The Centenary women's soccer program aims for a turnaround season and an increase in offensive production is likely a focus as the Ladies open their regular season on Saturday in Clarksville, Ark. with a non-conference contest against the University of the Ozarks Eagles set for Noon.
The Ladies, led by fourth-year head coach Morgan Dorsey, are scheduled to play 18 regular-season contests, seven at home, 10 road matches, and one neutral-site match. Centenary finished 2-16-2 overall and 2-11-1 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play last season, but the Maroon and White allowed two goals or less in a game 12 times during the season, displaying their overall defensive ability. Dorsey hopes more offense can match the defensive ability and lead to more wins this season.
"I am excited to have the season in front of us again," said Dorsey. I know the players and coaching staff are ready to compete and see how much we can come together this season."
Every year brings new challenges with a new team. Our roster is split between returners and freshmen this year, so I am really looking to our upperclassmen for their leadership and to step up and pave the way."
After the season opener on the road, the Maroon and White will play four of their next six matches at home and play five times at home in the month of September. Conference play begins at home against Texas Lutheran University on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. The Ladies' first league match on the road is set for Friday, Oct. 13 against The University of Dallas. The Ladies will play seven conference matches and 11 non-conference matches.
"Our schedule will challenge and test us in a variety of ways, so we will have to rise to those challenges with hard work and determination to achieve our goals of being successful as a team this season," said Dorsey.
The Ladies will face Hendrix College on Sunday, Sept. 3 in Conway, Ark. and then play host to the University of Texas at Dallas in their home opener on Friday, Sept. 8. Centenary will face Sul Ross State University in a neutral contest at the University of Dallas on Sunday, Sept. 10 and then plays three-straight home matches in the middle of the month – Tuesday, Sept. 12 versus Belhaven University, Friday, Sept. 15 versus Birmingham-Southern College, and finally Millsaps College on Sunday, Sept. 17.
Centenary then hits the road again for three-straight matches (Friday, Sept. 22 at McMurry University, Saturday, Sept. 23 at Howard Payne University, and Tuesday, Sept. 26 at LeTourneau University. The Ladies have three conference home matches in October and will be on the road in league play for four-straight before finishing the regular season with a non-conference contest at Wiley on Sunday, Oct. 29 in Marshall, Texas.
The Ladies' roster features 11 returners and nine freshmen but returns just six starters from the 2022 team and is without their top two goal scorers from last season. The Ladies do however return a trio of players who each scored a pair of goals last season in senior F/MF Daisy Acosta (Deer Park, Texas), junior D/MF Alexa Hinojosa (Pasadena, Texas), and senior D Haleigh Gangloff (Pearland, Texas).
Acosta played in all 20 matches last season and made 16 starts. Her two goals were tied for second-most on the team and she added one assist for a total of five points (second on team). Hinojosa and Gangloff combined for 40 games played and 33 starts. Junior GK Madison Ersoff (Shreveport, La.) is back for the Ladies after starting 16 games in the net last season. She made a team-high 82 saves and recorded one shutout. Senior MF Cynthia Williams (Bossier City, La.) is back after starting 16 of the 19 matches she played in last season. She scored one goal and finished season with two points and 12 shots (four on goal). Her goal came in a 5-1 home win over Austin College on Oct. 7.
Sophomore MF Adele Bihler (Bossier City, La.), junior MF Aubrey Burkhardt (Bossier City, La.), sophomore D Kayla Yancey (Crowley, Texas), and sophomore D/MF Kylie Zeller (Denham Springs, La.) are all back this season as each played in 10+ games last season. Bihler played in 10 matches and took three shots (two on goal). Burkhardt played in 19 matches and made three starts in her first season with the Ladies as she took nine shots with five coming on goal. Yancey played in 13 matches as a rookie and Zeller played in 20 matches and made 15 starts as she took 15 shots (four on goal). A trio of promising rookies headline the crop of fresh faces on the roster in MF Shona Carlton (Ponchatoula, La.), D Kailey Hancock (Dickinson, Texas), and F/MF Lowrey Lain (Haughton, La.).
The 2023 SCAC Women's Soccer Championship is scheduled for Nov. 3-5 in Houston and hosted by the University of St. Thomas.
See the complete Ladies' schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/wsoc/2023-24/schedule
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