JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Defenders and goalkeepers provide the backbone to all soccer teams. These positions are essential to any championship-winning team. Our final preview for the 2022 Carson-Newman women's soccer season takes us to those important positions.
The Eagles lose two starters and bring back two main starters on the back line from 2021. Jente Kuper returns for her 5thseason with C-N. Kuper played and started in 16 games for the Eagles this past season. Her only goal of the season was a game-winning goal against Tusculum on Sep 29. The four-time second-team all- SAC preseason nominee held the seventh-most points for the team with five. In her Eagles career, the defender has played in 59 career games, making 54 starts.
The other mainstay that returns to the backline in 2022 is sophomore Alisha Heiniger. Similar to Kuper, Heiniger played and started in 16 games. She scored her first career goal against Lincoln Memorial on Oct. 13. She made four assists as a freshman, including a pair against Tusculum on Sept. 29.
"I think the major thing we can build on is communication, just between the center backs and the outside backs," Kuper said. "As well as making sure our shape is good, no matter if we have the ball or lose the ball."
C-N also returns a pair of juniors, MJ Park and Noel Criser. Park made nine appearances, while being part of the starting XI for eight matches. She scored her first career goal in the 1-0 win over Limestone on Oct. 30. Criser competed in six games for the Eagles in 2021, making one start.
These four defenders helped C-N secure six SAC shutouts as part of the backline.
Head coach Simon Duffy adds two freshmen to help the backline as well. Annika Fend comes to Mossy Creek from Herxheim, Germany. Alayna Corbitt stays close to home by joining the Eagles. She is from Knoxville and attended Bearden high school.
The goalkeeper position is a different story for Carson-Newman. The Eagles enter the 2022 season with two goalkeepers on the roster, neither who have played a minute in collegiate soccer. Jenna Rehm enters her junior season but has not seen any action in her first two years in the program. The Eagles also welcome freshman Laura Germes to the squad. She joins C-N from Haarlem, Netherlands.
"Obviously anytime you have a new goalkeeper you need to get used to each other on the field," Kuper said. "I think Laura and Jenna have done a fantastic job so far."
Carson-Newman opens the 2022 season on Thursday in Cleveland, Tenn. when it takes on Cedarville for a 5:30 kick off.
