2010 Clemson Women’s Soccer Season Outlook

Intrasquad competition will be one of the biggest assets on head coach Hershey Strosberg’s Clemson women’s soccer team in 2010. The Tigers will be young, with 11 returning lettermen and 12 newcomers, but what they lack in experience, they will make up for in talent, competitiveness and heart. That is what has the third-year head coach so excited for the upcoming season.

“Every single position on the field will have both a returner and a newcomer,” said Strosberg. “The girls that have been here certainly have the advantage because they understand the expectations and the level of commitment that is required. However, there is a group of very eager freshmen that want to come in and do everything they can to impress the upperclassmen and not let them down with their effort, intensity and attitude.

“For me as a coach, it will be about harnessing all of those expectations, helping them improve individually every single day and grow closer as a team, and figuring out what is the best combination of pieces to help us put the best team on the field.

Goalkeepers Senior Marci Elpers (Kingsport, TN) is the veteran goalkeeper on the Tiger roster, and will be one of the team leaders in 2010. Although she has played in just four games and has recorded 10 saves in her collegiate career, Elpers was the Tigers’ goalkeeper during the spring season, during which time she gained valuable experience. Her work ethic over the past three years has impressed Strosberg immensely.

“Marci is a beacon for this program and I think she is actually starting to see how I feel about her as a competitor and as an individual,” said Strosberg. “I cannot say enough about her sense of commitment and what she means to her teammates. She always leaves everything on the field and her instinct is to always ask what else she can do. That’s really a coach’s dream. As a role model, I could not ask for someone to be a better example than Marci.”

Two very talented freshmen will challenge Elpers at the goalkeeping position. Lauren Arnold (Hoover, AL) and Morgan Hert (Mauldin, SC) received impressive accolades during their high school careers and will look to further those accomplishments at the collegiate level.

Arnold was named a Top Drawer Five-Star and National Top 25 player, and was Top Drawer’s number-one-ranked player in the South Region in 2010. She led Spain Park High School to the Alabama 6A High School State Championship in 2009 and 2010. She was an ESPN RISE Girls Soccer All-American and all-state selection and earned numerous player-of-the-year awards for the state of Alabama and the county.

Hert led Mauldin High School to the South Carolina 4A state title in 2009 and a runner-up finish in 2010. She was named all-state and all-region in 2009 and 2010 and was named an ESPN RISE Girls Soccer Honorable Mention All-American.

DefendersHeather Marik was a mainstay on the Tiger back line in 2009 and Strosberg expects that to continue in 2010. The sophomore from Naperville, IL started all 18 games as a freshman and logged 1650 minutes on the field, more than any other player on the roster.

“Last year was a strong learning lesson for Heather in terms of what is needed for her to really compete in the ACC,” noted Strosberg. “She is the backbone of our back line and I’m going to expect greater things from her this year.”

Charlotte, NC native Callie Cavanaugh will see time as a defender in 2010. The sophomore played in 17 games for the Tigers last season, starting 14. She scored a goal in her first career game, against Wofford, and went on to earn recognition for her play by being named to the Carolina’s Cup All-Tournament team.

“Callie made significant strides in terms of her fitness and worked hard and played all summer,” said Strosberg. “I am excited to see how that translates in terms of her coming in for preseason.”

Emily Tatum will also add depth to the Clemson back line. The sophomore from Richmond, VA started nine games, and played in all 18 last season for the Tigers.

“Emily is a competitive, athletic player and I’m looking forward to seeing how her game has developed from the spring season and the skills she spent time working on this summer.”

Three freshmen, Katie Uyenishi, Hanna Fobare, will also compete for playing time on the Clemson defense.

Uyenishi’s club team won the USYSA National Championship in 2009. The Hawthorn Woods, IL native’s club team was also two-time Midwest Regional champions and three-time Illinois State Cup champions.

Oak Park, CA native Kim was a pool player for the Mexican National Team in 2010. She was named to ESPN RISE’s list of top players in the state of California and earned various all-state, all-county and all-league honors in high school.

Fobare’s club team was ranked in the top 25 in the nation according to ESPN RISE. The Dallas, TX native earned all-conference honors and led her high school team in scoring in 2009.

Midfielders Junior Sarah Jacobs (Greer, SC) was hampered by injury for part of 2009, but still managed to see action in 13 games, starting six. Combined with the 17 games she played in 2008, Jacobs will be one of the most experienced players on the team in 2010.

“Sarah was one of our best and most consistent players during the spring season,” said Strosberg. “She has gotten considerably stronger and fitter. Combine that with her sense of the game and her ability to connect people, and I’m looking for her to make a big push in a starting role this year.”

Kate Biggerstaff saw action in seven games as a freshman in 2009 and the sophomore from Granville, OH will add depth to the Tiger midfield in 2010.

“Kate could be a natural, perfect fit at holding mid. She has good skills and is very good in the air,” said Strosberg. “Unfortunately, she lost some momentum due to an injury during the spring season, but that is behind her now and she is committed to working hard and making a run at the starting position.”

Four freshmen, Nicole Cucchi and Jess Stephens, are also likely to see action in the midfield for the Tigers.

Laxgang played for the same 2009 national champion club team as fellow freshman Uyenishi. In addition, the native of Arlington Heights, IL was individually honored with the USYSA National Championship Adidas Golden Boot award.

Karg’s high school team, The Waterford School, won the Utah 3A State Championship in 2009. Karg, who is from Salt Lake City, UT, was a three-time Utah 3A all-state selection and was named Most Valuable Player of the Utah state tournament in 2009.

Cucchi was an ESPN RISE Girls Soccer Honorable Mention All-American and ranked second in the nation by ESPN RISE for assists by a high school player in 2009 and 2010. Cucchi, who hails from Asheville, NC, earned multiple all-state, all-region and all-conference honors during her career at T.C. Roberson High School.

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL native Stephens played on two high school state championship teams, at Nease High School in 2008 and at Ponte Vedra High School in 2009. Stephens was a two-time all-conference and all-county honoree in 2009 and 2010.

Forwards Leading the returning players at forward is senior Sam Fortier. The most experienced player on the Tiger roster, the Wilbraham, MA native has played in 51 career games and has posted five goals and seven assists through her first three seasons at Clemson.

“Sam is working very hard to come back from an injury that she suffered during the spring” noted Strosberg. “She is fast, and is completely focused on returning to full strength and beyond in order to make an impact in our offense this year.”

Sophomore Maddy Elder is the leading returning scorer on the 2010 Tiger roster. As a freshman, the native of Roanoke, VA netted 10 goals and one assist for 21 points, and recorded four multi-goal games in 2009. She finished the season ranked fifth among all players in the Atlantic Coast Conference in goals per game (0.56), eighth in points per game (1.17) and in a tie for eighth in goals (10).

“With the responsibility of being a leading goal scorer, Maddy will not be able to surprise anybody that we are going to play this fall,” said Strosberg. “Her commitment in the offseason and this preseason will be critical to her making the impact that she has talked about wanting to have for this team.”

Junior Rachel Hurd (Sammamish, WA) will add depth to the Clemson team at the forward position. Hurd saw action in 17 games last season as a sophomore, and recorded her first career goal in 2009.

“Rachel plays with very good pace and is good on the ball,” said Strosberg. “Now she needs to become a little bit more dangerous and maybe a little bit more selfish.”

Ashlynne Bass is a veteran of 35 games in a Tiger uniform, including 30 in a starting role, as a defender. The junior from Loganville, GA will move into a more offensive role for Clemson in 2010.

“Ashlynne could still play in the back for us, but with her pace and the way she moves forward, could be a very good outside player anywhere on the flank for us,” noted Strosberg. “She is excited about being more involved in our attack and is working on some areas in order to give herself the best opportunity coming into preseason.”

Three freshmen, Jackie Dutton, Deana Sherry and Maggie Murphy, will compete for playing time at the forward position for the Tigers.

Dutton is the state of Ohio’s all-time leading scorer in high school soccer with 192 goals scored from 2006-2009, and was ESPN RISE’s national scoring leader in 2009. The Bridgeport, OH native earned All-America and all-region honors from the NSCAA in 2009. She was a three-time all-state selection at St. Clairsville High School and a three-time member of the Eastern District First Team, earning Eastern District Player-of-the-Year honors in 2009.

Sherry (Hockessin, DE) was ranked 15th in Top Drawer Soccer’s Top 20 Players to Watch in the Mid-Atlantic region. She earned All-America honors and was named Second Best Player in the State of Delaware in 2010. Sherry garnered multiple all-state and all-conference honors during her career at The Charter School of Wilmington.

Murphy earned four varsity letters in soccer, two in indoor track and two in lacrosse at Berlin High School. The native of Berlin, CT was an all-conference selection in all three sports during her high school career.

Brittany Beaumont, a sophomore from Conyers, GA, will red-shirt the 2010 fall season after suffering an injury late in the spring season.

“Red-shirting the season will give Brittany the opportunity to learn in a lot of different ways,” said Strosberg. “We are looking forward to having her back on the field with the team once she is healthy, finding her place in our attack.”

“It will be interesting to see how the group comes together,” said Strosberg. “I am excited about where they will be organizationally and athletically. Seeing where each player is individually during the preseason and the first part of the season will determine how things shake out in terms of playing time.”

“The evolution of a program under new leadership involves getting everyone on the same page,” said Strosberg. “It involves setting goals and expectations that everybody believes in and is striving for. I’m excited about building on everything that transpired during the spring. In talking with the returning players as well as many of the incoming freshmen, they could not be more excited about what the preseason will bring for us. I love that positive energy. I love that sense of passion.

“These young women embody the values, attitude and commitment that are important to this program. They are the type of people that love Clemson, want to be at Clemson and want to help make this program closer to what it has been.”