By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Ozark Lady Tigers enter Year 2 of the Zack Owens Era and look for even better results this season.
The Lady Tigers went 15-11 overall and finished second in the Central Ozark Conference at 6-3 in Owens’ first season at the helm, but lost a tough, first-round matchup to Republic, 4-3 (OT) in the Class 4 District 5 Tournament.
“With last year being the first year in charge of the program, it was important to come in and try to instill a sense of camaraderie and team morale,” said Owens, who is 114-47-3 overall (boys and girls) at Ozark. “It was a challenge and there were some snags along the way.
“This year, we are more prepared and ready to bring it all together for the betterment of the team. This group is ready top to bottom to do what is necessary to win.”
And the Lady Tigers are in good position to be successful again this season with the return of 10 experienced players from last year’s roster, plus an impressive group of newcomers.
Audrey Carlton, senior, defender – Scored 1 goal with 3 assists; currently 20th on All-Time Leaderboard for Ozark High School; Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team.; signed to play softball at Evangel University. “Audrey was a major factor in our defense last season and will continue to be this year,” Owens said. “Audrey wins most every aerial battle and is our most physical defender. Her leadership in the back is huge for us.”
Chloe Kondracki, senior, forward – Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team; signed to play soccer at Missouri Southern State University. “Chloe led our team last year in scoring, assists and points with 20 goals and 8 assists. We will continue to look for her ability to get things done in the attack this year. She is relentless in her pursuit of scoring. She does not give up. Currently, she sits at No. 15 on the All-Time Leaderboard.”
Addison Shuler, senior, forward – 9 goals, 3 assists; Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference second team; signed to play soccer at Southwest Baptist University. “Addi was sidelined for seven matches last season due to injury, but when healthy was a huge help to us offensively. Addi can play up top and in the midfield and is such a dominant presence. She tackles hard and without fear. Her quickness throws off opponents and makes her so tough to handle defensively. She sits on the All-Time Leaderboard at No. 16.”
Natalie Morgan, senior, midfielder – Class 4 District 5 honorable mention; signed to play softball at Evangel University. “Natalie has a no-quit attitude and brings that onto the field every match. She is physical and demands excellence from herself. Those qualities spur on her teammates as well. She is currently sitting at No. 19 on the All-Time Leaderboard.”
Brooklyn Schulte, junior, defender – 11 goals (second on team), 3 assists, Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference second team. “Brooklyn has worked very hard in the offseason playing at high levels in club and making the Regional Olympic Development Program team. She can play almost anywhere for us. We will look to see where that might be in a few weeks. She currently sits at No. 18 on the All-Time Leaderboard.”
Hadley Gourley, senior, midfielder – “Going into her senior year we are looking for her to make a big difference for us in whatever capacity she can. She has good speed and a desire to perform well. We can utilize her on the wing and as an outside back. We are excited to see what she will bring to the team.”
Annabelle Kruse, junior, midfielder – “‘Anner’ will be big for us this season. She has the capability to play in midfield whether inside or out. Her foot skill and vision are her biggest strengths for sure. We can’t wait to see how she performs for us on the field and how she can contribute to our success.”
Willow Shelor, sophomore, midfielder – “Willow missed almost the whole season last year with an unfortunate injury. She was marked to help lead our midfield and attack. This season will be big for her and making her mark on Ozark soccer. We do not know her exact position yet but teams will need to be aware of her moving forward after not seeing her at all last season.”
Ella Falk, sophomore, defender – “Ella is a handful in the midfield slowing down counter attacks, winning tackles and hunting the opponents. This season we will look for her to get a bit more into the attack and with how offseason has gone so far, that should not be a problem. We are excited to see what she can do in her sophomore year.”
Addison Salat, sophomore, midfielder – “Addie is coming off a great freshman year learning to deal with everything thrown her way as a freshman starting varsity most games. It was kind of a ‘jump in and learn to swim on your own’ type situation for her. There was never any fear shown and she stepped up to every challenge she faced. This season will be the same, but with that year under her belt, she will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Owens has several newcomers who could challenge for varsity minutes this season.
Kailey Kirkhart, junior – “Kailey gets stronger physically and in her game every season,” Owens said. “We want to see her use those strengths to get her time on varsity.”
Kenadee Kondracki, sophomore – “Kenadee combined last year with Anna Essick for a lot of offensive power. She has a no-quit attitude and will be looking to make her mark this season and find a lot of varsity time.”
Anna Essick, sophomore – “Anna has a motor for days, a knack for finding the back of the net and hopefully, we can find her some good minutes on varsity this season.”
Launa Trobaugh, sophomore – “We are looking for Launa to find her time in the rotation on varsity in whatever capacity we can utilize her in. She has good foot skills and sees the field well.”
Zoey Stief, sophomore – “Zoey should be a good addition to our defensive line and hopefully get some time on varsity this season.”
Myla Buckhanan, sophomore – “Myla could have a role on varsity as well, depending on how she performs this spring. She has really stepped up in the offseason so far and has looked good.”
The Lady Tigers will miss the contributions of last year’s seniors when they take the pitch this spring.
Morgan Pickens, midfielder – All-Central Ozark Conference honorable mention. “We will miss Morgan’s dedication to the team and her willingness to perform,” Owens said.
Kaylee Linnebur, goalkeeper – “We are looking to fill Kaylee’s shoes in goal. She was so athletic, quick and tenacious.”
Kiara Holt, defender – “Kiara was a consistent force on defense and will be missed on the outside.”
Ozark will compete in the East division of the newly aligned Central Ozark Conference. The Lady Tigers’ jamboree will be at Catholic on March 14 with Laquey and Logan-Rogersville before they open the regular season at home against Columbia Rock Bridge on March 21.
“There will be tough times as we enter match play with a very tough schedule ahead,” Owens said. “However, we have done that on purpose to prepare us for a better postseason showing. There will also be many bright moments and successes that will far outweigh the obstacles. We are looking forward to everything this season brings and are anxious to get it started.”
