ASHLAND, Ore. -- The Southern Oregon University women’s soccer team will launch its 2008 campaign on Saturday when they host Dominican University at 2 p.m. in Ashland.
Led by third-year head coach Jon Clement, the Raiders boast a roster
that features seven returners, 13 freshmen and not a single person with
more than a year of college playing experience.
Clement, whose Raiders missed out on a Cascade Conference playoff spot
by a game last year and finished ninth with a 3-5-1 loop record, have
been picked to finish third this year by the league’s coaches despite
their youth.
“Most [of the younger players] have already played at higher levels
before coming here,” Clement said. “I don’t think the transition
will be that hard on the field. Transitioning to their new lives off the
field will probably be the toughest for them.”
Clement says his team is tailored around its versatility and depth, and
is loaded with great “technicians” of the game. His assistant,
Marissa Gillingham, concurs.
“The level of soccer is higher than it has ever been,” said
Gillingham. “We’re struggling to find a top eleven because they’re
all very solid.”
Last Friday, Southern Oregon played Humboldt State in a scrimmage.
“It was a brave effort,” Clement said. “I thought our soccer was
pretty good in the early stages, which speaks volumes about our
potential considering all the missing players. But, as we became tired,
it was more of a brave effort.
Muragin, a sophomore forward and native Hawaiian, led the Raiders in
goals (four), points (10), shots on goal (26) and shots on goal
percentage (.667) while starting all 16 matches she appeared in last
season.
Highly-touted freshman goalkeeper Jessica Kuehlwien, who earned
all-state kudos last year at Oregon City High School, also impressed
coaches and teammates as she yielded no goals in her first collegiate
effort.
“Jessica was awesome,” noted Gillingham. “She was confident and
solid and played like she belonged out there.”
The Raiders will look for leadership from junior captain Dianne Uehara,
who was forced to sit out her sophomore season with a knee injury.
Uehara, a defender from Kailua, Hawaii, is the only player left from
Clement’s first Raider squad of 2006.
Sophomores Mo Costello, Stacy Szeto, Sara Switzer and Kelly Clark will
also add experience as returning starters. Chelsey Muri, who will take a
stab at soccer for the first time in college after claiming the Cascade
Conference MVP award for women’s basketball last year, is the team’s
only senior.
“This is a team, not a group of new players and old players,” said
Clement. “It’s one big group and there’s a lot to be done. We’re
not the best team in the conference, so there’s work to be done.”
The Raiders will follow their opener by taking a four-game road hiatus
starting next week and will return home on Sept. 21 to host Holy Names.
Conference action opens up Sept. 24 at Northwest Christian.