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Saturday, April 26
Huntsville Loses to Episcopal 2 to 1 in 2OT
The Huntsville Lady Eagles soccer team saw its season come to an end at the 4-A state playoffs in a double-overtime thriller on Saturday April 26. The Lady Eagles faced Episcopal Collegiate from Little Rock and lost 2-1 on a golden goal scored in the second overtime period of the game.
Huntsville took the first half lead on a goal by junior forward Cambre Awtrey off a deflection by an Episcopal defender; Ashley Marchand and Miranda Gabbard were awarded assists on the play. The score remained 1-0 in favor of Huntsville at the half.
The second half was a defensive struggle as both teams battled in the center of the field. Episcopal tied the score in the middle of the second half on a shot to the left side of the Huntsville goal. Neither side was able to score for the rest of regulation. Huntsville’s senior goalkeeper Whitney Donahoe had several big saves to frustrate the Episcopal front line.
Huntsville shifted players to start the first overtime period by moving senior defender Cory Goodwin to a forward spot to take advantage of her speed. The move seemed to work as Huntsville dominated the first overtime and had two good opportunities for shots on goal in the period leaving Episcopal scrambling on defense. The second overtime period was the heartbreaker for Huntsville as Episcopal broke through the middle and slipped the winner into the corner to advance to the second round.
“The two teams were almost mirror images,” said Huntsville coach Steve Harwood. “It was a well-played, intense game. It was exactly what you would want to see in a playoff game. We played very well. I’m really proud of how hard our team fought and how well we represented our school. It was tough on our nine seniors to end the season that way but they should be proud of their accomplishments this year.”
The 2008 Huntsville team had the highest conference finish (second place), the most conference wins (5-1) and the highest seed at state in the history of Huntsville Lady Eagles soccer.
Sunday, April 6
Huntsville Defeats Decatur 1-0
Friday night, the Huntsville Eagles soccer team traveled to Decatur for a 4A Conference match up. The two teams quickly settled into a hard fought defensive struggle, as once again, the Eagles defense was lead by the efforts of senior Ben Grove at goalkeeper and senior AJ Templeton and junior Jeff Fuller at the center defenders.
Time after time, the Eagle “D” was able to blunt the Decatur attack and give the Huntsville forwards scoring opportunities. About midway through the first half, freshman forward Juan Hernandez was able to make a great lead pass in front of the goal to senior forward Josh Fox who punched the ball away from the Bulldog keeper and into the net to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
As it turned out, that would be all of the scoring necessary for Huntsville to hold on for the victory as each team pitched a shut-out for the remainder of the contest.
‘Right now, our defense is the strength of our team,” said Eagle’s head coach Kevin Shinn. “They are playing tough every night and keeping us in the game. This year, playing against the two teams in the state finals last year, we gave up a total of three goals. But if we are going to earn our way into the playoffs this year, our offense is going to have to start taking advantage of the chances our defense is providing us.”
The Eagles will host the Gentry Pioneers Friday night at 7:00pm in Eagle Stadium in a crucial 4A Conference game.
Saturday, April 5
Bryan Drotar Named University of the Ozarks Head Womens Soccer Coach
Clarksville, Ark.-Bryan Drotar has been named the new Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of the Ozarks, it was announced by Athletics Director Jimmy Clark on Monday.Drotar, a native of Longmont, Colo., was the head women’s coach at NAIA Geneva College (Pa.) from 2002-2004 where he led the team to the playoffs in 2003. Prior to his arrival, the team went 3-15. Drotar’s team steadily improved in each of his three seasons, with the 2003 team posting a 4-5-1 conference mark.
He served as the assistant women’s coach at NAIA Missouri Baptist College for one season, helping the team to a 12-5-1 record in 2001. Drotar was the boy’s and girl’s head coach at Longmont High School (Colo.) and led both teams to the playoffs during his tenure. He is currently the Director of Coaching with the Pittsburgh Strikers Soccer Club and is the owner of Step Ahead Soccer, a Pittsburgh-area business that provides private and group lessons.
Drotar earned his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Colorado Christian University in 1996. He received his master’s degree in sports science from the United States Sports Academy in 2005. He holds an “A” License from the United States Soccer Federation and has an advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
He played at Biola University (Calif.).
“Bryan has all of the qualities we were looking for,” said Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. “We are excited he is coming on board at Ozarks. I think he will bring stability to the program, and I believe he can move our program forward. His college coaching experience at a small, private institution is a plus for recruiting.”
Drotar and his wife, Bria, are the parents of four children, Ally, Samuel, Kara and Arden.
Ozarks finished with a 7-6-4 overall record and a 6-6-1 conference mark in 2007, their best record in program history.
Thursday, March 27
Eagles Push the Berryville Bobcats to 2OT Before Falling 2 to 1.
Thursday night, the Huntsville Eagles soccer team traveled into Carroll County to take on the 4A powerhouse Berryville Bobcats in an important conference game. Last year's runner-up in the state 4A championship game against Clarksville, Berryville returns 8 starters and is ranked first in the 4A this season.
The first half was a tough defensive struggle as the Eagle's depth and hustle countered the explosive offense of the home team. Senior Midfielders Pete Plumlee and Jose Manzano, along with juniors Adam Thompson, Sean Templeton, Adam Donahey, Austin Campbell, and sophomore Joe Burger consistently disrupted Berryville's attack giving the Huntsville offense their own opportunities.
Josh Fox, Huntsville's All State forward from 2007, took advantage of these opportunities and gave the Eagle's the lead 1-0 early in the first half with a penalty kick that rebounded off of the Bobcat keeper and into the back of the net.
The Eagles aggressive defense, lead by the efforts of goalkeeper Ben Grove and defenders AJ Templeton, Jeff Fuller, Javier Escabedo, and Charlie Brown were able to close out the first half maintaining the Eagle lead at 1-0.
Both teams returned to action in the second half battling hard up and down the field without a score for the first 30 minutes until the Bobcats were able to punch the ball past the Eagle defense to tie up the score with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. The score remained knotted at 1-1 as time ran out.
In the first ten minute overtime period, once again the storyline was the Eagle defense effectively countering the repeated offensive attacks of the hard-charging Bobcats forwards.
With just over three minutes gone from the second OT period Berryville was finally able to end the contest by slipping a hard shot just inside the right post and into the back of the net.
"I think our guys played incredibly well tonight with all the odds stacked against us," said Eagles Head Coach Kevin Shinn. "It would have been tough enough to take on the #1 team in the state on their home field, but because of a problem with bus transportation, our guys were forced to arrive at the Berryville stadium four hours before game time. I'm very proud of this group of players and their efforts.”
Shinn went on to add, “Senior Ben Grove was the star of the game for us tonight making one spectacular save after another while senior defender AJ Templeton was a dominant defensive force for the Eagles. Grove ended the game with 11 saves.”
Monday, February 18
Harrison Defeats Huntsville
Monday night the Huntsville Eagles ventured east to take on the perennial 5A powerhouse Harrison Goblins. On a cold night the home team quickly heated the net scoring their first goal against the Eagles within the first two minutes of the game. The boys in maroon and white quickly regrouped behind the efforts of senior defender AJ Templeton and played tough against the Goblins holding them to a 2 – 0 halftime lead.
The Goblins came out strong from the break adding another goal at the 33:00 minute mark followed by their final goal with 25 minutes left to go in the game pushing the score to 4 to 0. The Eagles countered with their only goal of the game at the 21:50 mark following a Harrison foul inside the penalty area. Sophomore forward Ricardo Vasquez stepped up and buried the penalty kick deep into the back of the left side of the goal finishing the scoring for the evening at 4 to 1.
Senior goalkeeper Ben Grove finished the evening with 10 saves while Templeton lead the team 8 interceptions.
“Harrison has one five state championships since 2002,” said Coach Kevin Shinn. “Having played against most of those teams, I think this could be Coach Pratt’s most talented group. I’m very proud of the effort of the Eagles against them tonight.”
Thursday, February 14
Huntsville Wins Against Bentonville
The 4A Huntsville Eagles hosted the 7A Bentonville Tigers Thursday night for a non-conference soccer game. The Eagles defense, anchored by senior captain AJ Templeton, came out strong early and provided the offense with numerous fast break opportunities. Less than six minutes into the first half, the Eagles offense took advantage of the opportunities as sophomore striker Angel Hernandez scrambled to a pass in front of the net by senior Alex Goikoetxea and punched it into the Tiger goal giving the home team a 1 – 0 lead.
The remainder of the first half was a tight defensive contest with Huntsville dominating the ball on Bentonville’s end of the field. The Eagles defensive backs, junior Jeff Fuller, and sophomores Javier Escabedo, Dakoda Tanksley, and Charlie Brown joined Templeton in shutting down the Tiger attack and took the game in at halftime with the 1-0 lead.
The home team started the second half strong when with less than two minutes gone off the clock, senior midfielder Jose Manzano kicked a 35 yard shot high into the backside corner of the goal lifting the Eagles to a 2 – 0 lead.
For the next fifteen minutes, both teams battled hard with juniors Adam Donahey and Sean Templeton working hard to control the middle of the field. With around 23 minutes left to go in the game, the Tigers finally managed to get on the board with a drive down the side and quick cross and finish in front of the goal to bring the score to 2-1.
The Eagles quickly regrouped and returned to dominate the ball on Bentonville’s side of the field. With under ten minutes left to play in the game, senior Ben Grove broke down the right side of the field and placed a touch cross to the middle of the goal area where Hernandez once again beat the Tiger keeper to the ball knocking the ball into the goal moving the score to the final margin of 3 to 1.
“I’m very proud of this team,” said Eagles head coach Kevin Shinn. “Since the end of last season’s play-off loss to CAC, the players have dedicated themselves to returning to the state play-offs and have done everything I’ve asked of them.”
Saturday, February 9
University of the Ozarks Searches for New Head Women's Soccer Coach
The University of the Ozarks, a four-year liberal arts institution located in Clarksville,
Arkansas, seeks a head women’s soccer coach. Position is a full-time, nine-month
contract and will begin immediately. Job responsibilities include recruitment of scholarathletes,
practice and game-day management, scheduling and budgeting. Bachelor’s
degree required, master’s degree preferred. College coaching experience preferred. An
understanding of NCAA Division III philosophy and the role of athletics in a rigorous
academic setting is essential. Candidates must know NCAA bylaws, rules and
regulations. AA/EOE. Application preference will be given to those received before
February 20. Review of the applications will begin immediately.
Send letter of application, resume and three references to: jclark@ozarks.edu. Only
electronic resumes will be accepted. No phone calls please.
Monday, February 4
Huntsville Boys Defeat Gentry
In the first game of the season for both teams, the Eagles earned a hard fought 3 to 1 victory over the Pioneers in Gentry.
Fielding a boy's team for the first time this season, Gentry jumped to an early 1 to 0 lead off a quick shot in front of the Eagles goal. The two teams battled for the next 70 minutes without a score.
With just over 6 minutes left to go in the game, Eagles Senior forward Alex Goikoetxea tied the game after beating the Pioneer defenders to the ball in a wild scramble in front of the goal.
By this point in the contest, the Eagles superior conditioning kicked in as player after player went down with leg cramps for Gentry. With just over 4 minutes remaining in the game, Huntsville's Senior forward Ben Grove gathered in a loose ball and placed it past the Gentry keeper for the game winning goal. Less than a minute later, Grove completed the scoring by outracing the Pioneer defenders to a ball down the middle of the field and slamming the ball deep into the back of the net.
Friday, November 9
Kristyn Shinn 5th in Career Points & Goals for the University of the Ozarks
Kristyn Shinn concluded her sophomore year at the University of the Ozarks ranked 5th in Career Points & Goals & 8th in Assists.
The Lady Eagles finished the 2007 season with the best record (7-6-4) and highest winning percentage (.529) in the program’s history. The 2007 team set single-season school records in assists (31), shots (282) and longest unbeaten streak (six).
Saturday, October 28
Shinn Finishes Freshman Season at U of O ranked 7th All Time in Career goals
Huntsville High School's star forward completed her freshman year playing for the University of the Ozarks ranked 7th on the career goal list for the university. Shinn has three years remaining of eligibility. Ozarks ends the season with a 7-10-2 overall record and a 4-9-0 ASC mark. Ozarks seven wins are a program best.
Monday, September 4
Spruiell And Shinn Combine For Seven Goals In Win
SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
Date: 9/4/2006
Josh Peppas, Sports Information Director
Clarksville, Ark.-The University of the Ozarks womens soccer team dominated Mid-America Christian University taking a 12-0 win on Monday afternoon in non-conference play.
The Lady Eagles (1-0-1, 0-0-0) set the school record in shots (45) while tying the goals record (12) set in 2003 against Louisiana College. Ozarks previous shot record of 38 was set in 1999 against University of Dallas.
Freshmen Laura Spruiell and Kristyn Shinn combined for seven goals in the match. Spruiell scored twice in the first half and Shinn scored once to help Ozarks to a 6-0 lead at halftime. Emalee Pearson, Amanda Bohon and Ember Smith also scored in the first half for the Lady Eagles.
The Evangels (0-3-0) could do little to stop Ozarks in the second half, as Spruiell notched her third goal in the 50th minute and her fourth in the 74th minute. Shinn continued to attack the Evangel defense and scored in the 74th and 77th minutes. Heather Dryden gave Ozarks their eighth goal of the match in the 50th minute. Marissa Merritt added the final goal when she hit one in the back of the net in the 87th minute.
Ozarks out shot the visitors 45-2. Spruiell finished with a team-high 7 shots. Dryden followed with 6 of her own. Marisa Maldonado led the team with 2 assists.
Ozarks goalkeeper Olivia Fisher recorded her second shutout of the season and had 2 saves.
The Lady Eagles will host Hendrix College on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 23
U of O Women's Soccer Team Rebuilding With Youth
SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
Date: 8/23/2006
Josh Peppas, Sports Information Director
Women's Soccer Team Rebuilding With Youth
Clarksville, Ark.-University of the Ozarks head womens soccer coach Justin Neese has reloaded his 2006 team with a large crop of incoming freshmen, giving the Lady Eagles a solid group of young and old to provide Ozarks with an optimistic outlook for the upcoming season.
Neeses team returns seven starters and he expects immediate help from 13 talented incoming players.
This is the biggest recruiting class in the programs history, and in my opinion it is also the best, said Neese, who is entering his second season at Ozarks. I think they can come in, considering they work hard during the preseason, and play this season as well as the majority of their four years here. They are very driven and dedicated kids. They want to be successful here. Im tremendously excited about our freshman class.
Ozarks finished the 2005 season with a 3-15-0 overall record and a 3-10-0 mark in league play.
In a lot of ways, this is the first year of a brand new program, said Neese. I think that is how the freshmen and returning players should look at it. We are doing the work to build a strong program and now we have the tools to be successful in our building.
Aside from an influx of newcomers, Neese can count on starters Katie Adan, Amanda Bohon, Emma Cantele, Mandi Carter, Olivia Fisher, Jessalyn Halsted and Ember Smith returning for game experience.
Halsted, a midfielder, made the All-ASC second team a year ago after leading the team in points (8) and tying for the team lead in goals (3) and assists (2). She should be full strength this season after an injury forced her to miss most of last season. Bohon, another midfielder, started in all 18 matches and had 3 assists.
I think our midfield will be really good this year, said Neese. It will be one of our stronger points. Its one of the positions where we have returning players mixed in there, and thats pretty exciting. Having Halsted back is a plus, and obviously having Amanda return is great. They are both good players and we can do a lot with them. Marisa Maldonado is a creative player for us. Roxanne Moody is quick. She starts a lot. Heather Dryden is an exciting player and Emalee Pearson could be a defensive midfielder for us.
The forward positions will get a lift with players from the freshman class, according to Neese. Senior Mandi Carter is the top returning goal producer at this position. She scored 2 goals and started in 14 matches.
Our forwards should be good this year, said Neese. We brought in three or four freshman who I think can play there. Laura Sprueill will be good for us and four-time All State Kristyn Shinn from Huntsville can do a lot. Both are small, but both move at a quick pace. They will combine well with our midfielders. Some of our midfielders can play forward, too. Maldonado, Moody and Dryden could fill the forward position. I think the key to their success will be their pace. This area should be a factor in that whoever we play should have to give attention to it.
Ozarks returns only one full-time starter at the defender position. Senior Ember Smith, who received All-Conference honors in 2003, brings experience and maturity in the back.
Ember could have a big year, said Neese. She gives us leadership in the back, which will be important because this is a young team. We are bringing in some very cultured defenders who are able to do a lot of things. Defensive wise, they will win a lot of balls. But, I think more importantly, they will be able to combine with the midfield and move down the field a little more. Raysha Naumann is a good defender. She had a strong year in Tulsa. Taylor Crutchfield is another strong defender. Pearson is a utility player for us. We can play her in the back or the midfield. She is big and strong.
Junior Olivia Fisher will begin her first year in goal for the Lady Eagles. The 5-10 Fisher is athletic and knows the game well enough to be able to make an impact, according to Neese.
I am optimistic about the goalkeeper position, said Neese. Olivia is a strong athlete and has good soccer sense and that will help us. The biggest thing we were looking for is a good athlete and someone who is mentally sharp. She wants to help the team.
On paper the Lady Eagles appear much improved, enough so that Ozarks could end the program's ten-year playoff drought.
Our goal should be to get into the playoffs, said Neese. I think it is entirely possible to make the playoffs. This is our goal because we brought in a quality group of kids that can take us there. They will be hungry. I think that is what is appropriate for what stage we are at right now.
Neese hopes this season is the beginning of a strong future.
Accomplishing any of our goals and going beyond that would make me happy, said Neese. I think the overall principle of what will decide whether or not we had a successful season is if we end the season with the feeling that things are turning around. Thats something this program has never had. To know we are taking steps towards a brighter future will make me satisfied.
Monday, April 3
Kristyn Shinn Commits to the University of the Ozarks
Kristyn Shinn, Huntsville High School's four time All-State player, has signed to attend the University of the Ozarks and play soccer this fall for Coach Justin Neese and the Lady Eagles.
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