Web posted
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A Time for Firsts
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Photo by Rama Peroo
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Cowley kicks off inaugural soccer season tonight
By RAMA PEROO
Cowley Sports Information
Eight months after deciding to form men and women's soccer programs at Cowley College, the squads head into the season with enthusiasm and excitement.
The Lady Tigers will open the season on the road, as they will play Neosho County at 7 p.m. today.
The Cowley men are set to open the season Sept. 4 when they play host Independence at 7 p.m.
Not long after announcing the decision to add the soccer programs, Cowley athletic director Tom Saia went searching for a head coach. He found that person in Roberto Dos Santos, who had spent the previous seven seasons as the head men's soccer coach at Southwestern in Winfield.
Though the opportunity to lead the new soccer programs at Cowley excited Dos Santos, he also knew there would be challenges.
"It was overwhelming at first because we got started late in the recruiting season," Dos Santos said. "However, once we got started, we were able to identify some talented players. Overall, we were able to recruit some talented athletes."
The Tigers signed 21 men and 14 women to round out the squads.
"The kids we recruited like the idea of the challenge involved in starting a new program," Dos Santos said.
Helping Dos Santos with the recruiting process was assistant coach Dane Straight, who spent the previous four seasons as the head men and women's soccer coach at Cloud County Community College.
Dos Santos and Straight were teammates at Bethany College and helped the Swedes capture the KCAC title in 1993. Straight is looking forward to reuniting with his former teammate.
"It's exciting to be a part of a new program and to have so much support from the school," Straight said. "We have got a great set up and have the facilities to compete."
The Lady Tigers took part in a scrimmage Saturday against the Kansas Force Aggressors club team in Arkansas City. The entire Lady Tigers roster is made up of freshmen, with the exception of sophomore midfielder Monica Vega, a transfer from Seward County Community College in Liberal.
A pair of late arrivals to the Lady Tigers are Arkansas City natives Andrea Castro, a midfielder-forward, and midfielder-defender Viri Sanchez.
The soccer teams will play their home games at the Tiger Track and Field/Soccer complex at 223 Pierce in Arkansas City. There are 12 women's soccer programs and 11 men's soccer programs in the Jayhawk Conference.
Johnson County and Barton County are considered among the top teams on the men's side, while Johnson County, Butler, and Hutchinson will be contenders on the women's side.
"We hope to have solid performances and of course pull off some upsets," Dos Santos said. "We know we are underdogs, but we hope to outwork and outwit our opponents."
Dos Santos and Straight have had to work extremely hard to get things ready for the Tigers' inaugural soccer season.
The women's scrimmage was broken down into four 15-minute periods.
"They are still getting to know each other, so we will continue to get better at working together," Dos Santos said.
The Cowley men will take part in its first scrimmage of the season at 5 p.m. today when they host the Ponca City club team.
"This will be a great opportunity for us to get a lineup put together as we have yet to determine who our starters will be," Dos Santos said.
Just one sophomore dots the Cowley men's roster, as well, midfielder Scott Pinney, a transfer from Johnson County. Defender Jaryd Moore is a Winfield grad.
"We have had overwhelming support from the college and the community," Dos Santos said. "This has helped get us on the right track and has given us extra stamina to keep on working hard. We are excited about the challenges ahead of us, and hope to have the community come out and support us once the season starts."
Above: Cowley County Community College freshman Monica Vega passes the ball Saturday during the women's scrimmage against the Kansas Force Aggressors club team at the CCCC Soccer/Track and Field Complex in Arkansas City. The Lady Tigers officially kick off the inaugural season of women's soccer at 7 p.m. today at Neosho County Community College in Chanute.
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