ICC Women’s Soccer Set to Kickoff Season Under First-Year Coach
Justin Brown, Harbinger
Friday, Aug. 28, 2015
Illinois Central College first-year women’s soccer coach William Hudson is relying on his returning sophomores to help him and 17 newcomers transition to the college game.
Hudson, who last season coached the girls varsity team at Washington Community High School, brings back just four players – Cheyenne Vanquakebeke (Washington), Laura Kemper (Limestone), Savannah Rhodes (Morton) and Jessica Stevens (Morton) – from a Cougar team that went 3-15-1. These four returning sophomores have accepted the challenge of bringing along their inexperienced teammates and coach.
“I think the biggest challenge is trying to do more than just tell them that they need to work harder at something,” Stevens said.
Kemper added, “I try to show them to always have a good attitude, pick everybody up and to always try hard and do your best.”
Last season, the four sophomores found themselves in a similar situation to their freshmen teammates when they were the only new faces on the team. Add in a coach with no college experience and the job of being a role model is that much more of a challenge.
“We’ve done a lot outside of practice communicating with coach (Hudson),” Rhodes said. “If he has questions, he just asks us and we tell him the things we did last year – what worked and what didn’t work and go from there to see what’s going to work with so many new players.”
The leadership doesn’t stop with the game. The four have also stepped up to ensure their teammates understand the importance of maintaining the required GPA for all ICC athletes. ICC also lent its hand to help support at a Special Olympics bowling event on Aug. 22.
The incoming freshmen players on the roster are Macy Martin and Monica Fisher (Peoria Notre Dame), Katrina Beebe (Morton), Madison Bootz (Richwoods), Tailor Cupi (Pekin), Bailey Kallister (Illini Bluffs), Serenah Minasian (East Peoria), Angelica Munoz and Lily Garcia (Peoria Central), Taylor Neys (Illinois Valley), Hanna Quitschau (Peoria Christian), Payton Schaub (Canton), Skyler Sievers (Limestone), Kayla Bridgeman (Warrensburg/Creve Coeur), Reina Mata (Washington), Katie Peters (Central) and Narissa Campbell (Queensland, Australia).
The Cougars will kick off their season at 2 p.m. Saturday against Kaskaskia at the CougarPlex.