Drury's 2007 women's soccer season was truly one for the record books, with the Panthers not only claiming their first Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and setting a school mark for victories (17), but advancing to the NCAA-II Sweet 16 for the first time in the program's history.
How do you follow that? With expectations of again putting a contending team on the field this fall, buoyed by the fact that most of the key components from last season's 17-5-3 finisher return in place.
Coach Alf Bilbao's Panthers lost just three seniors - all non-starters - but suffered a blow in the spring when senior-to-be midfielder Sarah Goodman, a three-year starter, suffered a knee injury that is likely to keep the returning All-GLVC Second Team selection out this fall.
But the best news is DU returns arguably the GLVC's best defensive back line in senior Chloe Moushey - a returning All-GLVC First Team selection - and juniors Emily West and Bailey Randol as well as the league's reigning Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in sophomore keeper Jessie Sanderson, who compiled 128 saves and a school-record 12 shutouts while also establishing a Drury mark with her 0.64 goals against average.
Junior Sarah Owens and sophomore Meredith Hall provide talented depth and versatility to a team that finished 8-3-2 in GLVC regular season play last season before catching fire and going on a run that didn't end until a 4-1 setback against No. 1-ranked Grand Valley state in the NCAA-II Sweet 16.
Despite the loss of Goodman, the Panthers have plenty of experience in the mid-field area with returning juniors Micah Little (two goals, four assists) and Caitlin Weins (one goal, four assists) joining sophomore Kelsy Long (six goals, three assists) to give Bilbao a veteran starting presence, with depth provided by the likes of junior Olivia Phillippart de Foy, sophomore Alyssa Allcorn and a pair incoming freshmen, Katy McLain from Springfield's Kickapoo High School and Hillary Cockrell of Broken Arrow, Okla. (Tulsa Union H.S.). McLain had nine goals and 11 assists as a senior, earning All-Ozarks status for a second straight year, while Cockrell's had four goals and six assists - including the game-winning score in the Class 6 state championship game - for two-time defending champion Tulsa Union.
Up front, the stable of forwards is led by senior Melissa Perry (seven goals, six assists), juniors Mandi Little (team-high eight goals, two assists) and Karissa Nedoma , sophomore Aly Reynolds (seven goals, two assists) and freshman Nicole Williams (Troy-Buchanon HS). Williams, one of only three newcomers to the squad this season, led the Gateway Athletic Conference with 24 goals and scored 56 points, finishing her career with 71 goals and 44 assists.
Add it all up, and Bilbao believes it's a Panthers squad that once again can make some noise on the conference and national levels in 2008.
"We set a high standard last season," Bilbao says, "and we'll look to retain our GLVC championship."
The Panthers open practices on August 10, with their opener tentatively set for Wednesday, August 20 at Southwest Baptist. Drury's first home match of the season - where the Panthers were 10-1 a year ago - will be against Abilene Christian on Saturday, August 30 (7 p.m.), with the GLVC opening series featuring a trip to Missouri-St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 12.
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