Click HERE to watch Head Coach Heather Cato and senior captain Blair Thomas talk about the 2014 season.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Heading into the 2014 season, the Rogers State women's soccer team brings a strong group of talented players into the mix at the forward and midfield positions looking to get back to its winning ways after suffering its first losing season in program history.
 
One of the most experienced groups for the Hillcats is on the attack. It features the return of their top two scorers from the 2013 season in Third-Team All-Heartland Conference selection, Tara Garrett, and fellow senior and four-year starter Blair Thomas. The pair combined for nearly half the goal production for RSU a season ago as Garrett ranked fifth in the conference with a team-leading eight goals.
 
"I am constantly trying to figure out ways to throw some of your offensive assets into the game," first-year Head Coach Heather Cato said. "Blair has the speed, she has the work ethic, and she just gets in the mix. Having the option of throwing her forward is really exciting for us because we also have a front runner in Paige Pontarolo, who can find her and find Tara. That is going to cause defenses some problems."
 
Pontarolo comes to the Hill as a sophomore scoring threat from Walla Walla Community College while the Hillcats return junior Taylor Hallford and sophomore Courtney Tucker up top. Local product Teagan Moonen is another forward option for RSU from Sequoyah High School.
 
Coach Cato has a number of options to plug into the middle of the field and that has created ­more competition for playing time while pushing the entire group to be better and more consistent.
 
"What's good is we have some returners like Jianna (Cervantes) that is going to play a huge role for us in the midfield," Cato added. "She can play both sides of the ball very, very well and can win balls in the air. Then you have a freshman like Leigh Ann Craig who has stepped up huge. She has come in and said I want to start and make a difference. That has added competition for Carley Johnson, who can play anywhere on the field. Lucy Redmond is technically gifted and Breanna Ray has the technical ability and the tactical ability to see everything."
 
Four other players return with collegiate experience in juniors Taylor Geissler and Olivia Freeman as well as sophomores Kealani Chaidez and Taylor Neubecker. Newcomer Devin Stokes also joins the team for her junior campaign.
 
"For me, it's awesome to have a center midfield that we can throw all sorts of options in there. Then you have speed on the outside with Tara and Blair. We really have 10 or 11 players that we can put across a four or five-man midfield," Cato stated.
 
Those options are going to be on display during RSU's 17-match schedule, which includes nine home games and an early season trip to Colorado, which the entire team has circled on the calendar. All home contests at Soldier Field will be available on the Hillcat Network with free live audio and video.
 
"The Denver trip is going to be a huge thing for our team to grow off the field as well as on. Those are important trips for any collegiate program," Cato concluded. "Our program has improved and being able to play some of the top teams and people that have been to the Elite Eight are where you find out where your program really is."
 
The Hillcats kick off the season Thursday heading to Bethany, Oklahoma to face the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Wanda Rhodes Soccer Complex. Live stats will be available at http://sidearmstats.com/snu/wsoc/.