Women's Soccer Continues Preseason Drills
August 13, 2007
Shreveport, La. – Twenty-one players, including seven freshmen opened practice last week with hopes of a title defense, as the Louisiana State University in Shreveport soccer team started preseason drills. LSUS returns a pair of starters in GCAC Offensive Player of the Year Julia Vaughan and GCAC Goalkeeper of the Year Kelsi McNew. Also returning for another season with the Lady Pilots are seniors Rachel Alexander and Brenna Bussart, juniors Shaderia Evans, Ty Moreno, Krystel Reilly, Kristen Schaefer, Calandre Singh, Erin Wallace and Michelle Williamson and sophomores Jessica Aguirre and Megan Marlow. Bussart, Evans and Williamson were also selected as All-GCAC performers in 2006.
“We are still a very young team,” said LSUS Head Coach Jed Jones. “With only two seniors on our roster, it will be very important for some of our younger players to be ready to contribute immediately. Our returning players are in excellent condition, and they have provided the much needed leadership up to this point in preseason drills. The girls are working extremely hard considering the heat and conditions they have been practicing in.”
The eight newcomers adjusting to the faster paced college game are Chelsea Boone, Jessica Carrion, Krysta Cyr, Shelley Davenport, Holly Jaynes, Caitlin Smith, Michelle Zamani and junior college transfer Layton Yancey. Cyr, Jaynes and Smith are all mid-fielders, while Carrion and Zamani are forwards. Boone, Davenport and Yancey will play as defenders for the Lady Pilots.
LSUS is coming off its best season in program history. The Lady Pilots finished 14-4 in 2006, including an 8-2 conference record. LSUS won the regular season GCAC crown, before falling in the first round of the NAIA Region XIII Tournament.
LSUS opens the 2007 season on August 19th with an exhibition contest versus Louisiana Tech at “The Swamp.” The Lady Pilots will begin the regular season with a home contest against Union University on August 25th.
