Working with new talent always has its pros and cons, but if the Lady Lions’ season opener 3-1 win against Jackson State is any indication, their soccer team has a lot to look forward to.
The match against JSU took place under the lights of Strawberry Stadium, the first time in the 76-year-old venue’s history, on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
“During preseason we had a few practices here; we’ve been preparing to play on this field,” said senior defender Shanyce Shaw. “We were very excited to play under the lights. With everyone coming to watch us, we had a little nervous energy, but we were still excited.”
The Lady Lions took the lead in the 20th minute after senior forward/midfielder Kelsey Salcido gained the ball and played it ahead to freshman defender Katie Noonan. Noonan beat JSU goalkeeper Kylie Christian and sent the ball into the goal, her first as a Lion. JSU was quick to respond, leveling the score 1-1 by the end of the first half.
The Lady Lions went on the attack in the second half; their second goal a product of the combined efforts of Shaw and freshman forward Marisa Rodrigues. The final score of the game was sophomore forward/midfielder Casey Peacock’s first of the year, made after recovering a blocked shot by Salcido.
Last season, 11 of the teams’ seniors graduated; this included four-time All-Southland Conference forward Maiya Cooper, then-team assist leader Karly Dagys and the all-time league leader in career shutouts Lacey Bockhaus. This season, head coach Blake Hornbuckle and his staff were tasked to recruit players to fill the shoes left by the former senior players, many of them freshmen.
“Our new players came up pretty big for us tonight; they accounted for two of the three goals,” said Hornbuckle. “They put a lot of pressure on the defense; they kept the ball creating. Their mentality was great and their work rate — fantastic.”
After the departure of seniors from the team Shaw and Salcido were left as the only senior players. Like Hornbuckle, they too are impressed with the green talent.
“We all support this team,” said Shaw. “The freshmen played great; we played well together. We connected. I’m proud of them and of their performance.”
With the advent of Cooper, the lead forward and scoring threat on the team is undoubtedly returning sophomore Kayla Vera. Vera did not play against JSU, but her absence gave the team’s new offensive talent an opportunity to shine, and it did.  
“Brianna Singh turned her defenders several times and created several opportunities for us,” said Hornbuckle. “Marisa has tremendous speed and is great at cutting in between players and slipping in balls that will be dangerous for the other team to handle.”
Besides Cooper, Bockhaus also left big shoes to fill. Freshman Hope Sabadash replaces the four-year starter goalkeeper this season, but does not intend to wilt in her predecessor’s shadow.
“I’m not intimidated; I just have to work hard to get where she was,” said Sabadash. “There’s a lot of hard work I have to put in if I’m going to be up there.”
Hornbuckle agrees with Sabadash, but is confident in her ability.
“I think Hope has unlimited potential for us,” he said. “She has a great frame for the game, very good with her distribution, composed and directs her defense very well. Her distribution is very good off the ground which is very important in today’s game. She plays more like an upperclassman than a freshman.”
After clinching their season opener, the Lady Lions will head out for a three-game away stretch beginning tonight at Louisiana-Lafayette. From there, the team will travel to Mississippi Valley State and then Southern Miss. While the stretch is early in the season Hornbuckle believes his team will hold together on the road.
“It’s great for us to get a game under our belt,” said Hornbuckle. “We’ll see where we go from here and each day we’re going to get better.”
The team will return home to face Mississippi State Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. in the Southeastern Soccer Complex.