CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University
women's soccer team opens its 2010-11 season with a 3:30 p.m., Friday match at
Virginia Military Institute. The Lady Govs won the only prior meeting with the
Keydets, 4-1, in Clarksville during the 2008 season.
Expectation-wise, the match will feature two
teams with contrasting philosophies. Last season, Austin Peay struggled
offensively, losing seven one-goal games, leading to a restructuring phase up
front. Head coach Kelley Guth looked to answer a lot of those questions by
bringing in freshmen Emily Kink and Joceline Quiceno to join the team's
returning leading goal-scorers in seniors Kellie Cannon and Monique Wong.
Quiceno torched Freed-Hardeman for a pair of
goals in last week's exhibition game, while Kink also was one of seven Lady
Govs score in the 8-0 win. The Lady Govs managed seven corners and scored on
two of them - one in each half. They had 33 shots, including eight from Kink,
while Joceline Quiceno had a team-best four on goal. It was a display of speed
and continuity that Guth hopes to see translate into the regular-season.
Defensively, the Lady Govs return senior
goalkeeper Carley Newman, as well as senior Hannah Jones, sophomore Jazzmine Chandler and junior Sara Kluttz. Chandler, a 2009 OVC All-Newcomer pick, scored
a goal in the exhibition on a strike from just inside the midfield that caromed
off the crossbar. Also joining the defense is freshman Corey Osborn who saw
considerable time in replacing former defender Lauren Moon, who graduated in
May.
Seniors Samantha Northrup and Michelle Johnson are two upperclassmen who highlight the midfield, being joined by
freshman Andy Quiceno. The fact that all three scored goals against
Freed-Hardeman is a sign of the Lady Govs potential strength.
VMI, meanwhile, will look to counter Austin
Peay's projections of a strong offense with one of the Big South's best
defensive squads. Highlighting the Keydets is keeper Angela Redmond, who posted
the nation's fourth-best save percentage (89.1) in 2009. VMI allowed an average
of 1.06 goals per game. Redmond is joined by returning midfielder Sarah Strand,
a 2009 All-Big South selection.
The Keydets advanced to the semifinals of the
2009 Big South Championship, before falling to Winthrop after penalty kicks.
They were picked to finish eighth in the 2010 Big South preseason poll.
Live stats for the match will be available on
LetsGoPeay.com.
-AP-
