Texas Tech University Athletics
Women's Soccer Team Prepares for 1999 Season
July 19, 1999 | Women's Soccer
July 19, 1999
LUBBOCK, Texas - On August 12, the 1999 Texas Tech women's soccer team will be heading to Europe for 10 days with stops in Holland and Germany to compete against some of the most outstanding teams in Europe, in preparation for the upcoming season. Tech looks to carry over its international experience to the playing field this fall to produce a very successful year.
Recent seasons have had lackluster endings, including last year's loss to Iowa State in the season's final contest, which cost the Red Raiders a trip to the Big 12 Tournament. But head coach Felix Oskam has proof that training for the 1999 season in Europe can pay dividends at the end of the season. Several programs have gone overseas together and the formula has proven to be a success. In 1998, Florida sent its soccer team to Europe and the Gators went on to a National Championship.
While Texas Tech might not be quite ready to contend for a national title in 1999, Oskam will be the first to say that he has to be patient as his program develops. The Raiders have a shot to gain prestige within the Big 12 with a quality campaign. The conference tournament, which has consisted of the Big 12's top six teams since 1996, will increase to eight teams this year. Last season, Tech finished seventh in the conference.
"This program belongs there," Oskam said, referring to the top half of the Big 12. "I think one of our goals for us definitely needs to be this - that we need to get back to the Big 12 Conference Tournament. We finished seventh the last two years, only the top six were going to go, but this year the top eight are going to go. I definitely expect us to be there, in San Antonio, to be one of the top eight. It's not going to be easy because all the other schools have done very well recruiting and they get better every year."
This year Tech starts off the season with a bang playing at Nebraska which finished the 1998 season ranked 10th and was the Big 12 Tournament champion. Texas Tech will then travel to Iowa State before seeing any non-conference action. In the beginning of October, Tech will host four straight Big 12 contests with Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Texas A&M before playing its last five games on the road. The last five games of the season include four Big 12 schools, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Colorado and Baylor.
"Again, you have to look at Nebraska as the top team," said Oskam. "They've had a very good recruiting year again. Texas A&M had a very good recruiting year again and I think they have something to prove. Baylor and Kansas brought in new coaches and Missouri had a great year last year. It's not going to be easy but I would say that we need to keep an eye on Kansas. I think they might be the Cinderella team of the year."
The non-conference schedule opens at home with West Texas A&M and Arkansas. Tech will then face UTEP and New Mexico in El Paso before hosting the Four Points Sheraton Shoot-Out. with North Texas and Syracuse coming to Lubbock. Next up for Tech will be TCU and Northwestern State in Fort Worth. Later in the year, the Red Raiders will play at Denver to conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule.
"I think the schedule this year is not as strong as the past year, but I think it might be good for us," said Oskam. "Our non-conference schedule will bring Syracuse in, which is a very strong team for our tournament and then North Texas, which is also strong. We play New Mexico on a neutral field and TCU on its home field. TCU is usually a tough team to play on its home field."
The 1999 team fields 13 returnees, nine who are starters, including five seniors who should provide the Red Raiders with solid leadership.
On the field, Tech will be led by senior forward Kristy Frantz and junior midfielder Jennifer Hamm. Last season, Frantz set Texas Tech's career record for most points scored with 98, while being named second team All-Big 12 and was named to the Nike/Snickers SocccerFest All-Tournament team at Butler University. Frantz had a team-high nine assists and was second on the team in points with 21 and goals with six in 1998. A 1998 second team All-NSCAA All-Central Region and first team All-Big 12 selection, Hamm took a team-high 56 shots and was second in assists with five. Hamm was also third in goals with three in just her first year on the Red Raider squad after transferring from Hawaii.
"Obviously, our key plays are Jennifer Hamm and Kristy Frantz," said Oskam. "Kristy had a so-so year last year because she didn't score as many goals, but Jennifer has done a tremendous job for us by creating scoring opportunities for other players."
Oskam also believes that senior midfielder Lizzy Biles and junior midfielder Lindsay Thompson will be key players. Last season, Biles and Thompson combined for 21 shots, 2 goals, five assists and nine points.
"I think Lizzy Biles is going to be important for us, as well as Lindsay Thompson," Oskam said.
Look for senior defenders Jamie Woods and Ashlyn Peterson to be the top two defenders this year. Peterson started all 17 games last season, while Woods had 14 starts.
"Jamie Woods and Ashlyn Peterson in the back are our two central defenders and basically a lot of defensive system revolves around them," said Oskam. "They need to have a very good year, and I expect them to have a very good year. We have five seniors and I definitely want to make it a good year for them."
Sophomores Kellie McCallister and Brittany Peese return as the top goalkeepers. Peese started 14 games last season with four shutouts. Peese accumulated 1,282 minutes of action and recorded 65 saves. She also had a 2.32 goals-against-average. McCallister is back after being medically red-shirted last year. In her freshman year, McCallister started 15 of Tech's 18 games and held a goals-against-average of 2.13. McCallister also recorded two shutouts, 75 saves and 1,392 minutes of work.
This year's squad welcomes four newcomers, a sophomore and three freshmen. Sophomore forward Carrie Graham joins the Red Raiders after spending a season at Alabama-Birmingham. While at UAB, Graham was second on the team with five goals, including two game-winning goals and three assists, while taking 38 shots. She finished the season third on the team in points with 13 and was named to Conference USA's All-Freshman team.
The freshman class includes forward Jenny Alfred and midfielders Jennifer Hronek and Lindsey Wile.
Alfred, a product of Mountain View High School in Tucson, Ariz., was the 1998 Southern Arizona Player of the Year and was second team all-state by the Arizona High School Soccer Coaches Association for Class 4A. Alfred was also a member of the St. Francis Demons which was third runner-up at the Arizona State Cup in 1998.
Also from Arizona is Hronek, who hails from Phoenix and attended Paradise Valley High School. Hronek was a first team all-state and first team All-Arizona as a senior. Her high school team was class 5A state runner-ups in 1998. She also competed for the Sereno "Classic" Golden Eagles, which captured four state titles during Hronek's playing career.
Wile rounds out the freshman class coming to Tech from Austin, Texas and Westwood High School. Wile was a first team All-District selection as a senior. Her high school team was a regional finalist in 1998. She also played on the Austin Thunder which was second in the state and was a member of the Texas ODP state team.
"From the four kids we signed, one is a transfer in Carrie Graham, but I think Carrie will see a lot of playing time," Oskam said. "I expect to see Jennifer Hronek getting a lot of playing time and have an immediate impact. I think Lindsey Wile and Jenny Alfred can come in and compete right away. If it's not starting, then they definitely can come off the bench and give us a boost. I think we're going to be a little bit deeper, and I say this every year, but I do think that we are going to be deeper with the kids who are coming in. And then we have several walk-ons, and you never know with walk-ons. Most of our kids are former walk-ons, so you never know."
With a solid corps of players and five seniors, Oskam feels that experience and balance are their biggest strengths.
"I think now our experience will be the key with having five seniors," said Oskam. "We have several juniors and a lot of these kids have played together the last two or three years. They're getting to know each other better, and what each other can and cannot do. The system that we play is a zonal system, and they understand it better. That's going to be the key for us to keep our experienced players on the field, and maybe with some of the new players, to get a good balance for our team."
One thing this year's team will concentrate on is not giving up easy goals, which has been costly in the past.
"I think defensively we can't give up the easy goals," Oskam said. "We've got to avoid giving up easy goals. The other team needs to earn it. We can't give away a game. I'm looking actually to play a little bit more of an offensive style rather concentrating too much on defense. If you have the ball, attacking it, then you don't have to defend."
Oskam believes that for his team to continue its climb to prominence, that they need to play well and be consistent the whole season.
"It's going to be a big dog fight in the Big 12 Conference," said Oskam. "There's not any easy games whatsoever. But, that makes it good for us as a conference. Obviously, we want to get to the Big 12 Tournament, but we need to start well and maintain that over the whole year. Last year, we started off well but we finished very poorly. I want more consistency the whole year."
1999 may be the last year of the century, but it is just the beginning for bigger and brighter things for the Texas Tech soccer team.
