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High goals stay same for ICC
Top returnees, strong freshmen give Cougar women hope for improvement
August 17, 2009
By BRENT GLASGOW
Reprinted with permission of the Journal Star
“The first goal we always set is to have a winning season,” ICC coach Emily Peterson said. “The second is to win the region and district and go to nationals.”
ICC finished 13-4-2 in 2008, losing 2-0 to eventual national champion Lewis and Clark in the second round of regionals.
“Sure we lost to the national champions, but being fourth in the region, that’s the lowest we’ve been for a while,” Peterson said. “It was motivation that we needed to get better.”
Eight sophomores are joined by 11 freshmen this season, following the exit of one all-American and three other all-region players.
“I’m very excited,” Peterson said. “The freshmen are going to step it up and that will make the sophomores better.”
Captain Sarah Schrader (Metamora) returns in a new — yet familiar — position. A defender last season, Schrader will switch to goalkeeper, which she excelled at in high school.
“She should be able to finish in the top 10 in the nation if she does her job,” Peterson said. “She works very hard and is in great shape.”
Schrader is excited about the change.
“I’m ready to be back in the swing of things doing what I did all throughout high school,” Schrader said. “I loved playing defense last year, and it will be hard making the transition, but I’ve been getting back into keeper-mode in practice.”
Defender Malorie Fehl (Richwoods) returns after a second team all-region effort as a freshman, and will move from outside back to sweeper.
“She has the potential to be very good for us,” Peterson said. “She has a back issue, but she will be very big for us if she stays healthy.”
Much is also expected from another former Richwoods star, midfielder Kelsey Frank.
“She is very good, and if she steps it up consistently, she will control the middle for us,” Peterson said.
Among the potential freshman standouts are two more sets of former prep teammates — Jenna Haste and Ally Redington of Dunlap, and Sara White and Daedra Ackerman of Princeton.
Melanie Young (Metamora) and Brittany Matteson (Harvard/Heartland) also have joined the program after being away from the game a year.
The offseason was busy for Peterson and staff.
“We did a lot of traveling, and it’s good that our name is getting out there,” Peterson said. “We are a decent program and we are recruiting hard.”
Peterson hopes that work will translate to a trip to play for a national title.
“We’re right there, we just have to take that next step and push it to the next level,” said Peterson, whose squad opens with a Thursday home exhibition against Illinois-Springfield. “We want to put ourselves on the map.”
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