2015 TMC Women’s Soccer Team
The Lady Bears will lean on a talented group of returners to help guide a new group of freshmen in search of a post season appearance. Senior Brooke Reed from Oakwood, Georgia has been known to play extremely strong in the air, and she will look to continue her impressive play as the team takes the field this fall. Reed, a graduate of West Hall High School, is the Lady Bears’ center defender and serves as the team’s co-captain. Victoria Schillinger, who also serves as the team’s co-captain and center defender, will look to back up her recent honor of being named to the AAC 1st team during the course of the 2014 season. Schillinger, a junior from Dacula, Georgia and a graduate of Mill Creek High School, will look to continue her dominant play on the defensive side of the ball. In addition, Katey Griggs, a sophomore from Fort Valley, Georgia and a recent graduate of First Day Presbyterian will also look to play a pivotal role on the Lady Bears’ 2015 squad. Griggs is considered to be one of, if not the best, passers on the team and was able to notch a game-winning goal against division rival Union College last season. She was named to the AAC 2nd team during the 2014 season for her strong play at center midfielder. In addition, senior Jo Cook from York, England will look to continue her strong play at left back, which saw her grab three assists during the 2014 campaign en route to being considered one of the most consistent players on the team.
In addition to the strong core group of returning players, the Lady Bears will look to a talented group of freshmen to serve as immediate impact players. Carson Batye joins the Bears after an impressive high school career at Archer High School that saw her serve as team captain for three seasons and earn All Region Honors her junior and senior seasons. Batye, who will play center midfielder, is expected to compete right away due to her strength and ability. Quiara Gebauer, center forward, joins the Lady Bears after experiencing a huge amount of success on the club circuit. Coaches expect her speed and technical ability will allow her the opportunity to see significant playing time during the course of the upcoming season. The Lady Bears also hope the addition of Lexi Kent will pay dividends in front of the net. Kent, an established goalkeeper, joins the Lady Bears after helping her team win a state championship during her senior season at the Hebron Christian Academy by setting a school record for the most saves with 766. Coaches believe her size, ability, and presence in front of the net will help her push to play early on during the course of the season.
The Lady Bears will run the gauntlet during the 2015 season through a number of tough head-to-head matches. Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated match-ups of the season will come against conference rival and 2014 AAC conference champions, Reinhardt College. The Lady Bears will welcome the Reinhardt Eagles to the campus of Truett-McConnell on October 7th at 4:30 pm in hopes of backing up their 2014 victory against the Eagles. In addition, The Bears will look to gain some revenge against Point University on September 23rd after having been knocked out of the 2014 playoffs by the Skyhawks.
Head Coach David McDowell offered some insight into the upcoming 2015 season. “Although we had a good regular season in 2014, we fell too early in the conference playoffs and it definitely stung us,” he said. “We have worked very hard in the spring, and the core of returners have really established themselves and will provide an excellent platform on which to build. We have another strong freshman class, and a number of them will look to compete right away. I believe the keys for us will be finding the right balance, as well as creating a culture where the girls work hard for each other and trust each other to get the job done. Overall, I am very excited about this season. If we can stay healthy and avoid the injury issues from last year, I believe we can have a great season.”
The Bears will open their regular season schedule at home on Wednesday, August 19th against Campbellsville University. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm.
