Colorado University Athletics
Morgan Stanton started 16 matches last season.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Stanton And Kinzner Look To Be Leaders In Midfield
August 16, 2016 | Soccer
BOULDER - The University of Colorado women's soccer team returns five midfielders in 2016 including two starters, senior Morgan Stanton and sophomore Sarah Kinzner. Stanton started 16 of the 19 matches at center midfield as a junior. She has logged a total of 3,016 minutes the past two seasons.
"Being a veteran and a senior, I think my roll this year has changed a little bit being more of a leader on and off the field," said Stanton. "I think all of the seniors have taken that role."
The Buffs will lean on Stanton's leadership as they continue in the preseason and will use her abilities on attack as well as on defense.
"Morgan is our senior captain," said head coach Danny Sanchez. "She is the most fit she has ever been. She is playing sharp and with great leadership. She had a really good sophomore year, [but] she had some ups and downs like the rest of the team last year. She is great in the attack but she is underappreciated for the defensive work she does. We are really expecting big things out of her."
CU's midfield will also look to the experience of sophomore Sarah Kinzner, who was named to the 2015 Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Kinzner started all 20 matches at center midfield as a true freshman for the Buffaloes last season, registering one goal and two assists in 1,503 minutes of action.
"Sarah Kinzner is one of our most dynamic players overall so we are really looking to play to her strengths and look to boost the point total," Sanchez said. "Sometimes as a playmaker you don't always get the goal or get the assist, but we are really working with her on when to simplify her play and when to be creative because she is a very creative player."
Kinzner's soccer career has been highlighted by appearing for the U-20 and U-23 Canadian National teams in 2015 and the U-17 national team in 2014.
The midfield returns sophomore Nancy Best as well as seniors Kahila Hogg and Mikaela Kraus. Hogg started the first six matches of 2015 for the Buffaloes before suffering a season-ending injury. Hogg was named CU student-athlete of the week in Oct. 2014 and was named second-team academic All-Pac-12 in 2015. CU was 4-1-1 in Hogg's first six matches last season, before falling to 3-9-2 in the 14 matches after her injury. Kraus appeared in 16 matches with five starts and scored one goal in a 1-0 victory over Denver University in the Colorado Cup last season. Best, a sophomore from Cave Creek, Ariz., made one appearance in 2015 coming in a 3-0 win against Villanova. Erin Greening also saw time in the midfield as a freshman and, like Hogg, could play anywhere on the field. She had two goals as in 2015.
Several newcomers could see action in the midfield as well. Taylor Kornieck is a team captain of the U.S. U-18 Women's National Team and is a four-star recruit. Megan Massey, a transfer from Tennessee, was the Colorado player of the year two years ago as a senior at Mountain Vista High School. Isobel Dalton, a native of Australia, brings more international experience to the team and is a transfer from Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky, where she led her team to the NAIA finals last year as a freshman with 16 points.
CU opens the season on Friday at Air Force at 6 p.m. and plays its home opener at Prentup Field on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Colorado State.
"Being a veteran and a senior, I think my roll this year has changed a little bit being more of a leader on and off the field," said Stanton. "I think all of the seniors have taken that role."
The Buffs will lean on Stanton's leadership as they continue in the preseason and will use her abilities on attack as well as on defense.
"Morgan is our senior captain," said head coach Danny Sanchez. "She is the most fit she has ever been. She is playing sharp and with great leadership. She had a really good sophomore year, [but] she had some ups and downs like the rest of the team last year. She is great in the attack but she is underappreciated for the defensive work she does. We are really expecting big things out of her."
CU's midfield will also look to the experience of sophomore Sarah Kinzner, who was named to the 2015 Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Kinzner started all 20 matches at center midfield as a true freshman for the Buffaloes last season, registering one goal and two assists in 1,503 minutes of action.
"Sarah Kinzner is one of our most dynamic players overall so we are really looking to play to her strengths and look to boost the point total," Sanchez said. "Sometimes as a playmaker you don't always get the goal or get the assist, but we are really working with her on when to simplify her play and when to be creative because she is a very creative player."
Kinzner's soccer career has been highlighted by appearing for the U-20 and U-23 Canadian National teams in 2015 and the U-17 national team in 2014.
The midfield returns sophomore Nancy Best as well as seniors Kahila Hogg and Mikaela Kraus. Hogg started the first six matches of 2015 for the Buffaloes before suffering a season-ending injury. Hogg was named CU student-athlete of the week in Oct. 2014 and was named second-team academic All-Pac-12 in 2015. CU was 4-1-1 in Hogg's first six matches last season, before falling to 3-9-2 in the 14 matches after her injury. Kraus appeared in 16 matches with five starts and scored one goal in a 1-0 victory over Denver University in the Colorado Cup last season. Best, a sophomore from Cave Creek, Ariz., made one appearance in 2015 coming in a 3-0 win against Villanova. Erin Greening also saw time in the midfield as a freshman and, like Hogg, could play anywhere on the field. She had two goals as in 2015.
Several newcomers could see action in the midfield as well. Taylor Kornieck is a team captain of the U.S. U-18 Women's National Team and is a four-star recruit. Megan Massey, a transfer from Tennessee, was the Colorado player of the year two years ago as a senior at Mountain Vista High School. Isobel Dalton, a native of Australia, brings more international experience to the team and is a transfer from Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky, where she led her team to the NAIA finals last year as a freshman with 16 points.
CU opens the season on Friday at Air Force at 6 p.m. and plays its home opener at Prentup Field on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Colorado State.
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