JOPLIN, Mo.—The William Woods University men's soccer team is set to begin its 2014 season on Tuesday, as the Owls will take on Ozark Christian College on the road. Kick-off will start at 4 p.m.
The Owls are coming off an 11-win season in 2013, while also setting a new program record with six American Midwest Conference (AMC) victories.
This year, the Owls will be without the services of JP Parra,
Marcelo Carreiro,
Kyle Konigsberg and
Ryan Miller to name a few. The quartet of players last season, combined for 22 of the teams' 30 goals and 14 of the 26 assists.
Carreiro, a three-time first team All-AMC honoree, left a lasting mark during his tenure with the Owls, as he is the all-time leader in men's soccer history with 105 career points, breaking the previous record of 104 by John Hayes that was held since 2004.
Parra, also had himself an impressive career with WWU, as he totaled 99 points (third all-time), while also ranking second in goals (40) and assists (18).
The team, however, does return scorers
Jacob Hawes,
Sebastian Burich and
Alex Severino, as they combined for 12 goals and eight assists in 2013. On the defensive side of the ball,
Alan Matthew, a first team all-conference honoree last year, returns for his senior year. The Glasgow, Scotland, native, will look to build off his two goal season and continue to fend off opposing offenses.
The Owls will also have plenty of fresh faces that will be ready to help guide the Owls toward an AMC title, as coach Mason and his staff have brought in 14 new players. The coaching staff really has high hopes for this incoming class, with four specific players the fans should keep an eye out for.
"
Conor Cable will add great depth to the goalkeeping position and compete for the starting spot as a freshman," said Mason. "
Jesse Bowers, will add experience as a center back and will have every chance to start, while
Harrison Bray and Lendell-Louis Jacques will provide midfield depth to the squad."
He added, "Harrison (Bray) is a center midfielder that has great vision and technical skill, while Lendell (Louis-Jacques) has the pace needed as a winger and is very good going one on one with a defender. In saying all this, they are true freshman and will need to go through the learning phase and get minutes in order to develop."
Ozark Christian College, part of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), are coming off an 11-7 overall record during the 2013 campaign. The team was led by Korben Koenig, who totaled a team-high 10 goals in just 10 games, while adding seven assists.
Meanwhile, in net, freshman Jace Martin, held the sixth-best goals against average in the NCCAA (1.34), while also making an eye-popping 165 saves in 18 games played.
"I know Ozark has been solid in terms of their record and being competitive in its league," said head coach
Nathan Mason. "This will be the first time we will be playing them, but I expect the weather to be a factor for both teams."
He added, "I want us to work hard, get some fitness and build some togetherness on the field. Win or lose, we need game fitness to prepare us for American Midwest Conference (AMC) play."
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for a full recap and score from Joplin, Mo.
