By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – The William Carey University Lady Crusaders have a tough act to follow as they approach the upcoming 2019 soccer season.
Carey had the strongest possible finish, storming through the NAIA National Tournament and winning the program’s first national championship with a 1-0 victory over Keiser (Fla.) University.
“Winning a national championship is a lot of fun, obviously, but after about six months or so, you get back to work,” said veteran Lady Crusaders coach Danny Owens.
“It’s not going to change the way we do things. Our goal is always going to be to win a national championship.”
Owens enters his 15th season at the helm for the Lady Crusaders, and he has some big shoes to fill from last season’s 20-3-0 team coming into 2019.
But Carey does return its leading scorer from last season in junior Ana Paulo Santos, who had 21 goals, and senior Silvia Leonessi, who led the team with nine assists.
“We have some kids who played some for us last year, who are going to have to step up for us,” said Owens. “We’ve brought in some new kids who are just trying to get acclimated to our style of play.”
The Lady Crusaders will also need to replace departed goalkeeper Abby Baravik, who had 67 saves and allowed just 18 goals for the season. Junior Sabrina Lang steps into the starting role after appearing in five games in 2018.
“She didn’t play a lot last year, but her freshman season she had to come in during the national tournament when Abby tore up her knee, and she performed well,” said Owens. “So, she’s been tested at the highest level.”
Santos will dictate much of the Carey offense from the midfield, and the Lady Crusaders also return sophomore Anni Rusanen, who scored the only goal in the national championship game.
The Lady Crusaders open the regular season August 21 at home against LSU-Alexandria, but will give fans a sneak preview at 11 a.m. Thursday, hosting Mississippi State in an exhibition.
“We’re a top-five program (in NAIA), so we’re going to get our opponent’s A-game when they play us,” Owens said. “So, we always have that bulls-eye on our backs.”
Carey Women’s Soccer
At A Glance
Head Coach: Danny Owens (15th season), 215-62-14.
2018 Record: 21-3-0, won NAIA National Championship.
Assistant Coaches: Ryan Weir; Chloe Crook; Kelly Stubbington.
Top Returning Players: MF Ana Paula Santos (Jr.); F Silvia Leonessi (Sr.); MF Anni Rusanen (So.); GK Sabrina Lang (Jr.).
MEN’S SOCCER
It was close, but still no cigar for the Crusaders, who went undefeated all the way to the NAIA National Tournament semifinals before dropping a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Missouri Valley College.
The Crusaders will begin another quest for an elusive title at 5 p.m. Thursday against Tennessee Wesleyan at Crusader Field.
“This will be a great game to open the season,” said Carey men’s coach Barry Farrell.
“We have a lot of new players on our roster this season, and the game will be a tough challenge for our team, but something we are looking forward to.”
The Crusaders lose some top talent, especially National Player of the Year Joaquin Ruiz Caberllo, who had 13 goals and 22 assists last season. Nevertheless, Carey enters the season as the preseason favorite in the Southern States Athletic Conference.
“It’s a great honor to be ranked No. 1 in the SSAC preseason rankings,” said Farrell. “We are looking to continue our form from last year, into the season ahead. The SSAC is a strong conference, and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Carey does return junior forward Pablo Varela Vasquez Frago, who scored 12 goals, and he will be the focus of a strong midfield, led by senior Caleb Counselman and junior Ethan Loftin.
The back line will be mostly new and will build around senior returning starter Spencer Martin. Senior Adrian Cabado will step into the starting role in goal after backing up graduated Josh Carpenter.
Carey Men’s Soccer
At A Glance
Head Coach: Barry Farrell (4th season), 55-5-4.
2018 Record: 20-1-1, lost in NAIA National Tournament semifinals.
Assistant Coaches: Ross Brooks; Tom Dos Anjos; Daniel Carroll.
Top Returning Players: F Pablo Varrela Vasquez Frago (Jr.); D Spencer Martin (Sr.); MF Caleb Counselman; MF Clairy Kengeye (So.).
VOLLEYBALL
The Crusaders open their fourth season of volleyball play with an ambitious schedule, beginning on Wednesday at the Summer Slam Tournament in southern California.
Carey will also make appearances in the Faulkner Invitational at Montgomery, Ala., and the Milligan Mountain Madness tournament in Tennessee.
“Our non-conference schedule is packed with strong competition from all over the country,” said Carey coach Kelsea Weldon, who has guided the program since its inception in 2016. The schedule is challenging, but we believe it will prepare us for our conference play.”
The Crusaders were 15-19 overall last season, 8-8 in SSAC play, but Weldon says the combination of returning talent and a strong freshman class coming in offers plenty of confidence for the coming season.
“Our team is more seasoned than last year,” Weldon said. “We have 70 percent of our starting lineup back. The girls who were injured last year are healthy, and our freshman class will bring in a lot of competition.”
Among the top returning players for Carey are junior Jordan Stephens, who led the team with 30 service aces last season, junior Baylee Fairbanks, who had 118 kills in 2018, and junior Gillian Tripp, who averaged 3.55 assists per game last season.
Carey Volleyball
At A Glance
Head Coach: Kelsea Seymour Weldon (4th season), 45-51.
2018 Record: 15-19, 8-8 in SSAC (6th place).
Assistant Coach: Lauren Broom.
Top Returning Players: OH Jordan Stephens (Jr.); MB Baylee Fairbanks (Jr.); S Gillian Tripp (Jr.).
