By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
While Joplin finished 7-14 last season and fell in the first round of districts to Nixa, head coach Luis Percovich feels the experiences and challenges will benefit the Lady Eagles.
“Last season we were able to see a lot of growth from our girls and I would say that although we did accomplish some of our goals, we are looking to make some bigger improvements this season,” Percovich said. “We have a lot more experience this year than we have in the past, but at the end of the day experience is what we are lacking the most so that will be a big focus point for us.”
That experience starts with replacing a host of Lady Eagle graduates, including Alicia Leon, Katelynn Vickers, Kendall Vowells, Harley Swindell and Keeley Fancher.
“We lost a couple of starters last year which helped provide some balance and leadership to the team,” Percovich said. “However we do have some pretty good players that have been stepping up for a couple of seasons now.”
Leading that charge for the Lady Eagles will be senior goalkeeper Mikayla Keuhnel and senior center back Jessica Zengel. Junior Emma Briley returns from injury to spearhead the Joplin attack up top. Briley, a 5-foot-7 all-conference selection two seasons ago, missed the majority of her sophomore campaign due to injury.
“The majority of our back line is coming back, including our GK and CB who have been awesome for us the past two seasons,” Percovich said. “We also have a lot of offense returning. It will be interesting to see how the team clicks together now that we will have a lot more leadership than we have had in the past.”
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Joplin’s defense will also get a boost from a pair of sophomores in Annabelle Erisman and MariKatheryn Saunders. After breaking into the varsity lineup last season, Percovich expects the duo to have a big impact on the team.
“Our expectations for this season are to improve upon our record from last season and see if we can get in the fight for districts to surprise some people,” Percovich said.
Joplin’s success starts with its defensive strength, and the Lady Eagles will look to develop a ball-control philosophy throughout the season.
“Our defense is going to be key for us as we continue to grow and develop our playing style,” Percovich said. “We have a lot of strength in the back, but defending for 80 minutes is not easy, so it will be important for us to be able to gain some more control of the game if we want to compete.”
The other side of the pitch is where Joplin hopes to make significant improvements, particularly with Briley back in the lineup this season.
“Our attack has been a struggle for us in the past and is something we need to improve this season if we want to compete against the big teams,” Percovich said. “We have the heart and effort to do it, now it is just a matter of putting the pieces together.”
With a conference and district full of perennial heavyweights including Kickapoo, Nixa and Glendale, the challenge will be fierce; however, Percovich feels his team will be more than ready to answer the call.
“We know what we are up against and know that competing against some of these teams will be difficult,” Percovich said. “But we have a great group of girls who have steadily improved the past two years and will be looking to turn some heads this season. If we can be mentally tough, remain focused for the entire season and stay healthy, I think this will be big season for us.”
Joplin opens its season at Ozark on March 16.
