Lady Tiger soccer team looks to build off recent success

With a solid blend of returning athletes and new players entering the program, the Cowley College women's soccer team hopes to take another step in its process of being a national contender. The Lady Tigers will open their season on Wednesday, September 1 when they play at Garden City Community College.

Cowley will enter the season with 14 sophomores to go along with its 15 freshmen. The 14 sophomores helped Cowley go 10-3-1 last season and capture the team's second straight conference title.

"This is a special group of returning athletes," Cowley head coach Roberto dos Santos said. "Their maturity level and leadership will be huge for our team."

Highlighting the list of returning players are forward Natalia Lima (nine goals, four assists), a two-time First Team all-conference selection, and fellow First Team all-conference forward Leticia Beloni (five goals), Elsa Pelicant, and goalie Makayla Farquharson (0.97 goals against average).

Fellow sophomores Manuela Oliveira (two goals, five assists), Michaela Seahorn (two goals), and Lucia Fernandez (five assists) were named Second Team all-conference selections.

Other returning players are, Iku Asari, Jessica Rincon, Carla Ruiz, Claudia Labajos, Marta Aranda, Florencia Campodonico, and Francisca Valenzuela.

Dos Santos, last season's Jayhawk West Coach of the Year, has led Cowley to a record of 24-7-1 over the past two seasons. He and assistant coach Tanner Brock have worked hard to add the right pieces to a team with so many returning players.

The Tigers added four freshmen from Brazil, three from Tulsa, Oklahoma, two from France, two from Spain, and players from Chile, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

"I am excited with how recruiting went," dos Santos said. "The girls coming into the program will help fill the gaps and will be competitive."

After another stellar regular season, Cowley was upset in the First Round of last year's Region VI Tournament.

"We are upset with how last season ended," dos Santos said. "The returning players know better than to take other teams for granted."

With a new turf field to play on, dos Santos believes this year's team is ready to take the next step and help lead the program to its first-ever national tournament appearance.

"We are excited to play at the new facility and like the challenging schedule we have put together," dos Santos said. "It is not necessarily what we have done on the field, but the culture we have instilled in the players that make us expect to win each time we step on the field."