KICKING IT OFF: The ninth season of Arkansas State University soccer begins Saturday afternoon when the Red Wolves host Central Arkansas in a 5:00 p.m. game at ASU Soccer Park. The contest is the season opener for both teams.
THE TEAMS: Arkansas State finished the exhibition season at 1-1, falling 7-0 on the road at Southeast Missouri State Aug. 15 before bouncing back for a 2-0 victory over Lyon College Aug. 20. In its only exhibition game, UCA dropped a 3-0 decision to Missouri State Aug. 14 in Conway. Arkansas State took the field against Lyon College with eight freshmen starters, while UCA returns nine starters and 13 letterwinners from its 2007 team.
NEW ERA AT ASU: The ASU-UCA soccer game will be the first regular-season game in which Arkansas State University will compete as the Red Wolves. After 77 years of competition as the Indians, the Red Wolves mascot was adopted in January 2008 after many hours of work by the University's Mascot Selection Steering Committee. The job of the committee was to make a new mascot recommendation to Chancellor Dr. Robert L. Potts and the University administration. The committee recommended “Wolves” at a Jan. 31 meeting, and the Red Wolves mascot evolved from that point.
THE UCA SERIES: Arkansas State and Central Arkansas have met on the soccer pitch just once, with ASU taking a 3-2 victory at Conway during the 2007 season. Red Wolves sophomore forward Anna Kaloghirou scored two of ASU's goals in the game, while senior midfielder Chelsea Hopkins put Arkansas State on the board early to account for ASU's remaining goal.
ASU IN SEASON OPENERS: Arkansas State is 2-6 all-time in season openers. In the first game in the history of the program, the then-Lady Indians posted a 2-1 victory over Northern Iowa in the 2000 season opener. Two years later, Arkansas State defeated McNeese State 3-1 to open the 2002 season.
FOUR SENIORS ENTERING FINAL SEASON: Four seniors are beginning their final season with the Arkansas State soccer program. Bernadette Dierker, a 5'7” midfielder from Libertyville, Ill., started in 16 of ASU's games a year ago. Dierker (pronounced “DUR-ker”) has four career goals and nine career points. Katharine Krekeler, a 5'5” midfielder from Chesterfield, Mo., has played in all 55 games during her career at Arkansas State. Krekeler scored her first two career goals last season as a junior and started in nine of ASU's 18 games in 2007. Markie McRae, a 5'8” forward from Eaton Rapids. Mich., scored a career-high seven goals during he 2006 season and added two more last year. She played in all 18 of ASU's games a year ago, drawing five starts and has 18 career points. She is fourth all-time at ASU in goals scored, and 7th all-time in career points. Chelsea Hopkins, a 5'7” midfielder/forward from Topeka, Kan., started in 17 of Arkansas State's 18 games a year ago. She has five career goals heading into the 2008 season. She provided one of ASU's two goals in the Red Wolves' 2-0 exhibition victory over Lyon College Wednesday night.
HONORARY CAPTAINS: Honorary captains for Saturday's game are Central Baptist Church pastor Archie Mason and his wife, Angie.
LEADING SCORER RETURNING: Arkansas State sophomore forward Anna Kaloghirou returns from a year ago after leading ASU in goals and total points. Kaloghirou finished the year with four goals and 12 points. She also scored ASU's first goal of this year's exhibition season when she scored against Lyon College Wednesday night in the 77th minute, helping the Red Wolves to a 2-0 victory.
HEAD COACH DEREK PITTMAN: Arkansas State Head Coach Derek Pittman begins his second season with the ASU soccer program after coming to Arkansas State prior to the 2007 season. Pittman, an assistant coach for the University of Missouri's women's soccer program for the three years prior to coming to Jonesboro, worked primarily with goalkeepers and defense at Missouri. He assumed his duties at ASU Jan. 4, 2007. The 34-year-old Pittman joined the Missouri staff in 2004 after spending the 2003 season at the University of Georgia. He was responsible for coaching the Tigers' goalkeeper to career bests in shutouts and saves as well as the team to season bests in shutouts and fewest goals allowed.
At Georgia, he was responsible for the Bulldogs' recruiting in addition to his coaching duties. While there he coached the goalkeeper to career bests in wins, shutouts and goals against average. In 2003, the Bulldogs finished 13-10-0 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A 1998 graduate of Tulsa, Pittman also served as a graduate assistant coach for the school's men's soccer program from 2001-03. Under his direction, Tulsa's goalkeepers had career bests in saves, shutouts and goals against average in a season. During the 2002 season, the Hurricanes were ranked 12th nationally and fifth in the Midwest Region. Pittman, who is licensed by the United States Soccer Federation with a USSF "B" coaching license, has also coached on the club level including stints with the Pride Soccer Club of Missouri, the Tulsa Soccer Club of Oklahoma and the Little Rock Futbol Club of Arkansas. As a four-year letterman, he was the starting goalkeeper at the University of Tulsa from 1993-96 and was a second-team Missouri Valley All-Conference pick in 1995. As a senior, the Hurricanes were ranked in the top 25. Professionally, Pittman played for the Barrow Amateur Football Club in England while studying at Lancaster University. After training with the Division I Sheffield United and Burnley Football Club, he returned to the United States and played with the Columbus Comets and the Savannah RugRatz in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League. Pittman, originally from Owasso, Okla., received his bachelor's of science degree in business administration from Tulsa and has done graduate work in education toward his masters degree. He is married to former Amber Swinehart, who was an All-Big XII player at Missouri.
ASSISTANT COACH LISA BERG: Beginning her first season with the ASU Soccer program, Lisa Berg was named assistant soccer coach at Arkansas State University Aug. 9, 2008. Berg comes to ASU from Minnesota, where she served as a volunteer assistant for the last two years with the Golden Gopher soccer program. Berg was an Academic All-Big 10 player for the Golden Gophers from 2003-05 and helped rebuild the Minnesota soccer program during her time as a player and assistant coach. While at Minnesota, Berg helped lift the Gopher program from the bottom of the Big 10 to a consistent qualifier for the conference tournament in a league that annually sends multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2006 after majoring in Kinesiology/Pre Physical Therapy, with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. Berg currently holds a USSF National C Coaching License and while in Minnesota worked with the St. Croix Soccer Club, the North Suburban Soccer Club and the East Select Soccer Club. She also worked with the Minnesota Olympic Development Program.
RED WOLVES HOST SKILLS CLINICS: The ASU Red Wolves players and coaches will be hosting Women's Soccer Skills Clinics following select home games this season. The first skills clinic is set for Friday, Aug. 29 following the ASU-UAPB game. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m., with the clinic getting underway at 7:00 p.m. The second skills clinic is set for Oct. 5. ASU will host Louisiana-Monroe at 1:00 p.m., with the skills clinic scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The season's third skills clinic is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26 following the ASU-FIU game. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. and the skill clinic is scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. Each skills clinic will last approximately 45 minutes and is free to kids of all ages and ability levels. Players participating in the clinics are asked to bring cleats or running shoes, a ball and a bottle of water as they learn about soccer and play games with their favorite Red Wolves soccer players.
HELP BUILD A WINNING TRADITION: ASU soccer fans have the opportunity to help the Red Wolves build a winning soccer tradition by joining the Red Wolves Goal Club. Level 1 ($50) members receive a quarterly newsletter and an autographed 2008 ASU Soccer poster. Level 2 members($100) receive the benefits of Level 1, plus a ticket to the ASU soccer banquet and an ASU T-shirt. For more information or to join the Red Wolves Goal Club, contact assistant coach Lisa Berg at 870-972-8193 or lberg@astate.edu.
RED WOLVES KIDS' CLUB: Youth agest 9-13 are invited to join the Red Wolves Kids' Club and be a ball kid at any of ASU's home soccer game. Kids' Club members also have the opportunity to participate in team introductions and pregame ceremonies. To join the Red Wolves Kids' Club, contact assistant coach Lisa Berg at 870-972-8193 or lberg@astate.edu.
