The Texas State Bobcats held the No. 2 seed in their conference and boasted a 10-6-1 season record heading into the Sun Belt Conference tournament Nov. 1. At the end of the second overtime period against Coastal Carolina in the quarterfinal, the season was over.
It was a game-winning goal from the Chanticleers in double overtime that ended the women’s soccer team championship hopes. Despite suffering a bitter defeat, the Bobcats have much to be proud of following their 2017 campaign.
Over the season the Bobcats posted a home record of 5-3-1, an away record of 4-2 and went 1-1 on neutral ground. In Sun Belt Conference play, the Bobcats were 8-2 overall with identical records of 4-1 in both home and away games.
Success for the team didn’t come immediately, but after getting off to a bumpy start with an under .500 record of 3-4-1 in their first eight games, the Bobcats managed to turn their bad luck around.
From Sept. 22 to Oct. 20, Texas State won every game on their schedule. The seven-game win streak was highlighted by aggressive offensive play and strong stout defense.
For senior Alyssa Phelan, the team’s turn around felt almost surreal.
“It felt like a dream you know, we started off tying and losing,” Phelan said. “Once conference started we really stepped it up, and played together as a team – playing together and knowing each other’s roles.”
During their seven-game win streak, the Bobcats outscored their opponents 19-4 and outscored opponents 33-19 over the entire season. Their dominant defensive play forced five straight shutouts for the team – three against Sun Belt Conference rivals.
Texas State averaged 14.1 shots per game while holding their opponents to an average of 11.6 per game and outshot opponents 239-198.
Leading the Bobcats high scoring offense were seniors Kassi Hormuth and Rachel Grout and sophomore Kaylee Davis. The trio combined for more than half of the goals scored this season, 23 out of 33.
Grout and Hormuth led the team in individual goals scored tying for the lead spot with eight goals a piece. Davis followed just one goal behind, scoring seven on the season.
Doing her part in making the team a success, sophomore goalkeeper Heather Martin had 60 saves on the season, raising her career total from 120 to 121, placing her at sixth overall in school history.
In the moments when the games mattered most, Hormuth stepped up to the plate, leading the team with three game-winning goals. Grout, Davis and Phelan weren’t far behind, firing off two game-winning goals each.
Throughout the season, Hormuth played with a fire in her belly. Her driving force is the need to make her last season a meaningful one.
“I give it my all in every game, but especially this year because it’s the very end,” Hormuth said.
Talents like Davis give hope for the future, but with the 2017 season over, the Bobcats are preparing for the exit of its seven senior players.
For many, it’s the last time they’ll play the sport at a high level. After years of playing senior Brooke Ramsey is one of those players.
“I think after college I’m hanging up the cleats, I think that’s as far as it goes,” Ramsey said. “My body is tired and I think it’s just the perfect way to end it, at my school.”
Though Ramsey, Hormuth and others may be leaving, they’ll take the lessons they’ve learned with them to the next phase of their lives.
“Honestly soccer has made me so ready for the real world,” Ramsey said. “Not just job-wise, but interacting with people, it taught me time management and that you must be competitive. What you put into something is what you’re going to get out of it.”