2007 Women's Soccer Preview
Coach Hoffman's first recruiting class will now be juniors and he feels that his crew needs to be put to the test to see how they stand on a national scale. What has always been a difficult schedule due to conference play, Coach Hoffman has now scheduled a grueling out of conference schedule to help prepare his team for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. This year out of conference play will put this young but fairly experienced team to the test. Centre will host Otterbein University and Ohio Northern at the Centre College Soccer Showcase. Otterbein was recognized as a top 20 team in the country last year and finished 3 rd in the Great Lakes Region (GLR). Ohio Northern finished 7 th in the Great Lakes Region and they will return a very strong side. Centre lost 2-0 last year in Ada , OH and under Coach Hoffman's leadership, Centre has yet to defeat the Polar Bears.
The following weekend Centre will travel to Transylvania and play the #11ranked team in the country. Washington University had an amazing season last year and made a great run at the NCAA tournament. On Sunday, Centre will play Allegheny College who is a strong side from Pennsylvania that competes very well in the North Coast Atlantic Conference.
Other teams that Centre will play include Wittenberg University and Transylvania University . Wittenberg is currently ranked fifth in the GLR and Transylvania is ranked tenth. Coach Hoffman hopes that this schedule will not only motivate his players, but also hopes to get them recognized on a national scale.
Last year proved to be a wonderful year for a very inexperienced team. The Colonels started one senior, seven sophomores, and 3 freshmen. They finished the year 14-5 and 3 rd in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Their record was good enough to earn regional rankings. Coach Hoffman is hoping his still very young group will once again rise to the challenge and play at a level they have yet to reach.
Returning for the Colonels include Erin Menard and Allison Terry. Terry and Menard accounted for 22 goals and 10 assists. Both players earned All Conference and Region honors. Solidifying the defense includes sophomore goalie Rosie McAuley and defenders Kate Anderson and Rachel Hosmer. Key players like Elizabeth Hooper, Casey Yeakel, Lara Hebbeler, and Tamaryn Tuller will have to step up to the challenges right away in order for Centre to have success early on. Hoffman also hopes that this great group of players will set the standards high for Coach Hoffman's incoming freshmen. Coach Hoffman feels that the incoming freshmen could be his most talented class that he has ever recruited.
The incoming class includes Brittany Garr. Brittany is a NSCAA High School All-American and a two time All-State player. She is a Louisville native where she played club ball for Javanon Soccer Club. Also coming from the Javanon club is Anna Horne. Anna is perhaps the strongest player Coach Hoffman has ever recruited. If you have watched the Colonels play the past two years, you know that Erin Menard is a huge threat in the air. Anna will help relieve some of the pressure to win air balls. Anna's determination to win high balls will help strengthen the middle third. Lora Gralheer will also add strength to the middle in an attacking way. Lora is used to scoring goals and being in the mix. She was a two time NCSAA All American Finalist, an All-State player in Kentucky , and a stand out player for both her club and high school. Helping out in the back or as an outside midfielder is Jessie Deffendall. Jessie went to Pope John Paul II in Tennessee . Her high school team was ranked # 1 in the country by the NSCAA. She plays club for TNFC '88. Other top recruits that Coach Hoffman is expecting to make an impact right away include Sarah Hall, Chelsea Stanley, Jenny Young, and Christina Giles. Hall is coming off a torn ACL and can't wait to get back onto the field. She has broken all scoring records for her high school. During her 3 years in high school she had over 100 goals. Chelsea Stanley is from Indiana and hopes that her speed and craftiness will help Centre's attack. Chelsea was a late commitment for Centre and Coach Hoffman is very pleased with what he sees. Jenny Young is a two time 1 st team all FAVC. She was awarded most valuable player of her team and played club ball for Westside Soccer Club. Heather Walls lead her club (MTSC) for four years as team captain. Angela Tronzo was a two-time class "A" pick, team captain, and MVP; and also a 19 District All-Tournament selection. Finally, Christina Giles will help Centre with both speed and intensity. Giles is a Kentucky native who played her club ball with LFC.
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