University of Memphis Athletics
Women's soccer opens preseason camp
Jul 31, 2018 | Women's Soccer
Memphis returns 16, welcomes 11 to talented roster
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With just 16 days remaining until the start of the 2018 season, the Memphis women's soccer team opened preseason camp on Tuesday at Park Avenue Campus.
The Tigers return 16 players, including five seniors, and welcome 11 newcomers to the 2018 roster.
Head Coach Brooks Monaghan, who enters his 19th season at the helm, began Tuesday's sessions with a fitness test and capped the evening with an 11-on-11 scrimmage. Monaghan said the fitness test helped confirm his roster is in good shape entering camp thanks to a summer of conditioning and workouts.
Monaghan added having the team together throughout the summer provided another benefit away from the field. The student-athletes got a jumpstart on academics and began establishing team chemistry.
"It helps in a lot of ways, not only for their conditioning – they are at a good place in terms of fitness right now – but also their ability to interact with each other and get to know each other," Monaghan said. "It's a huge step. There are a lot of teams out there where their kids showed up just in the last few days, so I think it's a big advantage."
On the pitch, Memphis returns a wealth of experience, having brought back nine starters from the 2017 campaign and its top nine point producers. Forwards Elizabeth Woerner and Mikayla Morton return as the top two goal scorers for the Tigers with 11 and 10 goals, respectively.
Senior captain Olivia Gauthier, who has been twice named AAC Second Team All-Conference, said getting a full summer of conditioning helped the squad transition to camp.
"This summer was really good," Gauthier said. "We put in a lot of work running, and that helps us in preseason so we can focus more on the soccer."
Chanel Hudson-Marks, Catherine Levasseur, Marie Levasseur and Woerner round out the senior class that brings back 58 points (21 goals, 16 assists) from last year. The Tigers seek to replace a pair of defenders in Sydney Kingston and Sessen Stevens, a duo that helped anchor a backfield that tallied eight shutouts in 2017.
"Overall, I think it's going to be competitive. We had a camp a couple weeks ago where we got a glimpse at some of the younger players," Monaghan said. "I have a feeling it's going to be very competitive, and that's what you want. I think with only losing two players, and they are big shoes to fill, but right now, if we can stay healthy, we will have a lot of depth."
In helping establish depth, Memphis' 11 newcomers seek to make their mark early. Freshman midfielder Claire Abrey said leaning on the team's leadership has been essential to building chemistry as camp begins.
"I thought the first day went really well. The atmosphere was awesome. The team was encouraging and supportive. Everyone was helping each other out," Abrey said. "We've done a lot of fitness just this month, and it's certainly helped a lot. I'm excited to see how the season goes."
The preseason schedule features a pair of exhibition matches against Southeast Missouri and Vanderbilt. The contest against Southeast Missouri is set for Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Park Avenue Campus. The Tigers will play at Vanderbilt on Aug. 11 for a final tune-up before the regular season kicks off at home on Aug. 16 against Omaha.
The Tigers return 16 players, including five seniors, and welcome 11 newcomers to the 2018 roster.
Head Coach Brooks Monaghan, who enters his 19th season at the helm, began Tuesday's sessions with a fitness test and capped the evening with an 11-on-11 scrimmage. Monaghan said the fitness test helped confirm his roster is in good shape entering camp thanks to a summer of conditioning and workouts.
Monaghan added having the team together throughout the summer provided another benefit away from the field. The student-athletes got a jumpstart on academics and began establishing team chemistry.
"It helps in a lot of ways, not only for their conditioning – they are at a good place in terms of fitness right now – but also their ability to interact with each other and get to know each other," Monaghan said. "It's a huge step. There are a lot of teams out there where their kids showed up just in the last few days, so I think it's a big advantage."
On the pitch, Memphis returns a wealth of experience, having brought back nine starters from the 2017 campaign and its top nine point producers. Forwards Elizabeth Woerner and Mikayla Morton return as the top two goal scorers for the Tigers with 11 and 10 goals, respectively.
Senior captain Olivia Gauthier, who has been twice named AAC Second Team All-Conference, said getting a full summer of conditioning helped the squad transition to camp.
"This summer was really good," Gauthier said. "We put in a lot of work running, and that helps us in preseason so we can focus more on the soccer."
Chanel Hudson-Marks, Catherine Levasseur, Marie Levasseur and Woerner round out the senior class that brings back 58 points (21 goals, 16 assists) from last year. The Tigers seek to replace a pair of defenders in Sydney Kingston and Sessen Stevens, a duo that helped anchor a backfield that tallied eight shutouts in 2017.
"Overall, I think it's going to be competitive. We had a camp a couple weeks ago where we got a glimpse at some of the younger players," Monaghan said. "I have a feeling it's going to be very competitive, and that's what you want. I think with only losing two players, and they are big shoes to fill, but right now, if we can stay healthy, we will have a lot of depth."
In helping establish depth, Memphis' 11 newcomers seek to make their mark early. Freshman midfielder Claire Abrey said leaning on the team's leadership has been essential to building chemistry as camp begins.
"I thought the first day went really well. The atmosphere was awesome. The team was encouraging and supportive. Everyone was helping each other out," Abrey said. "We've done a lot of fitness just this month, and it's certainly helped a lot. I'm excited to see how the season goes."
The preseason schedule features a pair of exhibition matches against Southeast Missouri and Vanderbilt. The contest against Southeast Missouri is set for Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Park Avenue Campus. The Tigers will play at Vanderbilt on Aug. 11 for a final tune-up before the regular season kicks off at home on Aug. 16 against Omaha.
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