Kylee Wickersham is one of five fourth-year juniors leading the Bronchos. [UCO Photo Services]

Women's Soccer 8/29/2023 6:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Begin 2023 Season Thursday In Texas

Central Oklahoma Visits Angelo State To Start New Year, Returns For Three-Game Homestand

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Central Oklahoma begins the 2023 season Thursday night with a non-conference match against Angelo State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

UCO went 11-5-4 a year ago and qualified for the NCAA Division II national tournament for the 15th time in 24 years. The Rambelles went 13-4-3 and also made the national tournament. Central Oklahoma was picked fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll announced earlier this month. Angelo State was picked second in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll.

"We're always excited to start a new year," UCO head women's soccer coach Mike Cook said. "We've had a couple of good weeks of training and we're ready to see how this year's team comes together. We have a good group of veterans and some talented newcomers. Angelo State will be a tough first game on the road, but we're looking forward to getting out there and seeing what we're capable of."

Cook announced earlier this month the 2023 season will be his last. He started the UCO soccer program 25 years ago and is the only coach the Bronchos have ever known. Amel Muhamedagic, who has been an assistant coach for 17 years, will take over in 2024.

Thursday marks the first time the two schools have faced off on the pitch in six years, and just the second time in 13 years. While Angelo State has won the last two meetings, UCO owns a 9-4-1 all-time record. ASU won the first meeting in 1998 before the Bronchos won five in a row after that. UCO also went unbeaten in five straight meetings, going 4-0-1 from 2005-09. Angelo won in 2010 and 2017.

The Bronchos have a solid veteran presence on the 2023 roster. A pair of seniors are utilizing an eligibility extension from the NCAA following the pandemic. Avery Holland and Amaya Grace are both fifth-year seniors looking to help the Bronchos on both sides of the ball.

Holland, a defender, played two years of junior college soccer, including the fall of 2020, before playing the last two seasons for the Bronchos. Grace, a forward, also started her career with two seasons in the junior college ranks before spending a year at North Texas. She came to the Bronchos last year and led the team with eight goals and four assists.

Cook and Muhamedagic will also rely heavily on a group of five veterans. Caroline Faulkner, Kylee Wickersham, Linsey Gordon, Kassidy Collins, and Emily Tincher all started their careers at Central in the fall of 2020 and did not play a freshman season. While the quintet did get a structured, yet unofficial spring season as freshmen, all five fourth-year players are technically juniors this fall playing in their third official go-around with the Bronchos.

And in each of the past two years, this group has led UCO to the national tournament. Collins earned All-MIAA honors in 2021 and Faulkner and Wickersham both earned All-MIAA honors in 2022. Wickersham also earned All-Region honors in 2022.

Central Oklahoma also returns Brooke Moore, who led the team to the national tournament in 2019 and 2021 before sitting out last season.

Then there are 11 more juniors making the 2023 Bronchos one of the more experienced squads in the country.

Olivia Vigil, Madison Hayes, Lauren Hinnenkamp, Madison Linavong, Megan Wilson, Matilda Torres, Harmony Turner, and Adria Ramirez have been a strong cohesive unit and all eight of them have two national tournament appearances under their belt. Albany Adair joined the squad last year after one year at Oral Roberts and Cierra Gann, one year at Robert Morris and one year at Northern Oklahoma, and Stormie Ramsey, two years at Seminole State, both join the Bronchos this year to give Central an entire lineup worth of juniors.

There are five sophomores looking to build off solid rookie seasons. Avery Bass and Abigale Howard are both back at goalkeeper and Rebecca Tweedy, Sofia Magana, and Lauren Piper all return in the midfield looking to improve after their first collegiate season in 2022.

Finally, Cook and Muhamedagic will lean on some, if not all, of its seven-player freshman class. Elena Conaway, Emma Nicholas, Jaci Decker, Ava Long, Izzy Van Zanten, Claire Mullen and Callen Snider all join the Bronchos this fall looking to find minutes and contributing roles.

Central Oklahoma averaged 1.65 goals per game a year ago and is aimed at getting that number up in 2023. The Bronchos also allowed 1.05 goals per game and posted six shutouts, going 5-0-1 in those games.

Grace led the Bronchos with eight goals and four assists. Linavong added five goals and a team-high nine assists. Piper scored four goals and one assist, and Ramirez and Tincher both had two goals and one assist each. Hinnenkamp, Tweedy, and Wickersham all had one goal each on the year.

Angelo State, which scored 1.60 goals per game and allowed 0.80 goals per game, is working to replace the LSC Goalkeeper and Defensive Player of the Year. ASU had 10 shutouts last year. The Rambelles had 11 All-LSC selections a year ago too including the two individual award winners. Four of those selections return in 2023.

Central Oklahoma opens the brand new season Thursday night in Texas. The Bronchos will make their home debut Saturday night in Edmond at Tom Thompson Field. UCO hosts another Lone Star Conference squad in Midwestern State.

UCO has an 18-game regular season schedule on tap for this fall. The Bronchos will play 10 home games and eight on the road. UCO will play its 11-game MIAA schedule beginning in Week 4.

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Players Mentioned

#16 Albany Adair: F; 5' 5"; Junior

#00 Avery Bass: GK; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#7 Kassidy Collins: D; 5' 6"; Junior

#1 Caroline Faulkner: GK; 5' 10"; Junior

#5 Linsey Gordon: D; 5' 5"; Junior

#3 Amaya Grace: F; 5' 2"; Senior

#10 Lauren Hinnenkamp: MF; 5' 5"; Junior

#27 Avery Holland: D; 5' 6"; Senior

#11 Madison Linavong: MF; 5' 7"; Junior

#14 Sofia Magana: D; 5' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#16 Albany Adair
: 5' 5"; Junior
: F

#00 Avery Bass
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: GK

#7 Kassidy Collins
: 5' 6"; Junior
: D

#1 Caroline Faulkner
: 5' 10"; Junior
: GK

#5 Linsey Gordon
: 5' 5"; Junior
: D

#3 Amaya Grace
: 5' 2"; Senior
: F

#10 Lauren Hinnenkamp
: 5' 5"; Junior
: MF

#27 Avery Holland
: 5' 6"; Senior
: D

#11 Madison Linavong
: 5' 7"; Junior
: MF

#14 Sofia Magana
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: D