Capitalizing on the success of last season, the USAO men’s soccer team has retooled the 2003 squad with eight new players after losing five seniors from the team. The Drover women have also added seven players to a team that lost four to graduation.

According to Coach Jimmy Hampton, the new players added to the 2003 Drovers’ soccer season should keep USAO in the running for a conference championship and possible berth in the national tournament.

In 2002, the Drovers posted a 9-8-2 overall record and finished second in the SAC standings. USAO advanced to the finals of the SAC tournament, but fell to John Brown.

"Ending our season at home against John Brown was disappointing," said Hampton, beginning his sixth season at USAO. "But, it has helped our boys to focus in the off-season and as we prepare for 2003."

The Drover men do return four key starters, including Nene Coulibally, the Sooner Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. Coulibally, a 5-9 junior from Mali, Africa, scored a team-high of 12 goals and one assists in 2002.

Other returners include defender Jason Wilson, midfielders Joe Uhl and Marcus Williams, along with forwards Sean Neal and Justin Perry. Neal was second on the team with eight goals and four assists.

Leading the strong recruiting class are incoming freshman Jonathan Oman and Adam Day from England. Hampton said the pair should contribute immediately to the Drovers’ squad in 2003. Also joining the team in the fall are Freddie and Joseph Oballa, younger brothers of USAO standout Boniface Oballa. Scott Anderson, a transfer from Southwestern, will also compete for a starting spot at midfield.

Other strong recruits include Bello Illiassou, a transfer from the University of Oklahoma; Keith Ooten, Trey Vaughn and Tom Hubbard, from PC North; Jimmy Bernard, of Moore High School; Brandon Brookman, of Chickasha High School.

While he likes the firepower in his 2003 squad, Hampton said the key to winning big games is defense. The Drovers lost their eight games in 2002 by a combined 12 goals.

Defense could be something of a worry for the Drovers, as they lost three key defenders – Jamile Green, Alcino Murray and Oscar Sanchez – to graduation.

"We graduated some very talented soccer players, but I believe in 2003 we will be more physical and make it hard for teams to score on us," said Hampton.

The key to any defense is the goalkeeper, and the Drovers have found their man in goalkeeper Elliott Ballman. A sophomore from Washington, Mo., Ballman collected 121 saves and two shutouts, while allowing 32 goals in 18 games in net. Backing up Ballman will be senior Kenneth Sterling, who collected six saves and a win in two appearances last season.