Midfielders essential to Cowgirls' success this season

LARAMIE -- University of Wyoming soccer head coach Colleen Corbin can’t understate the importance of her midfield contingent. The first-year head coach knows that her team’s success hinges on whether or not her midfielders can perform their jobs effectively.

“Our midfielders can make or break our game plan because they’re the key to our success,” Corbin said. “We need them to be able to play and solve problems.”

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In addition to solving problems, the midfield group will also need to have an understanding of one key buzzword. It’s one syllable, and it will be heard numerous times at any given game this fall.

“We talk a lot about space,” Corbin said. “We want somebody that is able to create space, find space, exploit space and see space.”

Three midfielders return from a season ago. Seniors Rilee Castilla and Kennedy Schomer and redshirt junior Jamie Tatum carry with them plenty of playing experience to lead this essential piece of the Cowgirls’ roster.

In a nine-game spring season, the aforementioned trio combined to make 18 starts. Half of those starts are credited to Tatum who logged 665 minutes of play, one goal and one assist.

Junior Hannah Hagen saw action in all nine contests and made four starts. Fellow junior Maria Allen made six appearances and one start.

Sophomore Berit Robnett joins a trio of freshmen in Taylor Brook, Gabby Clutter and Liz Stutzman who will contribute in the midfield this fall.

“(Midfielders) have to be able to read what’s happening and recover effectively,” Corbin said. “Part of that is reading and understanding the game and knowing when to transition forward and when to recover on defense. The players that will play for us will be the ones that can do both effectively.”

Wyoming begins the season with an exhibition at Kansas State on Sunday before its regular-season opener at home against Colorado School of Mines on Aug. 20.

* University of Wyoming press release