BOLIVAR, Mo. --
Southwest Baptist University women’s soccer program announced the signing of nine recruits. “I am excited about these additions. After our season last year and finishing 7-9-3 and seventh place in conference, I felt like we needed to upgrade and add depth to every aspect of our game, and I think we’ve done that with this recruiting class,” said SBU head coach Rob Podeyn. The Bearcats finished the year unbeaten in its final two games against teams that finished ahead of them in the standings. In addition, six of their nine losses were by just one goal, a number Podeyn is encouraged by. “We were in every game we played. We outshot our opponent in 15 of 19 games, and this with eight different starters from the previous year. We are losing six very important seniors, but I believe these seven new players will make us a very dangerous team next year.”
The Bearcats have signed the following players to national letters of intent.
Marene Gomez (South Jordan, Utah) - Gomez is a very strong technical player who can play anywhere on the field. She is strong in possession, but is physical and dominant. After playing four years of varsity high school soccer and ten years of competitive club soccer in Utah, she attended and played two years at Iowa Western Community College where she graduated with an associates degree in business administration. Her primary positions at Iowa Western were as a central defender or wide defender. At 5’10”, Marene is a dominant force in the air, both attacking and defending. “Marene is the type of player we were looking for to help strengthen our defense. I felt we needed more size and physical presence in our defense. Marene has size, is quick, is physical, and dominates in the air. She is also a very smart player and looks to keep possession instead of getting rid of the ball,” said Podeyn. Marene chose SBU to continue her education in business, but also for the opportunity to continue her soccer career. “I think coach Podeyn has stepped into a tremendous role in this soccer program. I have been looking for a team that meets my desires of skill and determination, and I feel like SBU is the perfect choice for me,” said Gomez.
Emily Claudell (Overland Park, Kansas) - Claudell is a very aggressive and attack-minded player, whose main weapon is her speed. She is very fast and very clever and can beat most defenders on her speed alone. “I liked Emily when I first saw her play this past summer. Her work ethic and aggressiveness were obvious, and she had a veracity in her game where she never quit. She had tremendous speed and a natural desire to take players on one-on-one,” said coach Podeyn. Emily has been playing at a very competitive level for more than 10 years and has played three years of varsity soccer at Shawnee Mission South High School with her senior year still to come. Her current club team, KC Comets Select, have been Kansas State semi-finalists each of the last two years. Emily plans on majoring in pre-physical therapy at SBU and will enter as a freshman. “I really liked the physical therapy program at SBU, but I was very impressed with the program and coach Podeyn,” said Claudell.
Rachel Haden (Ozark, Missouri) - Haden is a strong and physical defensive midfield player from the Springfield area. Standing at 5’6”, Rachel is a solid possession player who is not afraid to challenge for the ball. “Rachel was actually the first player I saw and began recruiting when I came to SBU. She plays with a lot of heart and desire, and has that little bit of attitude you want from players in the midfield. I was impressed with her the first time I saw her play,” said coach Podeyn. “Rachel has played three years of varsity soccer at Ozark High School and has played club soccer for the Mambas under coach Brian Russell the last nine years. As a starter the last three years in high school, Rachel has been selected to all-conference, all-district, and all-region teams. “Southwest Baptist University had exactly what I was looking for. I liked the physical therapy program, I was impressed with the soccer program, and I like the academic reputation SBU has,” said Haden.
Paige Hemphill (Ozark, Missouri) - Hemphill is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the state of Missouri. She has been a three-year starter on her varsity soccer team at Ozark High School, and has been selected to the all-state team the last two years. “Being a former goalkeeper I am very particular about how my goalkeepers train and how they are developed. Paige impressed me with her ability to command the area and control the box. She is an excellent communicator and leader in the back. She is a strong technical goalkeeper who is very capable of making the big saves,” said Podeyn. “I chose to attend college at SBU because it is known for its nursing program through the SBU/St. John's School of Nursing, and nursing is the career path which I hope to pursue," said Hemphill. "I like the fact that SBU is a private college and the class sizes are smaller. It also has a great campus, and I feel safe being there. I chose SBU to continue my athletic career because I enjoyed the coach and the level of play the team brings to the sport. I felt the team and coach was a good fit for me as a player and student. I like the vision coach Podeyn has for his team at SBU,” Hemphill added.
Brenna Lacaillade (Warrensburg, Missouri)- Lacaillade is a natural central midfielder who reads the game very well and plays a quick possession game. She is known for her technical skill and her ability to find openings on the field. She is also able to use her height advantage (5’9”) to dominate in the air. “Brenna is a great addition for us. I believe she will be a very strong central midfielder for us and fits in well with our system and how we play. She has good size, good speed, is strong and aggressive, and works very hard,” said Podeyn. Brenna has played in tournaments in New Jersey, Nevada and Missouri, excelling at every level. Brenna has been a member of the Missouri State ODP team, participated in region and national play. Brenna has also played on State Cup championship teams in New Jersey and Nevada, and currently plays for her club team, KC Select. “I like the small campus. The school has a strong business program, and it felt very much like a large family to me,” said Lacaillade.
Molly Marcotte (Republic, Missouri) - Marcotte is a determined and dedicated player with good size and strong technique. At 5’8”, Molly is strong in the air, but also very good at maintaining possession and reading the game. “Molly gives us another defender who is smart, aggressive, physical, and able to challenge the ball in the air. She fits well with our system and how we want to play,” said Podeyn. Molly attends Republic High School where they have yet to begin a girls soccer program; her development has been through year-round club soccer. Her current team, the Mambas, is coached by Brian Russell. He has been instrumental of several players in the Springfield area and has helped to produce many college bound girls soccer players. Molly has become a player who through her determination and hard work has developed into one of the best defenders in the Springfield area. “SBU is a superb university. It offers what I want academically and the soccer program is up and coming. It is also semi-close to home which I like,” said Marcotte.
Brittney Smith (Overland Park, Kansas) - Smith has a reputation of being a smart and physical defender; she scares attackers with her tough play and her timely slide tackles. “You always look for that defender who is not afraid to challenge someone hard, and Brittney is this type of player. She has that nasty streak in her when she plays that makes her feared by opposing attackers. She has speed, is very physical and aggressive, and wins the ball. She is also a smart player with possession,” said Podeyn. Brittney plays high school soccer at Shawnee Mission South High School, and plays her club soccer with the KC Comets Select team that has advanced to the Kansas State Cup semifinals each of the last four years. “I chose SBU to continue my academic and athletic career because they offer all of the courses needed for my intended majors, the people there were very friendly, the school is a perfect size for me, and its not too far from home yet far enough,” said Smith.
Ashley Creason (Lee’s Summit, Missouri)- Ashley comes to Southwest Baptist University as a proven goalscorer and a dangerous attacking player with lots of weapons. “The way we like to play we need a big target to feed the ball into. Ashley is a 6’2” attacking center forward who is deadly in the air and has a rocket for a shot. We were already a dangerous team on free kicks, but adding Ashley into the mix just made us even more deadly,” said Podeyn. Ashley has played three years of varsity soccer on a Lee’s Summit North High School team that has finished fourth and second in state, respectively, in her freshman and junior years. In her high school career, Ashley has been either the leading scorer or second-leading scorer on the team. She has also led her club team, KC select, in scoring. “I was looking for a smaller school that was closer to home," Creason said. "SBU had my major, and I really liked the soccer program and coaches."
Jen French (Lenexa, Kansas) - Jen is a strong wing attacker with size and speed. At 5’9” as well as a strong target in the air, both offensively and defensively. “Jen is a very good technical player with very good speed. She can dominate in the air, but also understands how to beat players one-on-one and can deliver a good service into the box for our attackers. She fits perfectly with how we want to play,” said Podeyn. Jen has been playing competitive soccer for almost 15 years. In addition to being a starter at outside defender for Bishop Miege High School since her freshman year, Jen has also been a member of the Kansas State ODP Team and a Region ODP pool player. Her club team, KC Comets Select, have been Kansas State semifinalists each of the last four years. “I chose SBU because it is very close to home and family. I like it because it is a small school and I won't get lost. I love the team and the coaches. They are all very friendly and welcoming. I already feel like I am part of the team,” said French.
“This is my first recruiting class here at Southwest Baptist University and I felt it needed to be a very strong one," Podeyn said. "Last season had its challenges, but it gave me a clear look at what we needed in order to begin building a program to challenge the best teams in our conference. We really needed to bring in skill players in different areas of the field, but we also needed to upgrade and add depth to a very good returning group of young ladies."
"I feel we have really accomplished a lot with this recruiting class," Podeyn added. "We’ve added one of the top goalkeepers in Missouri to strengthen our goalkeeping and add more depth to it. We’ve brought in three defenders and added size, strength, speed, physical play and aggressiveness. In midfield, we’ve added what I feel are two very strong midfielders -- one attacking central midfielder and the other a defensive central midfielder. Then at forward we’ve added speed, power and size. I am very excited about next year and the team we are putting together. We still have a couple of pieces we will look to add in the next couple of months, but we should be a lot faster, stronger, more aggressive, and have more talent up and down the roster."
Southwest Baptist University will open its preseason in 2010 with a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They will return to open their season at home against Quincy on Thursday, September 2, before traveling to Denver, Colorado, to take on perennial national contender Metro State College on Monday, September 6.