2008 Season Review

The Taylor women's soccer team came into the season with a new coach and a lot of potential, but few knew how the combination would play out. Coach Scott Stan's squad banded together under the leadership of senior captains Jillian Burkhart and Christy Sopcisak, believing in themselves and Coach Stan's philosophy. This attitude translated into a successful season in 2008. The Lady Trojans improved in every aspect of the game during Coach Stan's first season.  

Taylor's record is the most obviously improved as the Lady Trojans fought to an 11-7 record compared to the 2007 record of 3-12. The 2008 season marked the first time in years a women's soccer team had accumulated double digit wins. Taylor also rose from eighth to fifth in the Mid-Central College Conference standings with a 4-4 record.   

The learning curve of this Lady Trojan team was evident in the first month as the initial games began to set the tone for a season. Taylor started off with a close 1-0 loss to Indiana Tech in a match similar to the previous season's defeats, highlighted by a great defensive effort with a few mistakes. The difference in this year compared to previous seasons was that the offensive production was increased and gave the team a chance to win, outshooting Tech 14-6.

 Next came a stiff test on the road against a quality Cedarville team, after going down 3-0 early in the second half the Lady Trojans showed a fire and desire and fought back with two straight goals putting tremendous pressure on the hosts. The game finished with a 3-2 loss but gave the team an invaluable mental attitude. The ability to score against a good team, and to fight back and be in the game after being down was a confidence builder.

The following games showcased the determination and newfound offensive strength as Taylor rattled off six straight wins. Through tough defensive efforts and a goal scoring explosion, the Lady Trojans ended up scoring 29 times, only giving up 1 goal while recording 5 shutouts in the six-game span.

Coming into the beginning of the conference schedule with a 6-2 record, the Lady Trojans started off with a challenging week, playing three games in five days. They played  Indiana Wesleyan and Spring Arbor, perennial MCC powerhouses, as well as Urbana University, an NCAA Division II program. 

All three games were close battles and the Lady Trojans came out with a 1-2 record on the week. The win came against Urbana on the road in a defensive battle, with the final being 1-0. The tough week took its toll as two starting defenders were lost to injuries. This did not slow down the momentum of the team as they went on to win three of their next four conference games to raise their MCC record to 4-3 with one game remaining. The game became very important because it was against the University of St. Francis, who it had been determined would be the Trojans first round tournament opponent. Home-field advantage was on the line for the conference playoffs.

Taylor lost in an impressive battle 2-1 to finish with a 4-4 record in conference and the fifth seed in the postseason tournament. The Lady Trojans returned to combat St. Francis in the conference tournament and succumbed in a well played match by both sides to a 1-0 final. That ended the Lady Trojans' turnaround season with a record of 11-7 overall.

 After the impressive season two players were recognized by the MCC: Junior Shawna Lane and freshman Marissa Ku were named to the All-Conference team. Ku and junior Allie Guion finished the year with 12 goals apiece to pace the Taylor offense and senior Jillian Burkhart and goalkeeper Shawna set the tone in the defensive half and picked up 9 shutouts and allowed just .76 goals per game.

Coach Stan's squad finished the season with a total of 41 goals, an increase of 32 from the 2007 season. While Guion and Ku lead the way, the scoring was contagious as a total of nine different Lady Trojans scored. As well as the prolific offense the defense stepped up and allowed only 14 goals in 18 games compared to 42 in 15 games a year ago. The 9 total shutouts, including 3 shutouts in conference had Lane and the defense ranked nationally.

Six seniors leave the women's soccer program much appreciated for their dedication, determination, and loyalty to the program. Jillian Burkhart, Jess Cleary, Ellen Koch, Jackie Sanchez, Kim Moselle and Christy Sopsicak have left a model for the returners to follow and a foundation to build on under Coach Stan's tutelage.

The Lady Trojans will return nine starters for the 2009 season. This includes all of the offensive output from this year and a core of defenders prepared to increase upon the stellar defensive stats from this year. These returners will be asked to work hard in the offseason program to prepare for the addition of a talent laden recruiting class that looks to have Taylor fighting for a spot amongst the top of the MCC.