2018 Spring Preview: 2018 MV-BT/Liberty Girls Soccer

mv-bt-liberty

By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Their numbers are small, and the travel schedule is brutal, but the results speak for themselves.

Mountain View-Birch Tree/Liberty has emerged as a perennial contender in local Class 1 soccer.

The Eagles won a district championship last season and played Fatima to a 2-1 loss in the state quarterfinals. A victory would’ve sent Liberty to state for the first time in program history.

“Making it farther than any other Liberty team was huge for us last year. I think it put a lot of things in perspective for the players,” said Eagles coach Shelly Renegar. “Fatima has a well-established soccer program, yet losing to them was still tough. We learned a lot from the game and what it takes to continue having success in the future. I hope the frustration of how our 2017 season ended will carry over to their work ethic this season.”

The Eagles have finished .500 or better in five of the last six seasons. They’re in position to continue that success this spring.

Liberty returns its leading scorer, junior forward Amanda Mantel. She accounted for 23 of Liberty’s 40 total goals last season.

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“Our team depends on Amanda to get the ball in the back of the net,” Renegar said. “She’s definitely a leader on the field.”

Senior Kristina Stockton ranked second on the team in goals (seven) and assists (four) last season. By necessity, she often had to play in the back.

“This year, we look to have her focused more on scoring goals rather than stopping them,” Renegar said.

Senior Angelina Herold brings leadership and speed. Despite often playing in the back, she led Liberty with six assists last season.

“She’s another player I can count on anywhere on the field,” Renegar said. “With her speed, she makes our defense tough to get past.”

Amber Collins, another versatile player, will take on a midfield role.

Kennedy Cooley, Halie Reed, Sydney Wilson, Guadalupe Salinas and Abby Reese are back and will again have major varsity roles, along with Sydney Burton.

Liberty did take some graduation hits, primarily on the defensive end.

The Eagles graduated starting goalkeeper Jaci Mantel, who had an astounding 463 saves last season. She set a single-game school record with 33 saves.

Whittney Prewett was a defensive leader in the back. Kourtney French brought “hustle, determination and a strong leg.”

A freshmen class that includes Mia Wagner, Christian Radford, Sam Herold and Marley Kyle will give Liberty some needed depth.

With softball shifting from a fall season to a spring season (plus track and field), soccer isn’t the only the spring sport option for female athletes at Liberty (enrollment: 327).

Liberty’s already low roster numbers may take a hit.

Travel is another issue. Liberty’s closest opponent is West Plains (50-mile round trip).

Last year, Liberty had road games in Aurora, Springfield, Rogersville and Lebanon.

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