold the ball up. This is a more dynamic and diverse group of forwards – teams aren't going to be able to zone in on double-teaming one particular player, all six will be difficult to play against. Frankly, we feel like we are going to be able to run some teams."
Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Soccer
MF
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
MF/F
/ Soccer
MF
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
MF
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
MF/D
/ Soccer
MF
/ Soccer
D/MF
/ Soccer
F/MF
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
MF
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F/D
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
F
/ SoccerFriday, January 23
Friday, January 23
Friday, January 23
Friday, January 23