University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Women's soccer wraps first week of preseason camp
Aug 09, 2019 | Women's Soccer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In preparation for its 25th season in program history, Memphis women's soccer wrapped up its first week of preseason camp Friday.
The Tigers, who checked in at No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches poll earlier this week, began camp with an annual fitness test followed by drills and 11v11 scrimmage.
Head Coach Brooks Monaghan begins his 20th season at the helm of the program and said seeing the squad transition from summer workouts to preseason preparations has been smooth.
"That part is fantastic. The summer has been a nice break. The girls have been back working very hard. The report was they really got after it over the summer," Monaghan noted. "Every year is a new team. We've got some big shoes to fill. We've only trained a few times this week, so we're trying to get a feel for everybody. In this little bit of time we see the maturity. Right now, it's good. Bottom line though is we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
Despite losing five seniors to graduation, the Tigers return their top two point scorers from a year ago in juniors Clarissa Larisey (12 goals, four assists) and Samantha Murphy (11 goals, two assists).
Four of the seven Tigers who appeared on last season's All-AAC postseason teams also return for the 2019 campaign. Serena Dolan and Larisey earned first-team nods, while goalkeeper Elizabeth Moberg earned second-team honors and Tanya Boychuk was listed to the league's All-Rookie team.
Four seniors prep for their final campaign in the Blue and Gray. Goalkeeper Rachel Ashworth Shepard, midfielders Dolan and Amanda Lammey and defender Stasia Mallin combined for three goals and 11 helpers last year, while also anchoring a Memphis backline that pitched 13 shutouts.
In total, Memphis returns 18 letterwinners from their 2018 American Athletic Conference tournament title squad and welcomes a group of seven Canadian freshmen to the team.
"It's a big transition. Everyone transitions at different times. A lot of our emphasis has been with the physicality and speed of play. That's not just to the newcomers but to everybody," Monaghan added of camp mentality. "Right now, we're trying to get to a point where we have that killer instinct. Once we establish that, it's about fine-tuning with the tactical aspect."
The Tigers travel for their first exhibition of the year on Saturday at Southeast Missouri. Memphis will host Vanderbilt on Saturday, Aug. 17 before the regular season kicks off on Aug. 22 against Little Rock at Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex at UofM's Park Avenue Campus.
The Tigers, who checked in at No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches poll earlier this week, began camp with an annual fitness test followed by drills and 11v11 scrimmage.
Head Coach Brooks Monaghan begins his 20th season at the helm of the program and said seeing the squad transition from summer workouts to preseason preparations has been smooth.
"That part is fantastic. The summer has been a nice break. The girls have been back working very hard. The report was they really got after it over the summer," Monaghan noted. "Every year is a new team. We've got some big shoes to fill. We've only trained a few times this week, so we're trying to get a feel for everybody. In this little bit of time we see the maturity. Right now, it's good. Bottom line though is we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
Despite losing five seniors to graduation, the Tigers return their top two point scorers from a year ago in juniors Clarissa Larisey (12 goals, four assists) and Samantha Murphy (11 goals, two assists).
Four of the seven Tigers who appeared on last season's All-AAC postseason teams also return for the 2019 campaign. Serena Dolan and Larisey earned first-team nods, while goalkeeper Elizabeth Moberg earned second-team honors and Tanya Boychuk was listed to the league's All-Rookie team.
Four seniors prep for their final campaign in the Blue and Gray. Goalkeeper Rachel Ashworth Shepard, midfielders Dolan and Amanda Lammey and defender Stasia Mallin combined for three goals and 11 helpers last year, while also anchoring a Memphis backline that pitched 13 shutouts.
In total, Memphis returns 18 letterwinners from their 2018 American Athletic Conference tournament title squad and welcomes a group of seven Canadian freshmen to the team.
"It's a big transition. Everyone transitions at different times. A lot of our emphasis has been with the physicality and speed of play. That's not just to the newcomers but to everybody," Monaghan added of camp mentality. "Right now, we're trying to get to a point where we have that killer instinct. Once we establish that, it's about fine-tuning with the tactical aspect."
The Tigers travel for their first exhibition of the year on Saturday at Southeast Missouri. Memphis will host Vanderbilt on Saturday, Aug. 17 before the regular season kicks off on Aug. 22 against Little Rock at Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex at UofM's Park Avenue Campus.
Players Mentioned
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