By Michael Freeman, Assistant Sports Editor
In its inaugural season last year, the Wildcat soccer team finished with an overall record of 8-11-1 and a 3-6-1 record in the Lone Star Conference. ACU hopes to improve that record after adding seven new players.
Head coach Casey Wilson announced Sunday that seven players – four high school players and three transfers – have either signed binding national letters-of-intent or have transferred to ACU.
“We had an excellent core of players last year, and they’re all coming back this year,” Wilson said. “The main thing that hurt us last year was just a lack of depth on defense.”
Improving the team’s defense was essential in the Wildcats’ recruiting approach. Three important signees who plan to boost
ACU’s defensive play are Veronica Wilhelm, Anastasia Nelson and Kaleigh Johnson.
Wilhelm is a transfer from Mount San Antonio College, a junior college in Walnut, Calif., where she played two seasons for a team that went 16-4-2 last season.
Nelson is also a transfer from a California junior college, San Diego Mesa College, where she played sweeper for the past two years. San Diego Mesa College reached the quarterfinals of the California Regional Tournament last season.
Also from the Golden State is Johnson, who went to Quartz Hill High School.
“Specifically, we want to redesign our defense and add depth to our outside midfielders,” Wilson said.
ACU also signed on a transfer from a Division II school. Micah Merrill-Johnson, a defender/midfielder, played three years at Montana State-Billings. In her tenure as a Yellowjacket, Merrill-Johnson has played in a total of 45 games.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats added three Texas high school players. Rachel Patchen, a forward/midfielder, comes to ACU from Arlington Martin High School, a soccer program that consistently is ranked in the top 10 in Texas. Joining her is Suzanna Cauthen, a forward, who played for Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, which is also one of the top soccer programs in Texas. ACU will also see play from forward Brooke Magers, who went to Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington.
“We’re still looking for a goalkeeper,” Wilson said. “We have a couple of players coming in next week that we’ll be looking at.”
The Wildcats are hoping to sign a couple of more players before next season’s roster is complete, Wilson said.
With the possible addition of two or three players, plus the seven new signees, ACU will be loaded with talent for the 2008 season. The Wildcats’ season will begin in August.
