Saturday Update: Radford University Junior Rachel Conway (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada/Forest Heights Collegiate) scored 24 seconds into the second overtime to give Radford a 1-0 win over Howard Lady Bison in the Highlanders' season-opener Friday evening from Cupp Memorial Stadium. READ MORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. (www.howard-bison.com) - Soccer is back and Howard University head women's soccer coach Brent Leiba, who was the 2009-10 Great West Conference Coach of the Year, is ready to kick-off the season with a weekend series at Radford on Friday, Aug. 17 (7:00 p.m.) and a home-opener against Lafayette on Sunday, Aug. 19 (1:00 p.m.).
Nonetheless, HU is ready for a new season with a team of seasoned student-athletes and newcomers. For starters, the team returns a strong nucleus of players. Leiba welcomes back a veteran squad of fifteen student-athletes. Along with the strong returning corps of student-athletes, the Lady Bison secured three student-athletes in their recruiting class. Daryl Bradley, Jocelyn Evans, and Dytria Ruddy will be key student-athletes for this team entering the season and for years to come.
During the 2011 season the Lady Bison secured a 2-1 double overtime win at North Dakota to snap a 7-game losing streak and spark a 3-game winning streak. During the 3-game winning streak, the Lady Bison shutout two conference foes Delaware State and Jew Jersey Institute of Technology..
The Lady Bison will host 10 games this season on the road to postseason action. Five Lady Bison notched points in 2011and will need to get a greater production from every position in 2012.
Seniors Jordan Brown and Retha Koefoed will key to the offense this season, with each being asked to lead the Lady Bison attack, with five and four goals, respectively as juniors last year.
Seasoned midfielders Owyn Manson, Arielle Elizee, Sydney Ross, and Nia Walcott will provide leadership, as well as scoring.
From the 2011 roster, senior forward/defender Cynthia Snyder and defender/forward Ayanna Carter participated in every game last season and will bring experience to the field. Snyder and Carter started in 16 games, Snyder notched a goal against NJIT.
The Lady Bison defensive unit will receive more physical play from senior Brittany Peebles, junior Selena Mason, and sophomore Tresechelle Gibson-Serette. In goal, Kyra Dickinson returns for her second year between the pipes. Dickinson recorded 15 games played and 89 saves. Dickinson is ably backed up by sophomore Natasha Moore, who is looking to push up for some playing time.
Rounding out the Lady Bison's returning student-athletes are: junior midfielder Payton Bouie and sophomore forward Jeseca Hinds. Bouie and Hinds appeared in at least five games last season. Hinds proved to be a vital asset to the team, when she scored the game-winning goal against Delaware State last season.
The Lady Bison open the 2012 season Friday, Aug. 17, with a 7:00 p.m. non-conference game at Radford. Additional non-conference contests include road games at Loyola (Md.), Rider, Robert Morris, Wagner, and Mary Washington.
The Lady Bison first home game will be against Lafayette on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 1:00 p.m. Conference play begins for the Lady Bison on Saturday, Oct. 6, when they face South Carolina State in Orangeburg, S.C.
For more information on Howard University Women's Soccer, visit the official HU Athletics website at www.howard-bison.com.
Written by Zakiya Cob, Sports Information Intern
Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director
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