University of Texas at Dallas Athletics

Jackson First Team All-Region Selection
For the second straight season, junior Kelli Jackson of the UTD women's soccer team, has been selected as a first-team member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-South Region team.

Jackson, a junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was selected for the honor along with senior Theresa Buckles, who was named a second-team NSCAA All-South Region forward.

The American Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season, Jackson has also been the conference pre-season Defensive Player of the Year twice and has been named to the ASC All-Conference team each season she has played at UTD. Jackson was the leader of a UTD defense in 2006 that gave up just 12 goals through its 14-4-2 season and recorded shutouts in 13 of its 14 wins. In addition, the team captain scored two goals, including the game winner in the semifinal, 1-0 win over Texas Lutheran at the ASC Championship Tournament.|

Buckles, a four-year starter from Sugar Land, TX, was UTD's second-leading scorer in 2006 with 10 goals and nine assists. She became the UTD career assist leader with 29 total while playing in all but one game during her career with the Comets.

Jackson Wins Third Straight ASC Defensive POY Award

RICHARDSON, TX - For the third consecutive year, UTD's Kelli Jackson has been named the American Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year as part of the All-ASC teams announced Tuesday.

Jackson, a junior defender from Tulsa, OK, was joined on the ASC All-Conference first team by fellow team captains - senior midfielder Genny Nevit and senior forward Theresa Buckles.

Jackson has won the conference defensive award in each of her three seasons at UTD and was the conference pre-season Defensive Player of the Year twice. She was the leader of a UTD defense that gave up just 12 goals through its 14-4-2 season and recorded shutouts in 13 of its 14 wins . In addition, the team captain scored two goals, including the game winner in the semifinal, 1-0 win over Texas Lutheran at the ASC Championship Tournament.

Buckles, a four-year starter from Sugar Land, TX, was UTD's second-leading scorer in 2006 with 10 goals and nine assists. She became the UTD career assist leader with 29 total while playing in all but one game during her career with the Comets. Nevit, a senior from Austin, scored five goals and had three assists during the 2006 season.

Junior transfer Ashley Carter, the team's leading scorer with 16 goals and 6 assists, was a second-team selection along with three other defensive players - freshman Caitlin Perdue of Austin; junior Lyndsi Ayers of Farmington, NM; and goalkeeper Cat Fox of Lubbock, TX.

All seven UTD players honored were either first or second-team selections.

Eleven Win Academic All-Conference Recognition

RICHARDSON, TX - Eleven University of Texas at Dallas women's soccer players were among the 32 student-athletes from soccer, volleyball and cross country to be named to the 2006 American Southwest Conference fall Academic All-Conference teams. To qualify for the ASC Academic All-Conference team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.0 overall grade point average, have lettered in their sport athletically and be in at least their second full year of enrollment at the university. The UTD women's soccer selections were:

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Lyndsi Ayers; Jr.; Biology; Farmington, NM
Theresa Buckles; Sr.; Interdisciplinary Studies; Sugar Land, TX
Renee Collini; Jr.; Biology; Mansfield, TX
Catherine Fox; Jr.; Computer Science; Lubbock, TX
Kacey Grisham; So.; Undeclared; Friendswood, TX
Amanda Kallus; So.; Business Administration; Richardson, TX
Mallorie Lamping; Jr.; Government/Politics; Plano, TX
Genny Nevit; Sr.; Business Administration; Austin, TX
Nicole Randall; So.; Undeclared; Austin, TX
Stephane Ross; So.; Electrical Engineering; The Colony, TX
Ashley Walker; Jr.; Speech Pathology/Audiology; Spring, TX

Buckles Wins District Academic Award

RICHARDSON, TX - Senior men's soccer player John Keese has been selected to the third-team College Division squad on the 2006 men's soccer College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team. Keese, a senior from Albuquerque, NM, was voted to the first team squad for District VI and qualified for the national team ballot. Two other Comets - senior Theresa Buckles of the women's soccer team and sophomore Jessie Harpham of the UTD volleyball team - were second-team selections for the District VI teams in their sports and were not eligible for election to the national squad. The Academic All-America team annually honors student athletes who meet strict academic and athletic criteria. The district and national squads are voted on by CoSIDA members. The College Division includes NCAA Division II & III schools as well as universities competing in the NAIA. District VI includes colleges and universities in five states.

>>11.05.06
Cowgirls Come Back On Comets Again In ASC Title Game

ABILENE, TX - For the third straight year, the UTD women's soccer team had to watch the nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls celebrate the American Southwest Conference championship after falling in the title game. The 9th-ranked Cowgirls (17-0-3) got a goal with just 5:44 left in the second overtime period from Amy Kuykendall to edge the Comets, 2-1 in the championship game.

UTD saw its chance at winning its first ASC title since 2002 slip away with just 2:39 left in regulation when HSU finally overcame a 1-0 UTD lead with a header from Kelsey Jensen to tie the game at 1-1 and send it once again into overtime. UTD and HSU have gone to overtime in each of the last three title games with HSU coming out on top each time.

In the last seven meetings between the two teams, UTD has forced two ties and has five single-point losses. None of the Comets' three seniors playing in the game - Theresa Buckles, Genny Nevit and Tiffany Knobloch - never were able to experience a win over HSU in their UTD career.

In the tournament final game, the Comets (14-4-2) went up, 1-0, just 10:44 into the game when Knobloch fired a free kick through the hands of HSU goalie Christi Carr. The Comets made the 1-0 lead stand up throughout the rest of the half, but had to withstand an HSU onslaught of 16 second-half shots. Goalie Cat Fox had to make 11 saves. The Cowgirls outshot UTD, 23-2 after halftime and had eight corner-kick opportunities.

The game-tying goal from HSU snapped an eight-game shutout streak for the UTD defense.

Kelli Jackson knocked home the game-winning shot just 29:07 into the semifinal, 1-0 win over Texas Lutheran. The Comets played their usual shutdown defense the rest of the way to preserve the win. Fox had to make just three saves on the afternoon, but two in the game's final two minutes as TLU scrambled to tie the game. UTD outshot TLU, 18-9.

Buckles, Jackson and Fox were UTD's selections for the all-tournament team.



>>10.28.06
UTD NAILS DOWN NO. 2 SEED WITH TWO MORE SHUTOUTS

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's soccer team had to fight a stiff wind and a determined East Texas Baptist team to do it, but the Comets nailed down the No. 2 seed in the upcoming American Southwest Conference Tournament with a 1-0 double overtime win over ETBU Friday.

UTD then stymied LeTourneau, 3-0 , Saturday to finish with a 13-3-2, 11-1-1 record. The shutout was UTD's seventh in a row and 12th of the season. The Comets have also gone the last 13 games since their last loss.

The Comets got the important ASC second seed by hanging tough against ETBU in a heavy wind that controlled the play of the game. After coming up empty in the second half (with the wind at its back), UTD had to survive the first 10-minute overtime period working against the wind. But the Comets used smothering defense to keep ETBU from mounting a threat. Then, just three minutes into the second overtime, Nicole Randall took a long serve from Brandy Hertsenberg in the corner to punch the gamewinner past ETBU goalie Kelli Shipley, who had 8 saves.

ETBU had held off UTD, despite shots that clanged off both the crossbar and side post as well as a near "own goal" kick from a Lady Lion defender that almost slipped past Shipley.

The Comets came back the next day against LeTourneau and dominated again. The Comets scored the only goal they would need 16:49 into the match when Kacey Grisham fed Ashley Carter in front of the net. Kelli Jackson added a second goal two minutes into the second half and Mallorie Lamping capped the scoring later on a feed from Emily George. UTD outshot LETU, 22-3, and allowed just two shots on goal.

>>10.21.06
COMETS TAKE OVER SOLE POSSESSION OF SECOND PLACE

SEGUIN/KERRVILLE, TX - The UTD women's soccer team took over sole possession of second place in the American Southwest Conference race over the weekend by posting two more shutout wins and improving to 9-1-1 in the ASC race.

UTD overtook Texas Lutheran for the No. 2 spot on Friday with a 2-0 win, then posted their fifth straight shutout with a 5-0 blanking of Schreiner on Saturday. UTD has now won or tied 11 straight games.

UTD got a pair of first-half goals from seniors Genny Nevit and Theresa Buckles and made them stand up for the 2-0 win over TLU, which had entered the match with an impressive 11-3, 8-1 record. Kacey Grisham found Nevit for the first UTD goal just 19:41 in, then Buckles scored off an Ashley Carter assist eight minutes later.

Carter then got the offense going again against Schreiner (2-10, 2-7) early in the Saturday match. She scored the first two goals in the game's first 21 minutes, first unassisted, then on a feed from Buckles. Lyndsi Ayers made it 3-0 before halftime with an unassisted goal, then freshman Emily George (assisted by Genny Nevit) and Heather Hines (assisted by Liz Dillon) finished out the scoring in the second half. The UTD starters played less than a third of the match, as UTD outshot the Lady Mountaineers, 26-8.


>>10.14.06
UTD SHUTS OUT HOWARD PAYNE, MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR

RICHARDSON, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas women's soccer team improved its American Southwest Conference record to 7-1-1 with a pair of shutout home wins this weekend.

Ashley Carter scored in both games, including both goals in an important 2-0 win over University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday. The Comets opened the weekend homestand with a 7-0 domination of the first-year team from Howard Payne University.

The wins moved the Comets closer to the top of the ASC standings, but UTD will be hard-pressed to overtake nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons (who they tied last weekend 2-2) for the regular season lead.

UTD 7, HPU 0 - The Comets scored early and often against the first-year HPU squad, which fell to 1-10-0, 1-7-0 with the loss. UTD did not allow the LadyJackets a single shot during the game while launching 40 shots (22 on goal) at the HPU goalkeeper. The Comet starters played less than 30 minutes in the match.

Sophomore Nicole Randall, in her first game back after missing the first part of the season due to health reasons, scored the game-winner 21:33 into the match. Kacey Grisham punched in a Theresa Buckles assist for another goal just three minutes later. Mallorie Lamping scored to make it 3-0 at the half off a feed from Kristina Kinner.

In the second half, Buckles scored back-to-back goals just :36 apart, first on a free kick from Tiffany Knobloch, then on a setup by Carter. Carter got her first goal of the weekend unassisted at the 63:28 mark, then Randall found the back of the net again with help from Lamping with 15 minutes left in the game.

UTD 2, UMHB 0 - The Comets got their second dominating performance of the weekend, but managed just a pair of unassisted goals by Carter. The Dallas transfer from McNeese State scored first off a deflection at the 23:54 mark, then added a little cushion for UTD three minutes into the second period. UTD outshot the determined UMHB team, 26-5 and had 11 shots on goal.


>>10.10.06
PERDUE NAMED ASC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF WEEK

RICHARDSON, TX - Caitlin Perdue, a University of Texas at Dallas freshman defender from Austin, TX, has been selected as the American Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week after a stellar weekend in ASC play.

Perdue, from Westwood HS, played virtually the entire match in both a 1-0 win over McMurry University and a double-overtime, 2-2 tie with nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons University.

Defensively, she was instrumental in shutting down her side of the field against HSU, which entered the match undefeated and ranked 11th in the national poll. She continued her stellar play against McMurry on Saturday, as the Comets held the Lady Indians without a single shot in their win.

>>10.07.06
UTD TIES UP ANOTHER NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAM

ABILENE, TX - For the sixth time since 2002, the UTD women's soccer team played the nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons University Cowgirls dead even on the field, but failed once again to knock off HSU as the two teams battled to a 2-2 double-overtime tie.

The emotionally-drained Comets then had to struggle for a 1-0 victory over a 2-9-0 McMurry team on Saturday.

UTD (now 7-3-2, 5-1-1) did pick up four points in the standings for the weekend, but will need help to overtake the 11th-ranked Cowgirls in the American Southwest Conference standings with just six matches left.

The 2-2 tie with HSU was nothing new for these two teams, as the Comets and Cowgirls have played for three of the last four ASC championships. UTD has now tallied two ties and four single-point losses to the perennial national power in the last four seasons.

Against HSU, Theresa Buckles was set up for the game-tying goal by Emily George 24 minutes into the second half. Lyndsi Ayers almost scored the game-winner for the Comets with a hard crossing shot that clanged off the post later in the period. Goalkeeper Cat Fox had a point-blank save near the end of the first overtime period to preserve the tie.

After HSU got its first goal just eight minutes into the game off a corner kick, UTD tied the score five minutes later with a shot from Genny Nevit. Ashley Carter had a shot partially blocked and Nevit followed with a kick that spun past the HSU goalie. HSU took a 2-1 lead 20 minutes in on Whitney Piendak's second goal before Buckles tied it up.

On Saturday, UTD dominated against the Lady Indians, who won only its second ASC match of the season Friday (1-0 over Ozarks). UTD did not allow a single McMurry shot all afternoon, and clanged several shot attempts off the goal crossbar and posts. However, it was not until Tiffany Knobloch was able to fire a free kick around the McMurry defense and into the net that the Comets got the only goal they needed for the 1-0 win.

>>09.30.06
COMETS RUN OVER MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA COLLEGE

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's soccer team, which had struggled a bit offensively earlier in the season, exploded over the weekend in a pair of American Southwest Conference wins. Junior transfer Ashley Carter scored seven goals in a 6-0 shutout of Mississippi College and 13-0 whitewash of Louisiana College.

Carter, who played the last two seasons at Division I McNeese State University, finally got her offensive game on track this weekend. The junior from Dallas scored four times in a 20-minute span to put the win over Mississippi College on ice. Playing just 20 minutes (along with the other starters) against 1-6-1, 1-5-1 Louisiana College, Carter added three more scores to raise her season total to 10 goals to go with three assists. She also assisted on two of the other Saturday goals.

UTD got a big match against MC, as well, from senior Theresa Buckles, who scored the first goal 4:47 into the contest and delivered assists on Carter's final three scores. Genny Nevit, who assisted on Buckles' first goal, scored the second goal in that game off a shot that Brandy Hertsenberg set her up with. UTD outshot MC, 16-3, and allowed just two shots on goal.

Nevit was again a spark in an even more dominant performance against Louisiana College. While the Comets were outshooting the Lady Wildcats, 44-0, during the match, Nevit put UTD on teh board for its first goal 12:22 in off a rebound. She also scored the Comets' third goal and assisted on another. Buckles also picked up one of the goals against LC, along with Heather Hines, Kacey Grisham, Caitlin Perdue, Lyndsi Ayers, Kristina Kinner, Britney Schuelke and Stephanie Babcock. Kinner, Babcock, Emily George, Renee Collini and Stephanie Ross all had assists in the match.

The Comets, winning their third straight, improved to 6-3-1 on the season and 4-1-0 in ASC play.

>>09.26.06
UTD HOLDS OFF SOUTHWESTERN FOR 5-3 WIN

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's soccer team held on Tuesday night to claim a 5-2 non-conference victory over Southwestern University at the UTD Soccer Field.

But after an impressive 4-0 start to the match, the Comets (4-3-1) had to withstand a less-than-impressive second half where the Pirates (2-5-2) almost rallied enough to make a contest out of it.

UTD did hold on to claim a win over a team that earlier this season had tied American Southwest Conference pre-season favorite Hardin-Simmons, 2-2. And, the Comets made it look easy early in the contest.

Senior Theresa Buckles put the Comets on top 23:51 into the match on a feed from Kacey Grisham, then made it look like it might be a runaway when the two paired up again just 1:02 later to take a 2-0 lead. Within seven minutes (31:45), freshman Kayla Day scored an unassisted goal to put UTD up 3-0. Another freshman, Kristina Kinner made it 4-0 when she teamed up with Heather Hines on a breakaway (38:50) to make it 4-0 going into intermission.

In spite of Coach John Antonisse's halftime pleas to "not let up on the intensity," the Comets did not find the back of the net again until late in the match. In the meantime, Southwestern finally got on the board at 58:29 with a couple of fortunate caroms off foreheads on a corner kick. Kady Smith got the goal. Then, Casey Grier scored on a one-timer that fired over the outstretched hands of a leaping Haley Marcum to make it 4-2 with still 15 minutes left in the match.

UTD finally put some cushion back in the lead (5-2 at 84:58) with another Kinner goal off a rebound. But Southwestern got another Grier goal on a hard shot from 30 yards out with just under two minutes left in the match.

The victory, coupled with Saturday's 2-0 win at Ozarks, marked UTD's first back-to-back wins of the season.

>>09.23.06
COMETS DOMINATE OZARKS FOR SECOND ASC WIN

CLARKSVILLE, AR - For the second consecutive game, the UTD women's soccer team completely dominated an opponent; only this time, the Comets got a win to show for it.

Coming off a frustrating 1-1 overtime tie with Austin College (a game the Comets outshot AC by a 30-9 count), UTD did it again and came away with a 2-0 shutout of American Southwest Conference foe University of the Ozarks Saturday.

The Comets (3-3-1, 2-1) totally controlled the game in spite of a wet, muddy field - outshooting Ozarks (4-2-1, 1-2-0), 27-2. UTD, which had 16 shots on goal, did not allow a single one to the Ozarks team.

Senior Tiffany Knobloch got a little redemption of her own. After only recently fighting her way back into the starting lineup, Knobloch got both Comet goals Saturday. She scored just 2:42 into the match to give UTD the only lead it would need, then added another goal off a penalty kick at the 46:49 mark.

Ozarks' goalkeeper Olivia Fisher had to make 14 saves to keep the score from being any more one-sided. The loss was only Ozarks' second of the season.


>>09.20.06
UTD SETTLES FOR 1-1 TIE WITH AUSTIN COLLEGE

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's soccer team didn't have any trouble finding offense in its non-conference matchup with former American Southwest Conference member Austin College Wednesday night. But they did have a hard time finding the back of the net; and as a result, had to settle for a 1-1 overtime tie.

The Comets (2-3-1), in fact, got their only goal on a shot that wan't even supposed to go in the net. At the 66:27 mark, junior Brandy Hertsenberg served a corner kick was supposed to set up a shot for one of her teammates in front of the net. Instead, the ball hooked to the left and slipped over the goalkeeper's outstretched arms for an unassisted goal.

The game was dominated by the UTD attack, which held a 30-9 advantage in shots taken and 14-3 in shots on goal. But AC struck first at 21:42 in the first half when Jess Casenave was awarded a penalty shot after a hard tackle from UTD's Kelly Jackson in front of the net. Casenave fired a shot past Comet goalie Cat Fox for the 'Roos only score of the game. AC would only get two more shots on goal the rest of the match.

UTD did everything except score again after Hertsenberg's goal. The Comets allowed AC just two total shots in the game's final 65 minutes, and AC goalkeeper Allison Wurmbrand had to make 13 saves to keep the game even. UTD had several chances fly right into Wurmbrand's arms.


>>09.16.06
COMETS CAN'T KEEP UP FIREWORKS AGAINST UT-TYLER

AUSTIN & TYLER , TX - The University of Texas at Dallas women's soccer team experienced both the highs and lows in their opening weekend of American Southwest Conference play. The Comets (2-3, 1-1) exploded for a 12-0 rout of Concordia-Austin on Friday, but struggled offensively in falling, 1-0, to UT-Tyler Saturday afternoon.

UTD has now scored 16 goals in its two wins, but only 1 goal in its three losses.

UTD 12, CONCORDIA 0

Junior transfer Brandy Hertsenberg led a group of four Comets with multiple-goal afternoons with a hat trick in the conference-opening win. Transfer Ashley Carter, who had two goals, got the scoring started just 8:31 into the match off an assist from Theresa Buckles. The pair then switched roles as Buckles got the second goal eight minutes later off a Carter assist and the rout was on.

Freshman Kristina Kinner and junior Alyssa Kwast also scored twice, and single goals were added by Anna Alaman and Stephanie Babcock late in the game. Hertsenberg and Kinner added assists as well as Mallorie Lamping, Britney Schuelke, Caitlin Perdue and Tiffany Knobloch. Defensively, the Comets allowed CUA just one shot and goalkeeper Haley Marcum did not have to make a single save.

UT-TYLER 1, UTD 0

UT-Tyler not only defeated the Comets for the first time in the history of this rivalry, but scored its first goal in the series as Dausha Hudack scored off a penalty kick at the 67:08 mark. The big story, though, was the ineffectiveness of the UTD offense, which got off 12 shots, but only three on goal during the contest. Meanwhile, five of the Patriots' 11 shots required Marcum to make saves.


>>09.09.06
TRINITY TAKES HEARTBREAKING WIN AWAY FROM UTD

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's soccer team dropped to 1-2 on the season Saturday nighyt after losing a 2-1 heartbreaker to NCAA Div. II power Trinity University in overtime.

The winning goal was scored 9:50 into the OT period on a controversial play off a Trinity corner kick. UTD goalkeeper Cat Fox was knocked out of the play without an official's call and was injured on the play, allowing the Tigers (3-0-1) to convert the gamewinner.

Even more heartbreaking for UTD was that the Comets (1-2) had themselves in position to pull the upset win until there was just :28 seconds left in regulation. Trinity again got the game-tying goal off a corner kick to send the game into overtime.

UTD's Stephanie Ross had put UTD up 1-0 just before halftime with a rocket shot into the upper righthand corner of the net off a deflection. Ross, easily the smallest player on the field at 5-2, was also a pesky presence on defense as the Comets spent most of the second half dodging Trinity offensive attacks. The Tigers outshot the Comets, 14-7, and UTD goalkeeper Cat Fox had to make six saves - compared to just two for Trinity's Jennifer Fifield.

>>09.03.06
UTD OPENS SEASON WITH SPLIT AT RHODES TOURNAMENT

MEMPHIS, TN - The UTD women's soccer team, one day after opening its 2006 season with a convincing 4-0 victory over Millsaps (MS), the Comets offense disappeared as UTD come up short against the host Rhodes Colllege team in a 1-0 loss.

Senior Theresa Buckles had a goal and assisted on two others Sunday in the victory over Millsaps. Sophomore Stephanie Ross took a feed from Buckles just 4:14 into the Saturday win to give UTD its first goal of the season. Buckles then found transfer Ashley Carter at the 17:56 mark, who made it 2-0.

Freshman Caitlin Perdue got the first goal of her collegiate career unassisted three minutes before halftime. Buckles then capped off the scoring at the 53:01 mark. Cat Fox and freshman Hailey Marcum combined for the first shutout win of the season. UTD allowed Millsaps just two shots all game long.

Unfortunately, the fortunes were reversed as Rhodes, last season's runnerup in the SCAC (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) stayed with the Comets on both sides of the field. Rhodes got the only goal it would need just :37 before intermission while UTD failed to find the back of the net.

>>2006 SEASON PREVIEW
COMETS HOPE NEW BLOOD MAY PROVIDE MISSING SPARK

When Natalie Taylor and Jessica Beachy - two of the University of Texas at Dallas' alltime most-talented women's soccer players - walked off the field following the final game of their senior season last year, it marked the end of an era for the Comets. But 10th-year Coach John Antonisse and his 2006 squad don't necessarily believe things have to go downhill from here.


"Just because we lost two of the best players I have had in the program doesn't mean we're going to lay down,” says Antonisse, whose team will be shooting for its eighth consecutive winnning season in 2006. “We've got some great players coming back, players I expect to step up their game to fill the void. And, I think we've got an outstanding group of recruits who I believe may make us even better this season."


The Comets do welcome back 15 players from their 2005 squad, which finished the season 15-3-1, and most of whom have been part of a 31-6-2 record over the last two seasons with 26 shutout victories. To say the UTD women have been a dominant force in the American Southwest Conference would be an understatement.


Still, there is the matter of getting over the hump against three-time defending champion Hardin-Simmons. UTD has lost both of the last two ASC title games to HSU in double overtime; including a 1-0 heartbreaker last November. “I know Hardin-Simmons will be good again this year, but we plan to back there battling them for the championship at the end of October. We're not going away."


The first step in remaining a force will be in finding a way to replace Taylor's record-setting offensive numbers, which included 54 career goals and 20 assists. Antonisse, however, believes he still has the weapons to put points on the board - both from veterans like senior Theresa Buckles (30 career goals), senior Genny Nevit (2 goals, 6 assists in 2005) and junior Mallorie Lamping (6 goals and three assists) as well as promising sophomores Nicole Randall (14 goals, 8 assists) and Amanda Kallus (6 goals/1 assist).

In addition, newcomers like transfer Brandi Hertsenberg (junior from Spring Klein HS/UT-San Antonio) and freshman Heather Hines (an all-district player for a state finalist team in Edmond, OK) will see plenty of playing time up front for the Comets.


The midfield group is fully stocked with veterans like juniors Lyndsi Ayers, Anna Alaman and Renee Collini as well as senior Tiffany Knobloch and others. Transfer Ashley Carter (Dallas W.T. White HS/McNeese State) shows promise in the middle.

In the back, two-time all-conference standout Kelli Jackson, a junior, anchors a group that gave up just seven goals last season and had 13 shutouts. In addition to Nevit, junior Alyssa Kwast and other veterans, she'll get help this year from a promising group of first-year players like Britney Schuelke (Pearland HS), Liz Dillon (Fort Worth Western Hills HS) and Kayla Day (LaPorte HS).


"Our biggest areas of improvement come from the new players,” Antonisse says. "We've got much better depth, and our overall team speed is going to be a plus," especially for a team that likes to keep up high-octane offensive pressure on its opponents throughout the game.

"We lost some great players off of a great team,” he says, in conclusion. "But I think we have some out there now who are going to eventually be just as good."


>>PRE-SEASON POLL/AWARDS
JACKSON NAMED TOP DEFENDER, COMETS PICKED SECOND

RICHARDSON, TX - University of Texas at Dallas junior defender Kelli Jackson has been selected as the American Southwest Conference women's soccer Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.

Jackson, who won the same award last season and was named the ASC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, was selected in pre-season voting by the ASC's women's soccer coaches and sports information directors.

In the same poll, the UTD women's soccer team was selected to finish second in the 2006 ASC race, behind three-time defending champion Hardin-Simmons, which received all 28 first-place votes in the poll. UTD finished second with 363 votes to HSU's 392 votes. UTD lost the ASC championship game for the second year in a row last season, falling 1-0 to HSU in overtime.

Jackson, a junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was named the ASC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2004 and was a first-team all-conference player as a freshman. In 2006, she helped lead the Comets to a 15-3-1 season, as the UTD defense allowed just four goals during its entire ASC schedule. Jackson again won first-team all-conference honors and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

The remainder of the 2006 ASC women's soccer poll has East Texas Baptist picked third, followed by Texas-Tyler, Mississippi College, Texas Lutheran, Mary Hardin-Baylor, LeTourneau, Ozarks, McMurry, Schreiner, Concordia-Austin, Howard Payne and Louisiana College.