OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's soccer team opens its 2016 campaign this week as the Mavericks will play host to the UMKC Kangaroos in a 7 p.m. contest Friday night at Caniglia Field.
2016 Omaha Season Outlook
The Omaha Mavericks return 19 letterwinners and eight starters from the 2015 squad which went 5-11-2 overall. Don Klosterman is entering his 18th season at the helm in Omaha and holds a 214-108-18 record.
Omaha looks to replace nine goals and three assists from graduated seniors Chelsi Rohloff (7g, 1a) and Courtney Neville (2g, 2a) this season. Junior Lydia Holtmann tallied five points on two goals and an assist last season to lead all returnees. Junior Marin Dregelid had a goal and an assist for three points. Senior Emily Michaels tied for the team lead last season with a pair of assists.
Last season, the Mavericks were forced to use seven different players on defense due to injuries. All seven return this season to make the UNO defense one of the most experienced squads in the Summit League. Seniors Ava Doetsch and Lauren Lawler started every game last season in the back and will be counted on to lead the defense this season. UNO also returns goalkeepers Katlyn Schochenmaier and Haley Shelton. The duo combined for a 1.80 goals-against average and made 93 saves.
About the Kangaroos
The UMKC Kangaroos enter 2016 after finishing with a 14-6-1 record last season and claiming a tie for second in the Western Athletic Conference.
UMKC has already played one exhibition, earning a 3-0 win over Summit League foe Western Illinois six days ago. Nikki Lynch, Lexie Howard and Kelsey Mothershead each scored for the 'Roos.
Last season, the Kangaroos scored 47 goals which included 21 in their final six matches. UMKC notched almost 20 shots per game and put 50 percent of those on frame. Last season, Lexie Howard led the squad with 13 goals and four assists and earned Second Team All-WAC accolades. This season she was named the 2016 Preseason WAC Offensive Player of the Year. Seven other Kangaroos scored multiple goals in 2015, six of which are back on this season's squad.
The UMKC defense allowed 16 goals in 2015, which included six against WAC opponents. The Kangaroos tallied 10 shutouts in 2015 and held opponents to one goal in eight additional outings. Kangaroo's opponents posted just over 11 shots per match, including nearly 52 percent of those on frame. Sophomore Anna Lillig is the only returning goalkeeper and appeared in 10 matches with nine starts. Lillig posted a 7-2-1 record, made 47 saves and stopped 87 percent of the shots put on goal and tallied five shutouts.
Up Next
The Mavericks continue their season-opening homestand as they play host to Creighton on Friday, Aug. 26 and North Dakota on Sunday, Aug. 28.
