By: Jake Miller
HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Coker women's soccer was picked ninth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll, the league announced today. For the full South Atlantic Conference release, click here.
A Quick Look Back
Coming off of a four-win season with two in conference play in 2015, second-year head coach Debbie McGuinness is poised for a great upcoming season. "We're excited to move forward and looking forward to get the season started," said McGuinness.
The Balance Between Youth and Experience
McGuinness boasts the talent of her incoming class, the group being her first recruiting class while in charge of the Cobras bench. "You not only look for girls with technical ability and insight, but also girls with personalities whom we feel are going to mesh with the girls already in our program," said McGuinness. The coach spoke highly of how the team chemistry has developed in the preseason.
McGuinness also had some great insight on her returners, as the team has at least one returner at every position on the pitch. "We've always had a higher expectation for our returners, as they have that little bit of experience. They can guide, they can direct, they can take more of a leadership role," said McGuinness.
Position Breakdown
Ashton Knopf and Shelby Middleton will be back between the pipes for the Cobras. Middleton, now a sophomore, replaced Knopf, a junior who had her sophomore season cut short due to injury. Middleton notched over 1300 minutes between the pipes during her freshman season for the Navy and Gold. She recorded two shutouts, 101 saves and a 2.84 goals against average.
Senior Emma Ferguson, who played and started in all 15 matches last season, will lead the defense. She was a key piece in the backfield that helped string together two shutouts last season.
Batavia Mata returns for her junior season as an integral part of the midfield core. In 2015, she scored two goals and dished out a team-high four assists for an eight-point season.
Jordan Roy returns in 2016 as a senior, and will be a key piece as a forward. She recorded two assists and one goal for a four-point season in 2015. Ariana Tashjian is back as a junior, having notched one goal and one assist in 2015.
A Look Ahead
Coker opens the season with three straight non-conference contests, beginning with the road trip to Converse on Sept. 1. The team will come home Saturday (Sept. 3) to face St. Andrews, and will travel to Barton on Sept. 7. The Cobras begin South Atlantic Conference play hosting Anderson on Sept. 14, and round out the month of September with three straight road games at Brevard (Sept. 17), Newberry (Sept. 21) and Catawba (Sept. 24). The Cobras open the month of October against Mars Hill, one of two teams the Cobras defeated in conference play a year ago. Senior day will be Oct. 22 when the Cobras welcome the Royals of Queens to Hartsville for an afternoon matinee.
The Cobras open their season on Thursday (Sept. 1) when they travel to Converse to take on the Valkyries. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Watch the full interview with Debbie McGuinness here.