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Women's Soccer strengthening resolve through adversity
By Matt Green
ROME – The message found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 may never have been more appropriate.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
For the Shorter University women’s soccer team, belief in that message is paramount in overcoming what has been a tumultuous preseason filled with unprecedented adversity.
When the Lady Hawks open the 2011 season on Saturday at 6 p.m. on Ben Brady Field against Montreat College, they will do so minus three key players due to serious knee injuries suffered during the team’s two preseason exhibitions over a six-day span.
“We definitely ran into some challenges that we were not expecting,” said Shorter’s second-year head coach Jennifer Colley, who in her first season at the helm of the Shorter women’s program guided the Lady Hawks to their first-ever 10-win season. “But our players are stepping up to those challenges and adapting to the circumstances surrounding them.
“That’s what you have to do if you want to succeed in these situations.”
The injury bug held nothing back in crippling what figured to be Shorter’s most potent lineup in years.
Senior captain and starting midfielder Mary Kate Lollar’s season came to an end when she suffered a dislocated kneecap and torn ACL within the first 10 minutes of Shorter’s first scrimmage two Sunday’s ago. Junior and starting central defender Samantha Stephens had her season cut short when she went down with a torn ACL just over an hour later in the same game.
Last Friday night in an exhibition against Sewanee, sophomore midfielder Carleigh Butcher – who started in the place of Lollar – severely injured her knee and is scheduled for an MRI in the coming days where doctors expect another ACL tear.
Adding to the list of casualties is sophomore Blair Fine, who was expected to assume a role as a central defender beside Stephens, but remains out indefinitely due to lingering symptoms of a serious concussion suffered last season.
The lack of healthy bodies has forced Colley to restructure and scale back preseason practices, something that the team has adjusted to rather quickly without losing intensity.
“We have had to compact preseason a bit, but the girls have done a great job at putting the work in and getting everything done in a shorter amount of time,” Colley said. “Practices have been efficient. They work hard when they are on the field because they know we have limited time. Younger players are stepping up to help increase the level of practice with some of the veterans out.
“With key players being injured, other players are being forced to take more responsibility.”
Colley remains optimistic about those other players, a group that includes three All-Conference performers in strikers Kelli Davis and Brandi Greenwald and goalkeeper Taylor Hays.
Shorter figures to also benefit from a host of talented newcomers headlined by Brazilian Aline Bez Tamiosso, a sophomore junior college transfer who notched a goal and two assists in Shorter’s two exhibition games.
“We are still a strong offensive threat,” said Colley. “We are adapting and we can’t play how we originally wanted to, but we still have a very fast paced offense with several great playmakers who are very comfortable on the ball. Plus we have an All-Conference goalkeeper so I am confident on the defensive end of the field as well.
“This is the most technical team we have had and because of that, we are able to be more dynamic.”
Colley and assistant coach Danielle dos Santos are still wrestling with the right formation and personnel combinations, but are optimistic that solutions will play themselves out on the pitch.
Shorter has already demonstrated its versatility and found several welcomed surprises in players that have voluntarily taken on new roles for the greater good of the team – most notably freshman Diamond Davis, a natural striker that has blossomed at right back for the Lady Hawks during preseason practice.
“We have had plenty of players stand out this preseason, but Diamond has probably had the best preseason of the freshman class,” said Colley. “She came in as a forward that had never played defense, but she has exceeded expectations.”
Colley is confident that no matter who takes the field for Shorter during the 2011 season, fans of the Lady Hawks will enjoy watching a team that plays with heart and passion for an entire 90 minutes.
“Our girls are accepting their roles even if those roles aren’t where they would normally be,” said Colley. “Everyone is pitching in to help the team be the best it can be.
“In the end, dealing with this adversity will make us stronger.”
