CLEVELAND – Injuries can be debilitating for a team at any point of the year, but for the Delta State women's soccer team, they are beginning to take their toll before the season's first game.

Prior to the start of the season, head coach Jim Allen was planning for his Lady Statesmen squad to have a deep bench and build upon its most successful season its history in 2008; now, with five players out with injuries, he is going back to the drawing board, and conditioning is going to be a key.

“We're down to about 13 girls and we've only got two on the field that played for the team last year,” Allen said. “We're starting seven freshmen, so it's going to be very challenging for the women's side. They're working hard, to their credit.”

While the Lady Statesmen are adjusting to a lot of new faces and trying to put the names that go with those faces before their first game, Allen will be relying on defenders Jaz Yacaman (Wellington, Fla./St. Amant (La.) HS) and Sam Bossert (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville HS) to lead by example as Delta State kicks off the 2009 season.

Yacaman, a junior, will be assuming all the on-field leadership roles, as she was tapped to be a team captain.

“She's an outstanding young lady, does a very good job, a very flexible player. She plays in the back and has played outside mid for me.”

Bossert, a sophomore, will be starting at one of the center back positions after playing on the outside last season. Allen said both players have been working hard as the preseason has presented the team with several twists to the roster.

“I've got all the confidence in the world (in them) and they're working hard,” he said.

The duties of leading the young squad by example will also fall on senior defender Renee Melson (Flowood, Miss./Northwest Rankin HS).

Newcomers Up Front

Most of the newcomers to Allen's roster will be playing in the midfield and on the front line, and the quicker those two lines can gel as the team, the brighter the outlook is for the Lady Statesmen.

The most noteworthy acquisition for Delta State this season is Mikael Mendez (Fort Worth, Tex./Brewer HS), who transferred from Division I program Mississippi Valley State. Mendez was a key member of the Devilettes' 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship squad, and was named to the SWAC First Team.

The Lady Statesmen will also look to freshman forward Jackie Kelly (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River HS), who will join Mendez on the front line. They will be complimented in the midfield by returning sophomore midfielder Kristen Stensholt (Melbourne, Australia/Kingswood College) and Megan Dixon (Pasadena, Texas/Memorial HS), who missed most of her sophomore campaign in 2008 with an injury.

“From these girls, we expect to have a little hope,” Allen said. “These are the four girls that will be carrying the brunt of our offensive punch.”

The Lady Statesmen will also start a newcomer between the pipes, as freshman Sam Le Jeune (Olive Branch, Miss./Center Hill HS) will be aiming for clean scoresheets this year.

“She has limited experience, but she's going to be fine. Coach [Cheryl] Noonan has to done an outstanding job training her and she's made tremendous progress,” Allen said. “She's probably one of the hardest working ladies I've ever seen.”

The Lady Statesmen open the season with a pair of road games to Alcorn State and Mississippi College. Delta State visits Alcorn on Monday for a 4 p.m. match, and then heads to Clinton to face Mississippi College on Tuesday at 2 p.m.