07 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE - South Dakota State University Athletics

2007 South Dakota State Women’s Soccer
Season Outdook
Now entering the eighth season of women’s soccer at South Dakota
State, head coach Lang Wedemeyer is accustomed to starting over. He
first put the team together from scratch in 2000 before SDSU began its
transition to the Division I level in 2004. In 2006, his team joined the United Soccer
Conference for just one season and now, he takes his team to a more permanent
home in The Summit League.
Similar to his previous journeys, Wedemeyer will look to keep his team on an
upward path in their new home, following the school’s first conference title as SDSU
captured the 2006 United Soccer Conference tournament championship.
Not only did last year’s team reach unprecedented heights for a third-year
Division I program, but the squad lost just four seniors, only one of which was
a regular starter. Maggie Eilers, Jenn Davis, Karoline Brause, and Janel Brown all
ended their collegiate careers on Nov. 5, 2006, when the Jacks captured the USC
crown with a 1-0 victory over rival North Dakota State.
The climb to the top in The Summit League will prove to be far more difficult
for the eighth edition of Wedemeyer’s South Dakota State Jackrabbits, as SDSU is in
its final year of reclassification and will be ineligible for post-season competition.
“It’s certainly a bit of a letdown after having won the United Soccer Conference
Championship last year to not have an end of the year tournament to look forward
to,” Wedemeyer said.
The program will have plenty to build on, as the 2007 roster includes just four
seniors and boasts an incoming class of 12. Playing in their final season, the four
seniors will be the first to have played their entire SDSU careers at the Division I
level.
“We have four hard working young ladies who can each lead in her own way
to help facilitate both the inclusion of the freshmen as well as the heightened
competition level within the conference,” Wedemeyer said. “Along with being
leaders on and off the field, our four seniors will leave their legacy as a group that
helped transform our program in our Division I transition and have laid a wonderful
foundation for the future.”
Juniors Chelsea Goosen (Olathe, Kan.), Kellyn Farrell (Littleton, Colo.), and
Kerstyn Farrell (Littleton, Colo.) combined for 39 points in 2006, while seniors
Kelsey Worcester (Anamosa, Iowa) and Heather Hill (Spearfish, S.D.) bring back 22
of South Dakota State’s 88 points from the 2006 campaign.
Even with the talent returning, South Dakota State’s program transitioned
overnight from a well-balanced roster to a youthful roster with some veterans at key
positions. The challenge of continuing to build the program at a the Division I level
will be a test that Wedemeyer will be faced with in 2007.
Wedemeyer and his squad have high expectations for this year, but who can
blame them. Just one year after winning a conference title the team knows its season
will come to an end for good on Nov. 4. However, the Jacks are not about to sit
stagnant for a season. South Dakota State and Wedemeyer are looking at both the
now and the future.
“The team has its sights on finishing in the top four of The Summit League as
a stepping stone to winning the conference tournament in 2008,” Wedemeyer said.
“The focus of the freshmen will be to gain as much experience as possible so that we
are well prepared for the next phase of our program—being fully eligible for NCAA
tournament play next year.”
Senior forward Kelsey Worcester (right) is South Dakota State University’s career points leader
in the Division I era. Worcester has been one of the top two scorers in each of her three seasons
at SDSU. Since joining the team in 2004, Worecester has collected 45 points in 55 games.
2007 Schedule
Aug. 20 Jamestown (exh) Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Aug. 25 at Minnesota (exh) Minneapolis, Minn. 1:00 p.m.
Aug. 31 Northern Iowa Brookings, S.D. 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 7 Brookings, S.D. 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 9 Mary (N.D.) Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 13 Cedar City, Utah 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 16 Creighton Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 21 Weber State Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 23 Iowa Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Drake Des Moines, Iowa 1:00 p.m.
Brookings, S.D. 7:00 p.m.
Brookings, S.D. 12:00 p.m.
Oct. 11 Macomb, Ill. 4:00 p.m.
Brookings, S.D. 1:00 p.m.
Brookings, S.D. 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 26 Shreveport, La. 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 28 Tulsa, Okla. 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Liberty Lynchburg, Va. 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 4 at Longwood Farmville, Va. 11:00 a.m.
Nov. 9-11 // The Summit League Championships
Nov. 9 Summit Quarterfinals Rochester, Mich. TBA
Nov. 10 Summit Semifinals Rochester, Mich. TBA
Nov. 11 Summit Championship Rochester, Mich. TBA
all times local
home games in
2007 South Dakota State Women’s Soccer Media Guide 3