Alabama Soccer Team Reports to Fall Camp
8/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
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The University of Alabama soccer team reports to fall camp Thursday and will kick the new season off with an intrasquad scrimmage at 7 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Complex. The Crimson Tide is coming off of a perfect spring season and a 10-11 fall record where it finished third in the SEC West and qualified for the post-season for the first time since 1998.
“Myself and the rest of our staff is anxious about the arrival of the team,” head coach Don Staley said. “We have a lot of work to get done before the first game. With all the new faces that will be here, we look to our veterans to lead the way and pick-up where we left off.”
Alabama returns 13 players from last year’s squad, including 10 starters. Second-team All-SEC member Libby Probst will lead the way for the Tide as she begins her senior season in the top 10 of each of Alabama’s major offensive categories. SEC All-Freshman team members Jordan O’Banion and Chelsea Stang also return.
There will be 11 new faces when the team reports to camp Thursday, one of the largest freshmen classes in Alabama soccer history. Of the 11 freshmen, five hail from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group also includes two players from the state of Alabama, Annie B. Collins of Mountain Brook and Callie Pike of Tuscaloosa.
In addition to the newcomers, Alabama welcomes two new assistant coaches as well. Shanna Caldwell joined the Alabama staff in July from Oklahoma and will coach the goalkeepers. Jerod Hall has also joined the team as a volunteer assistant coach.
One of the main focuses for Staley and his coaching staff early in fall camp will be the competition at goalkeeper. With the loss of Laura Lowman, Alabama will turn to three highly touted freshmen in the nets, Kara Gudmens (Cincinnati, Ohio), Brittni Lally (Lebenon, Ohio) and Karen Lansden (Houston, Texas).
The Tide will begin two-a-day practice Friday and continue through Aug. 23.
