By CAYDEN SANDERS
Tiger Media Network
After a 7-8-4 finish in the 2024 season, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team needs to replace a huge senior class and will attempt to build off of returning players and new faces to the program.
Senior forward Sydney Cotter makes a shot on goal during a scrimmage with Garden City. 
Junior Chaley French makes a through-ball pass to a teammate. French transferred from Illinois State University this offseason. 
Cotter looks to throw in the ball. Cotter was a second-team All-MIAA in the 2024 season. 
Sophomore midfielder Erin Cate throws the ball down the line during the match. Cate is a Jackson State University transfer from this offseason. 
Freshman defender Olivia Mouw dribbles around a defender to look for a pass. 
Senior midfielder Ryan McCabe points to where she wants a teammate for a pass. 
Senior midfielder Jordyn Bredenberg attempts a corner kick for the Tigers. Bredenberg has been a part of the Tiger program for the last three years, collecting 17 matches and one start. 
Freshman Berit Shores talks to sophomore forward Isabelle Mull during a scrimmage against Garden City Community College. 
Shores smiles while speaking with Mull. 
McCabe moves the ball. 
Cate throwing the ball in. 
Freshman midfielder Maddy Spiers dribbles the ball to get a look at the goal. Spiers helped Wichita’s Kapuan Mt. Carmel to a third-place finish in the 5A State Championship in May. 
Bredenberg spent last season rehabbing an injury. 
Freshman midfielder Maddy Spiers dribbles the ball to get a look at the goal. Spiers helped Wichita’s Kapuan Mt. Carmel to a third-place finish in the 5A State Championship in May.
With only five practices before a preseason scrimmage with Garden City Community College, the Tigers had a quick turnaround to get on campus and execute fourth-year Head Coach Tyson John’s program scheme.
“The girls are buying into the system that we have set up. We had our usual mishaps, only being five days into practicing,” John said. “Fifty percent of this team are new players, so I expected to have common mistakes with having some new players.”
During the scrimmage, most of the Tigers took the field to get into shape.
“We are happy with the performance today, after only five days with 18 new players. We were not sure what to expect, but we were quite pleased with the girls today,” John said.
According to John, some of the most impactful teams in his programs are freshmen working hard and buying into the program.
“I have been doing this for 18 years, and some of the best teams I have had were freshman classes that spend the time and they get the experience,” he said. “We are excited to have this many freshmen because we feel that they can make an impact immediately.”
FHSU was picked 9th in the preseason MIAA Coaches Poll after an 8th-place finish in the 2024 season.
“They can think whatever they want; it’s people’s opinion,” John said. “They don’t know who you have lost and who you have gained. If anything, it’s just a motivator for us, and we are going to run with it.”
FHSU will have a lot of unknowns for the season with so many new faces joining the program, including five transfers and 12 freshmen joining the squad. Seven incoming freshmen are from in-state high schools.
Along with the new players, 14 players return from last season. Some players earned minutes during the 2024 season and seasons prior.
John’s squad is going to rely on Senior Goalkeeper Jamie Kerkvliet. Before the 2024 season, Kerkvliet was in the transfer portal from Upper Iowa (Division II).
Kerkvliet did not see any minutes last season playing behind graduate transfer Mackenzie Caldwell. Kerkvliet talked about how she wants to step up this season.
“My spot as a leader on this team, I play my role no matter what, that is if it’s during a game or practice. I just got to do what I have to do to make sure the girls are ready,” she said.
In the midfield, senior Ryan McCabe takes the reins from long-time Tiger Emily Hutchings and hopes to lead a young group in the season.
“I have been here a long time, but I am excited to come into the new leadership role that I am taking in this season from Emily Hutchings. That’s a big role to fill,” McCabe said. “I am excited because we are connected straight off the bat. We have a lot of underclassmen who are proving themselves day in and day out, so that is exciting.”
McCabe is in her sixth season with the Tigers and has collected two All-MIAA honors in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. She spoke about the new players in the program.
“I think that it is hard for a freshman to open up and break out of their shell through practices, and they even joke around with us, which is refreshing considering freshmen are more reserved,” McCabe said.
John looks to build off of the first week by getting off the basics and working on more before the season starts.
“We are going to work on everything, defending from the front, and rotation in the midfield. And being able to overlap our outside backs and getting more people involved in the play. We still have a lot of work to do,” John said.
FHSU officially opens its season against Rockhurst at 2 pm on September 5 in Kansas City. The Tigers’ first home match is at 3 pm on September 7 against Northwestern Oklahoma State.