A Group that Means Everything

Oklahoma vs. Kansas
Oct. 31 | 7 p.m. | Norman, Okla.

Notes

The Oklahoma soccer team is young.

How young? Try this on for size: on a 30-member roster, there are 11 freshmen and 12 sophomores. Over 75 percent of the roster is underclassmen.

No matter how stacked your roster is with youthful talent and potential, experience is beyond crucial to a program on the rise. Experience begets consistency, leadership and a level head in chaotic situations.

When one asks head coach Matt Potter about the impact of his three most experienced student-athletes, then, it's not surprising that he keeps coming back to one description: they've “meant everything” to this team.

Emily Bowman, Abby Hodgen and Molly Richey are more than mere team members when it comes to this program. They have continually set the tone for a young Oklahoma squad in attitude, work ethic, intensity and heart.

“All three of them, in their own ways, have taken every opportunity that has been presented to them,” Potter explained. “They've made the most out of their collegiate careers and their time at Oklahoma.”

Each one brings a different dimension of leadership to the team.

Bowman is full of heart, a leading example of what it means to be determined and focused in the face of adversity.

Hodgen brings the drive and the energy. Her influence brings calmness when her team needs to be calm, or makes it “roar when it needs to roar,” in the words of her coaches.

Richey is consistent, giving everything she has to her team and guiding them toward what they're capable of doing.

Together, the trio has led the team to new heights. After a challenging season in 2013, the seniors guided their teammates to a higher level of expectation and focus. While everyone else was counting the Sooners out this season, the team and coaching staff knew better.

Behind steady leadership, Oklahoma got off to its best start since 2005. The team has had a taste of everything this year, from soaring highs in wins over top-ranked foes like No. 6 Florida and No. 10 Texas Tech, to adversity in unexpected losses.

SoonerSports.com sat down with those on the team that know the seniors best. The group discussed the traits that each senior brings to the team, and what sets them apart as members of the program.

EMILY BOWMAN (Midfielder – Grapevine, Texas)

SISTER

"Emily is special because of the many gifts God has blessed her with. She has taught me to always strive to be a better person both on and off the field. She always has a smile on her face and can make anyone's day better. Emily is the definition of a true sister, teammate and friend."
- Tori Bowman (Fr.)

KIND-HEARTED

"Emily is kind-hearted. She is the heart of our team. She keeps us humble through the good times and together through the hard. Emily shows all of us how to be good teammates through her love and care for each of us as individuals."
- Ayana O'Neal (So.)

DETERMINED

"Anything Emily does, she does with full commitment and full energy. She never settles. What I've enjoyed is that no matter what role you throw at her, especially this year, she fulfills the potential of it. She's very driven and determined in that sense. She's led a young group of players and been a great role model for them. She's made it very difficult for people not to contribute when things aren't going their way and she does it with a permanent smile on her face. I couldn't be prouder of her for that."
- head coach Matt Potter

ABBY HODGEN (Midfielder – Yukon, Okla.)

CONFIDENT

"Abby is confident. She goes into every battle on and off the field with a mindset that gives her an advantage. Her confidence is contagious and she takes others with her to accomplish big things."
- Shiloh Price (So.)

DRIVEN

"Abby is so driven. She knows what she wants and what she wants is what she gets. She is assertive in every part of her life, and she will always be successful because of that quality."
- Devin Barrett (Jr.)

RADIANT

"It's difficult to pick out one word, because she--and her fellow seniors--have meant so much in so many different ways. Radiant, to me, means that Abby is always full of energy. There's always a smile on her face and it's infectious when she walks into a room. She immediately has a presence about her. She just shines. I think that couldn't be clearer in the way she's carried herself in games. It's meant everything to this team."
- head coach Matt Potter

MOLLY RICHEY (Defender - Tyler, Texas)

MENTOR

"Molly is a mentor. She is always looking out for us and gives us great advice to help both on and off the field. She is a great role model, exemplifying our core values and leading others in the same direction. She cares for other people, and it shows every day with her attitude and work ethic."
- Caren Nelson (So.)

SELFLESS

"Molly is so selfless. She is always putting the team before herself. She would do anything for any teammate, and you can always count on her to be there."
- Abby Hodgen (Sr.)

DEPENDABLE

"With Molly, what you see is what you get. She's got great character and she's always a willing worker. She comes to practice every day and there's always a smile. She's loyal. She gets every ounce out of herself that she can possibly get, and she gives it all to her team. That dependability is an incredible characteristic to have. I can't express in words how much she's meant to us or this team since we've been here."
- head coach Matt Potter

EMILY BOWMAN (Midfielder – Grapevine, Texas)

ABBY HODGEN (Midfielder – Yukon, Okla.)

MOLLY RICHEY (Defender - Tyler, Texas)

Players Mentioned

Devin Barrett

Emily Bowman

Tori Bowman

Abby Hodgen

Abby Hodgen

Caren Nelson

Ayana O'Neal

Shiloh Price

Molly Richey

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics