W-D-L: 1-0-3 2-0-2
September 1, 2013
1:00 pm @ University of Texas-San Antonio
Travelers be advised - the University of Texas at San Antonio's beautiful brand spanking new soccer-specific stadium is not yet on the map. If you assume that you can find the Roadrunners' home field on the board located at Peace Circle by the Information Booth, which is incidentally closed on Labor Day Sunday, then you will be mislead into driving around in search of the only soccer fields on campus, which are part of the Recreational Field Complex devoid of any matchups between two Division I teams with multinational lineups. By the time you return to Peace Circle, you will be terribly frustrated. The diagram on the UTSA Classic tournament link with directions to the venue provides little help to those unfamiliar with the exits on 1604. Even after digging through the UTSA main website to find the actual street address of the Park West Athletics Complex, just opened on August 15, then clicking on the Google Maps link, you will find the upside-down teardrop points to a big gaping empty space. By the time you realize that you are a good several miles off, you will arrive at the match 15 minutes past kickoff, missing the first goal scored by the visiting team. But the reward for your perseverance is a terrific end-to-end match in which two high-quality squads battle in searing hundred-degree weather without a trace of a breeze under a merciless midday sun, a testament to their respective conditioning programs that produce hard-bodied soccer-players of iron.
The Lamar Cardinals began the 2013 campaign on the heels of their most successful season in school history. Only the fifth year of the soccer program, they went unbeaten at home and marched all the way to the Southland Conference tournament final where they fell to none other than Stephen F. Austin (see my blog entry dated September 3, 2013). This year, Lamar is poised to better their 2012 success, with nine returning starters, including junior striking duo Kimmy Albeno and Kristin Bos who combined for 23 of the team's overall 41 goals, three seniors and two juniors in their defensive line plus keeper Bailey Fontenot now in her third year.
While Lamar may very well be a favored contender to win their conference championship this year, UT San Antonio is on the opposite end of the development spectrum, rebuilding to bounce back from the worst season since the program's inception in 2006, winning only three matches overall and suffering through a goal differential of -22. The Roadrunners are somewhat the journeywomen of the south, joining their third different conference in as many years. Starting off in Southland where UTSA compiled a respectable measure of success, winning the tournament outright in 2010, they moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2012 where they posted the aforesaid disastrous results, and now enter Conference USA West to face the likes North Texas (see my blog entry dated August 21, 2013). With only two seniors in their ranks, Brazilian striker Laylla da Cruz and Norwegian defender Anka Grotle, both of whom were integral in that SLC title season, the Runners are counting on a robust junior class bolstered by several transfers who excelled last season - Taylor Wingerden who scored 17 goals for Monroe Community College in New York, All-Americans Teresa Offerman and Megan Snyder from Butler CC in Kansas, midfielder Kaytee O'Brien who won the Southern Conference league and cup double with North Carolina Greensboro in 2010, and the most exciting and creative player to watch on the field Happy Orere-Amadu from New York's Monroe College which won 25 matches and lost only two during her tenure there.
Already beginning to gel, this UTSA unit will make a splash in their newest conference before dominating it outright in a year's time. But on this afternoon, the Lamar Cardinals showed why they are proven Southland Conference title contenders now, outlasting the Roadrunners in the tortuous Texas heat 3-1. Taylor Wingerden tied it up for a resurgent UTSA early in the second half when she found herself in a one-on-one with Bailey Fontenot after a defensive mishap by Lamar, and she calmly shuffled it into an open net. The Roadrunners seemed to lapse into some sluggish defense later in the half, perhaps the temperature beginning to take its toll on the northeastern American and Scandinavian contingent. Freshwoman forward Jennifer Yacuta answered for Lamar 11 minutes later with her third goal of the season. This woke the Roadrunners back to life, mounting a furious attack producing numerous opportunities from all directions, but the Lamar defense stayed composed, weathered the heat and countered in transition, with Stefanie Miroballi adding an icer for the Cardinals in the 77th minute. Even into the final seconds however, UTSA continued to attack, and they seemed to gel closer together with each successive drive. Just a couple of more matches, and this group of junior transfers will hit a dangerous stride with their new pitchmates.
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| Happy Orere-Amadu (17), one of a slew of exceptional junior transfers to UTSA this year, is one of the most exciting and technically creative players in south Texas. Stefanie Miroballi (7), one of six returning seniors to Lamar, pressures Happy in the midfield. |
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| Freshwoman forward Jennifer Yacuta (14) gives Happy little space and time on the ball, forcing her to make a creative move to take space. |
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| Monitored by Lamar's Stefanie Miroballi (7), Jennifer Moore and Nicole Frank (4), Happy flicks one on. As this UTSA unit gels, Happy will be able to find her options more quickly and not have to hold the ball as long, making the Roadrunners an increasingly potent squad as the season progresses. |
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| Kristin Bos (10), one of nine returning starters to the Lamar lineup, is omnipresent as the Cardinals' midfield boss. |
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| Norwegian junior Mari Olastuen (21) connects with striker Kimmy Albeno (9) as Teresa Offerman (20) approaches with pressure. With her goal in this game, Kimmy continues to be Lamar's leading scoring threat and one reason why the Cardinals are favored to capture the Southland Conference title this year. |
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| Junior left back Nicole Frank is very busy on the flank, defending and attacking down the line all afternoon. |
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| Jannet Hernandez (16) uses the left flank effectively to lead numerous Lamar drives deep into Roadrunner territory. |
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| An open net awaits forward Taylor Wingerden, but she first has to get past Lamar keeper Bailey Fontenot (1) forced to come off her line. This group of high-achieving junior transfers including Taylor, once gelled, will lead UTSA on a good run in Conference USA this year, and may take it all in 2014. |
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| Alexis Alaniz (5), a sophomore transfer from UT-El Paso, attacks from her left back position during UTSA's second-half surge, keeping red-shirt freshwoman defender Shavonn Johnson (11) busy. |
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| Returning junior Anissa Munson (18) hustles to maintain control deep in Lamar territory,... |
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| ...recovers the ball just inside the endline and evades pressure from Nicole Frank (4)... |
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| ...to make a terrific pass to Happy Orere-Amadu (17) at the inside corner of the box. Jennifer Moore (2) quickly closes on Happy. Jennifer is one of two Lamar players from England. |
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| In the face of tight pressure from Jennifer, Happy makes a quick tricky move to get past her and into the Lamar box. |
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| But Jennifer recovers intelligently to force an errant cross over the bar. |
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| Freshwoman forward Brianna Livecchi (2) provides UTSA with alot of offense from the left side during their furious second-half drive. Shavonn Johnson (11) takes alot of pressure on that side. |
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| Junior Charlotte Husoe (14) from Norway penetrates past English defender Grace Bowman (3). Both teams field multinational lineups representing five different countries. |
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| Junior Kaytee O'Brien (9) runs the Roadrunner midfield. |
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| Kaytee (9) gets the ball past Mari Olastuen (21), forcing Jennifer Moore (2) to step up. The daughter of Major League Baseball veteran Pete O'Brien who batted in 736 runs in 12 seasons for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners, Kaytee is part of the transfer contingent that will make UTSA a dominant force in the conference before they graduate. |
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| Kauwela Neal (7), sophomore forward from Hawaii's Kamehameha High School, makes a run up the middle, chased by Danielle Pearce (20), Alejandra Amador (15) and Grace Bowman (3). |
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| Shoulder to shoulder with sophomore defender Megan Campbell (18), Kauwela is a big part of the furious UTSA second-half surge. |
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| Brazilian striker Laylla da Cruz (10) is able to get in good position to receive a cross for UTSA's closest chance in the waning minutes. Double-teamed by Alejandra Amador (15) and another Lamar defender, Laylla manages to connect on an off-balance header that goes wide. |
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| Nicole Frank (4) takes the ball from Anisa Patterson (15). Nicole is a major component in the defense that keeps composed and organized to weather the heat of a furious UTSA second-half surge. |
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| Danielle Pearce (21) punishes Taylor Wingerden (19) for penetrating down the left side. The Aussie defender is a solid presence in Lamar's backline. |
(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)
This was the most intense game so far in the young 2013 KWCSB season. I am looking forward to seeing both these teams again as the year progresses - Lamar at Rice, and Texas-San Antonio in the C-USA tournament hosted by Rice.
UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK:
Monday Sep 2 Texas Lutheran University (Div III, 0-0-1) @ Concordia University (Div III, 0-0-0) at Town & Country Field, Austin 2:00 pm
Friday Sep 13 Lamar University (#161) @ Rice (#82) 7:00 pm
Sunday Sep 15 Louisiana State University (#66) @ Rice 1:00 pm
Sunday Sep 15 U of H (#126) @ Houston Baptist University (#205)7:00 pm
Friday Sep 20 Oklahoma State University (#76) @ Rice 7:00 pm
Sunday Sep 22 South Carolina State University (#292) @ TSU 7:00 pm
Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm
Sunday Sep 29 Vanderbilt University (#114) @ Texas A&M University (#15)* 1:00? or 3:00? pm in College Station
Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm
Friday Oct 11 TSU @ Prairie View A&M University (#303)* 7:00 pm
Sunday Oct 13 Texas Tech University (#21) @ Baylor University (#10)* 1:00 pm in Waco
Friday Oct 18 Oral Roberts University (#124) @ HBU* 5:00 pm
Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* 7:00 pm
Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm
Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm
Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm
Saturday Oct 26 University of Texas-Tyler @ Concordia* 5:00 pm at St. Stephen's HS, Austin
Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm
Thursday Oct 31 LSU @ Tx A&M* 7:00 pm in College Station
Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm
Friday-Saturday Nov 1-9 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Monday Nov 4 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals @ Rice* Wednesday
Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals* @ Rice
Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final* @ Rice
(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend.)
Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.
"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)
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