Lady Tiger soccer team seeking fourth straight conference title

Having won 34 of its past 41 conference games, the Cowley College women's soccer team continues to be the team to beat in the Jayhawk Conference West Division as they prepare to enter the 2022 season. Cowley was recently picked by other coaches in the conference to continue its string of conference titles.

In order to make it four conference titles in a row, the Lady Tigers will have to make up for the loss of seven all-conference players from a season ago, including Natalia Lima, the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the program behind only Amber Hernandez.

"Our midfield and forwards have some big shoes to fill, but they are excited to do just that," Cowley head coach Roberto dos Santos said. "We have got to have someone to finish opportunities as Natalia did."

The Lady Tigers have added 12 freshmen to go along with the 13 sophomores on the roster. The freshman is Nella Nevalainen, Nanaka Inaba, Kayleigh Mack, Kanon Dehama, Berta Del Hoyo Borrell, Emma Konicke, Laura Pouedras, Sara Espinosa, Lara Feldman, Fenja Leibner, Lea Evin, and Lucia Rivas.

"We feel really good about the incoming class," Dos Santos said. "Talent-wise and commitment-wise, they have already done their homework and know how we do things around here. They are hungry to accomplish big things."

Along with searching for a replacement for Lima, Cowley will need to settle on a goalkeeper to replace Makayla Farquharson, who allowed 0.79 goals per game last season. Returning sophomore Alba Lopez and freshman Kanon Dehama will be in the mix for the starting keeper position.

"We are going to have a hard time picking a goalkeeper and setting our defense because we have some talented incoming players that will push the returning players," Dos Santos said. "There will be positional battles everywhere."

Highlighting the list of returning players is forward Gabrielle Oliveria, who scored nine goals and added five assists as a freshman. Other returning players, Jessica Meira, Esther Atwood, and Angela Gatto, will serve as co-captains.

"The sophomores have bought into our program and are nurturing the new players," Dos Santos said. "Jessica, Esther, and Angela had big roles in our program last year and are trusted by their peers and the coaching staff. They know what we need to improve and have been working on that."

Pauline Gockeritz, Anne Barbosa, Maria O'Callaghan, Ivania Pena, Lina Fasquelle, Maria Luiza, Sierra Burrow, and Michelle Smith round out the returning players that helped Cowley advance to the 2021 Region title game and finish with a record of 15-1-2.

"We know we have a target on our back, which is a good place to be," Dos Santos said. "We know the way we have been working is not enough; we need to work harder and aim higher but at the same time keep things simple."

Cowley will open the season by playing three straight home games and hope to qualify for its first-ever national tournament.

"We need to be more consistent on finishing the opportunities we create, and we have to defend as well," Dos Santos said. "If this talented group becomes a team and follows the commitment that past teams have, we will be in good shape."

Cowley will open the season by hosting Eastern Oklahoma State College Sunday, August 21, at 1 p.m.