Women’s soccer coach Brent Erwin encourages his players before Ole Miss throws the ball in during a game last semester at Westcott Field. (Casey Lee)
In wake of a 4-7-0 record in Conference USA last season, the Mustangs now can boast 12 new players to their already youthful roster. In conjunction with the 17 freshmen (soon to be sophomores) who joined the team last season, the team lost four seniors to graduation.
Head coach Brent Erwin said about his teams’ newly acquired talent “I think we were strategic in the players that we recruited in knowing who is going to fit in different positions. This new group needs to come in and mesh with the returning group of players and the magic will happen.
Picking up the No. 40 player in the country, midfielder Mallory Baum, the Mustangs also gained in the Ft. Worth native a three-time Division I All-Texas Private and Parochial Schools honoree. Baum also helped lead her team to the national championship in 2008.
On her success in playing in big games, Erwin is looking forward to seeing Baum play because “she can attack and defend . . . she has been a part of so many successful and strong teams we can’t wait to get her here with us.”
Kellie Bohner, from California, will also join the Mustang roster as the reigning All-California Interscholastic Federation league MVP in 2008. Described as a “feisty, quick defender” and a player with “a wonderful work rate,” Bohner was also a two-time team captain at Yucaipa High School in Inland Empire, Calif. as well as Offensive Player of the Year.
The most versatile athlete on the roster by far, Sophie Bransford joins the incoming class as a former high school state champion in basketball, lacrosse, track and relay team. Having also competed against Norway in an international match in 2007 as a member of the English FA Under-17 National Team camp, the Nashville, Tenn. defender is described as “a player with tremendous potential.”
A teammate of Bohner, Hannah Carroll comes to the Hilltop as her high school team’s MVP, also earning first-team all-league recognition and second-team All-California Interscholastic Federation and first-team All-Sun honors. Described as a “tall, strong player who is very good on the ball,” Carroll, according to Erwin, “can play either defensive midfielder or center back, and do well at both positions.”
The No.75 player in the country, forward Calli Cooper of Norma, Okla., is a member of the Oklahoma Olympic Developmental Program (ODP), playing in the ODP national camp in Boston in 2004.
“She can score goals and is a fantastic competitor,” said Erwin. “We expect her to be ready and compete right away.”
A two-time captain for the North Texas State team, midfielder Emily Hairston is a former honorable mention Player of the Week nominee by The Dallas Morning News, and an all-district honoree in 2006 and 2007. Graduating early from Highland Park High School, Hairston will start training with the Mustangs this spring.
Shelby Hartweck comes to join the team as a forward with more than 100 goals and almost 40 assists in just three seasons in high school. Named as the 2005-06 District Freshman of the Year, Hartweck was the top goal scorer for the FC Dallas ’91 team.
Another versatile athlete to add to the list of recruits is defender Brittany King from Edmond, Okla. A four-year member of the Oklahoma State ODP and three-time all-city and all-district honoree, King is considered by Erwin to be “one of the top defenders out of the state of Oklahoma, if not the top defender in the entire state.”
Another student choosing to graduate high school early and start training with the team is forward Ryanne Lewis. After leading her team in scoring for three consecutive seasons, Lewis was a first-team all-district honoree last year. Described to be “very competitive and strong with good speed,” according to Erwin, Lewis is also “very good in front of the goal.”
With senior goalkeeper Ashley Gunter graduating in May, Erwin added Emily Reagan to the list of freshmen because “she loves playing the game and she just loves being a goalkeeper.” A four-year member of the North Texas ODP team, Reagan also helped lead her club team to the Alamo Cup championships in 2005 and 2006. The Plano West graduate was a 2007-08 Premier League Finalist and a 2006 Region III semi-finalist.
Hailing from Oklahoma City, The Daily Oklahoman’s All-City Player of Year, midfielder Taylor Robinson was also named to the newspaper’s All-City First Team and was Oklahoma’s freshman single-season goal-scoring leader with 36 goals and 24 assists. Despite being only 5 feet 4 inches, Erwin says the athlete’s “tremendous work rate and ability” helps her overcome her size.
Named the Varsity Offensive Player of the Year and in her freshmen and sophomore year in high school, forward Mackenzie Scovill was the leading scorer of the Solar ’91 club team the last two seasons, and earned Dallas Morning News Player of the Week runner-up honors as a freshman.
Both of Scovill’s parents were SMU graduates. “She can score with both feet and her head,” said Erwin. “[She] has a great legacy at SMU, ad will be a wonderful addition to the university.”
“I told these girls to expect to be champions,” said Erwin. “Success is a long term project built with a bunch of little sprints.” We have about 15 players who either started or played significant minutes against one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2008, and the experience of these returning players, combined with the work ethic and talent of the players coming in, will only help us to achieve our goals.”
