The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Soccer 2011 Season Preview Part One: Forwards
August 09 | Women's Soccer
Note: This is the first of a three-part GoZips.com preview of the 2011 University of Akron women's soccer team. Be on the lookout for parts two and three in the coming week as the Zips prepare for their season-opener at Michigan on Aug. 19.
AKRON, Ohio – Experience in the attacking third is something that University of Akron women's soccer coach Chris Pfau will have plenty of in 2011.
A trio of forwards that includes a potentially record-breaking senior and a pair of talented goal-scoring juniors will look to wreak havoc on opposing backlines this fall.
The corps of veteran strikers begins with senior Rachel Phillip. One of the most prolific goal scorers in UA history, Phillip looks to build on a junior season where she found the back of net four times and added a pair of assists. Add those scoring totals to her five goal, two assist sophomore season and her three goal, one assist freshman campaign and Phillip sits in the top five in career points (third), goals (t-third), game-winners (t-fourth), assists (t-fifth) and shots (fifth) at UA.
The drop-off in talent after Phillip is marginal at best, with talented juniors Katie Wise and Ashley Hughes also always posing an offensive threat.
Wise scored four goals of her own 2010 – including a remarkable hat trick in which she scored three times in a span of 3:08 against Illinois State. Wise also has a nose for the important scores with four of her seven career goals being game-winners.
Hughes also has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net, as she did twice last season. The Rochester, N.Y. native has started 2011 on the right foot, scoring twice in Akron's exhibition shutout of Cleveland State on Sunday. Hughes - who was also called to participate in a U19 U.S. Soccer Interregional Training Camp during the offseason – will be looking for a breakout year in 2011.
Combined, the three strikers have played in 119 games and scored 19 times, a goal total that is sure to rise in 2011.
