Experienced Lady Cougar team prepared for another strong season

Keli Keener
Alestle Stringer

Thirteen players are returning, eight of whom were starters, for the SIUE women's soccer team.

Eight new recruits, including five freshmen and two walk-ons, hold much promise for the Cougars who are coming off their second-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Coach Brian Korbesmeyer, who coached the Cougars to a 13-6 overall record and a 9-2 mark in the GLVC last season was awarded Coach of the Year honors.

The Cougars earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament but fell short of their goal in the finals last season.

Three Cougar graduates, Andrea Addotta, Megan Beagles and Kristi Stedman received All-Conference nominations in 1999.

Stedman of Florissant, Mo., earned her second consecutive second team All-Region selection at the midfield position. She finished her senior season with five goals and five assists in 19 starts.

Stedman served as team captain and led the team with three game-winning goals.

Stedman and sophomore Tasha Siegel were named to the first team in the GLVC and also to the 1999 National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Division II Women's All-Regional second team.

Siegel, of Maryville, started all 19 games her sophomore season as a defender. She recorded four goals and one assist last season. She earned her first nomination in 1998 to the All-Region team.

Returning players include Colleen Creamer, a sophomore from St. Louis who was Freshman of the Year in 1999 and was named to the second team in the GLVC.

Creamer finished third in the conference in scoring with 13 goals and nine assists in her 15 starts.

All-GLVC player Rebecca Mays, a junior from Springfield, returns to lead the Cougar defense. Senior Beth Louderman (Girard) returns as the team's primary goalkeeper.

Louderman started all 19 games for the Cougars last year and recorded six shutouts. She was fourth in the GLVC for goals allowed per game (0.92). Brandy Bradshaw also returns after redshirting her freshman year and will look for playing time at forward.

The Cougars return six players at midfield from last season. Junior Megan Steward (Glenarm) and senior Michelle Montgomery (Granite City) return after being plagued with injuries last season.

Also returning are junior Leslie Henigman, of Florissant, Mo., and sophomore Heather Bebe, of Florissant, Mo., who made numerous starts last year for the Cougars at midfield.

Sophomore Jennifer Hawkins, of Troy, who saw action in 13 games but was hampered by injury all season, is expected to return as well. Kristin Covalt will provide the backup at goal that the Cougars lacked last season.

Erin Gusewelle, an incoming freshman, was a two-time All-State selection as a midfielder at Edwardsville High School in her junior and senior years.

Becky Baker, a freshman from St. Louis, was a two-time All-State selection in Class 3A at Rosary High. As a forward, she led the team in scoring with 28 goals in her senior year.

Sara Decker, also from St. Louis, was also nominated to the 2000 All-State Class 3A Team while leading Rosary High in assists.

Junior transfer Angie Bode, of St. Charles, Mo., was a two-time junior college All-American. Bode helped Lewis and Clark Community College to the National Junior College Athletic Association title last season.

Bode was also named NJCAA Player of the Year in 1999 after scoring 40 goals and compiling 22 assists.

"Based on her excellent high school and junior college performance, we expect her to continue to excel," Korbesmeyer said. "She's very dangerous and opportunistic. She's going to add a lot to our program."

The Cougars open their regular season by playing in the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin, Mo.

The Lady Cougars will face the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, Aug. 26, and Missouri Southern State College on Sunday, Aug. 27.

The Nebraska-Omaha game will start at 3:30 p.m. .