Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Soccer head coach Grant Williams unveils 2019 schedule
11/29/2018 | 4:09:00 | Women's Soccer
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois women's soccer head coach Grant Williams unveiled the schedule for the program's inaugural season that begins in the fall of 2019. The first collegiate women's soccer match at SIU will be an exhibition on Aug. 17 versus SEMO at 7 p.m., followed by the team's regular-season home opener against Illinois-Springfield on Aug. 23.
The Salukis are slated to play 18 matches in 2019, including three exhibitions. Dates and times for the 2019 schedule will be announced in the spring, Williams said.
Home Matches: SEMO (exh.), UI-Springfield, North Alabama, Belmont, IUPUI, Morehead State, Lipscomb, Texas Rio Grande Valley, SIUE
Road Matches: Tennessee Tech (exh.), UIC (exh.), IPFW, Ohio, Western Kentucky, Colorado College, SEMO, Eastern Illinois, Dartmouth
The program will not be affiliated with a conference during its first season and will then join the Missouri Valley Conference and be eligible for postseason play beginning in 2020.
Here are excerpts from today's press conference.
On the team's 2019 schedule.
It's going to give us everything we need to prepare ourselves for what will eventually be a 2020 season of joining the Missouri Valley and postseason play being open and available to us. We've been able to have the breadth of the season from when we start in August to the end of October and potentially that last game in November, so being able to replicate what a season is going to be like, we've been able to check all of those boxes of giving our team that first go-around.
I think (the schedule) is very appropriate from the amount of travel that we have, having balance. That was probably one of the bigger concerns, was having a balance of teams wanting to come here and play us. Looking at the strength of our (schedule), there's a stretch there when you would start conference play, I think is really going to challenge us from a quality perspective.
You want to establish some rivalries. You want to start to impose yourself and make a name regionally. You start to look at some of those opportunities and who you can play.
On his biggest challenge since taking the job last May.
The biggest frustration has been having to wait until August, watching the season go by and not being able to compete and train is something I have sorely missed. I think everything has fallen into place, not necessarily easily, but from a timing perspective, has all kind of happened the way you would expect it to — numerically with where we are with our roster, the schedule is done, the 2020 schedule is actually already done, so things have continued to fall as they should. I've spent a lot of time on the road and my wife is looking forward to Christmas and the holidays and our dead period so we can spend some continuous time together.
On not playing any MVC schools in 2019.
That was a calculated endeavor. I didn't want there to be any predisposition, good or bad, about when games really started to matter for us in 2020. If we go and smash somebody, it doesn't mean that's going to happen next year. And vice versa, if we take one on the chin, it doesn't mean that will happen the following year. I think going into 2020 with our eyes wide open will be a benefit for us.
On the status of the roster.
We don't have a full team, we do have enough to play. We have 15 verbal commitments and hopefully we'll add to that number shortly. There are still some juco players and transfers that we're looking to evaluate as we balance our roster with what will be a very large freshman class and blend some experience. You play with 11, and 26-28 is kind of the sweet spot that keeps things competitive, you have enough to absorb a few injuries, you can keep 3-4 goalkeepers.
On the size of the freshman class.
When I originally started, I thought I'd be in the 14-15 range with freshmen, but it's probably going to be higher just based on numbers of goalkeepers that we'll carry. Unfortunately, we've already picked up an injury and we'll see if that pushes her into another class. It will probably be in the 18-20 range for the freshman class and you hope to be 22-24 (total players) just so you play 11 vs. 11 and making things realistic in a training environment.
On the program's recruiting base.
Our proximity to St. Louis and it being a soccer town, that's a place we've spent some significant time in. I think if you just drew a four-hour circle around Carbondale, and then you also include Chicago in that, is going to be our bread and butter from a name recognition and where we're going to draw from. We've had some success out of region and we'll continue to go where the best possible players are. We'll be excited when we make our class announcement, hopefully after the first of the year.
On the status of the locker room and playing facility.
Major construction has already been completed (on the locker room). We're looking at what's the plan for the press box, the extension of the bleachers. We'll have to see how the weather plays into those things on when they're done.
On the significance of starting a new program.
It's historic. I feel a tremendous responsibility and I couldn't be happier to have landed where I have and having the opportunity to do that. What a unique opportunity it is to be part of the history of not only a soccer program but also the university, it's the opportunity of a lifetime.
On assistant coach Libby Stout's importance to the program.
It's a completely different set of eyes. She brings some fresh perspectives on players. Having been doing it a long time, you can sometimes get into some ruts or habits, and she looks at the game a little bit differently, having been a goalkeeper and having just finished her professional playing career. From a training perspective and selling and marketing, there's not a better training environment that a goalkeeper can find anywhere in the country than what we're going to have right here with Libby and her ability to train goalkeepers. It's such an asset for our team.
On when the team can begin practice.
The first week of August is the report date, so we'll start training the week before what would be our first exhibition match.
On what he looks for in recruits.
You go into recruiting trying to find athletes who fit the style you'd like to play. For me it's more about style than a system. A system is semantics — you're going to put 11 players out there, so's the other team, who can make adjustments as the game goes on. From a style, we're going to be hard-working, defensively pressing in the other team's end. Not everybody buys into what it takes to work in that. You have to see kids demonstrate that on the field. You have to hear them talk about wanting a competitive environment, that winning and losing is important to them.
On how to attact fans to the matches.
I think it will be some automatic buy-in because, hey, it's something new, let's see what women's soccer is about. Ultimately, the job that I and our staff and our players will have is getting them to keep coming back. I think the people will try us on and see how it looks those first few times. Our job is to keep them coming back.
The Salukis are slated to play 18 matches in 2019, including three exhibitions. Dates and times for the 2019 schedule will be announced in the spring, Williams said.
Home Matches: SEMO (exh.), UI-Springfield, North Alabama, Belmont, IUPUI, Morehead State, Lipscomb, Texas Rio Grande Valley, SIUE
Road Matches: Tennessee Tech (exh.), UIC (exh.), IPFW, Ohio, Western Kentucky, Colorado College, SEMO, Eastern Illinois, Dartmouth
The program will not be affiliated with a conference during its first season and will then join the Missouri Valley Conference and be eligible for postseason play beginning in 2020.
Here are excerpts from today's press conference.
On the team's 2019 schedule.
It's going to give us everything we need to prepare ourselves for what will eventually be a 2020 season of joining the Missouri Valley and postseason play being open and available to us. We've been able to have the breadth of the season from when we start in August to the end of October and potentially that last game in November, so being able to replicate what a season is going to be like, we've been able to check all of those boxes of giving our team that first go-around.
I think (the schedule) is very appropriate from the amount of travel that we have, having balance. That was probably one of the bigger concerns, was having a balance of teams wanting to come here and play us. Looking at the strength of our (schedule), there's a stretch there when you would start conference play, I think is really going to challenge us from a quality perspective.
You want to establish some rivalries. You want to start to impose yourself and make a name regionally. You start to look at some of those opportunities and who you can play.
On his biggest challenge since taking the job last May.
The biggest frustration has been having to wait until August, watching the season go by and not being able to compete and train is something I have sorely missed. I think everything has fallen into place, not necessarily easily, but from a timing perspective, has all kind of happened the way you would expect it to — numerically with where we are with our roster, the schedule is done, the 2020 schedule is actually already done, so things have continued to fall as they should. I've spent a lot of time on the road and my wife is looking forward to Christmas and the holidays and our dead period so we can spend some continuous time together.
On not playing any MVC schools in 2019.
That was a calculated endeavor. I didn't want there to be any predisposition, good or bad, about when games really started to matter for us in 2020. If we go and smash somebody, it doesn't mean that's going to happen next year. And vice versa, if we take one on the chin, it doesn't mean that will happen the following year. I think going into 2020 with our eyes wide open will be a benefit for us.
On the status of the roster.
We don't have a full team, we do have enough to play. We have 15 verbal commitments and hopefully we'll add to that number shortly. There are still some juco players and transfers that we're looking to evaluate as we balance our roster with what will be a very large freshman class and blend some experience. You play with 11, and 26-28 is kind of the sweet spot that keeps things competitive, you have enough to absorb a few injuries, you can keep 3-4 goalkeepers.
On the size of the freshman class.
When I originally started, I thought I'd be in the 14-15 range with freshmen, but it's probably going to be higher just based on numbers of goalkeepers that we'll carry. Unfortunately, we've already picked up an injury and we'll see if that pushes her into another class. It will probably be in the 18-20 range for the freshman class and you hope to be 22-24 (total players) just so you play 11 vs. 11 and making things realistic in a training environment.
On the program's recruiting base.
Our proximity to St. Louis and it being a soccer town, that's a place we've spent some significant time in. I think if you just drew a four-hour circle around Carbondale, and then you also include Chicago in that, is going to be our bread and butter from a name recognition and where we're going to draw from. We've had some success out of region and we'll continue to go where the best possible players are. We'll be excited when we make our class announcement, hopefully after the first of the year.
On the status of the locker room and playing facility.
Major construction has already been completed (on the locker room). We're looking at what's the plan for the press box, the extension of the bleachers. We'll have to see how the weather plays into those things on when they're done.
On the significance of starting a new program.
It's historic. I feel a tremendous responsibility and I couldn't be happier to have landed where I have and having the opportunity to do that. What a unique opportunity it is to be part of the history of not only a soccer program but also the university, it's the opportunity of a lifetime.
On assistant coach Libby Stout's importance to the program.
It's a completely different set of eyes. She brings some fresh perspectives on players. Having been doing it a long time, you can sometimes get into some ruts or habits, and she looks at the game a little bit differently, having been a goalkeeper and having just finished her professional playing career. From a training perspective and selling and marketing, there's not a better training environment that a goalkeeper can find anywhere in the country than what we're going to have right here with Libby and her ability to train goalkeepers. It's such an asset for our team.
On when the team can begin practice.
The first week of August is the report date, so we'll start training the week before what would be our first exhibition match.
On what he looks for in recruits.
You go into recruiting trying to find athletes who fit the style you'd like to play. For me it's more about style than a system. A system is semantics — you're going to put 11 players out there, so's the other team, who can make adjustments as the game goes on. From a style, we're going to be hard-working, defensively pressing in the other team's end. Not everybody buys into what it takes to work in that. You have to see kids demonstrate that on the field. You have to hear them talk about wanting a competitive environment, that winning and losing is important to them.
On how to attact fans to the matches.
I think it will be some automatic buy-in because, hey, it's something new, let's see what women's soccer is about. Ultimately, the job that I and our staff and our players will have is getting them to keep coming back. I think the people will try us on and see how it looks those first few times. Our job is to keep them coming back.
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