OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 28, 2018) – It's been a long run of lean times for Oklahoma Christian's women's soccer program, and sometimes when that happens, a losing mindset can overwhelm a program – something coach Meagan Anderson is working hard to overcome.

Despite a 2-16 record in her first season at the OC helm – the program's eighth straight losing campaign – Anderson saw small signs of progress in 2017. She believes the Lady Eagles can continue taking steps forward during the 2018 season, which will begin Thursday with a home game against Central Oklahoma.

"Last year was a year of understanding – me understanding the collegiate side of the game and the girls understanding my expectations," Anderson said. "There was vulnerability on both sides and learning what our expectations should be for ourselves and what we wanted to end up doing. It was a good time for us to get integrated with each other."

There certainly are reasons for optimism. Given a chance to bring in her first recruiting class, the Lady Eagles should have more depth than last year at key positions. Plus, one of their Heartland Conference rivals, Rogers State, showed last season that a turnaround can be immediate, as the Hillcats improved from 6-9-3 in 2016 to 13-4-3 in 2017, earning a spot in the league tournament title game.

So it certainly can be done and Anderson wants her team to show its determination to become the Heartland's next surprise team.

"My expectation is to do work and for them to have a work ethic," she said. "You should have an expectation for yourself to be better and hopefully that will push them to exceed what they even thought. When we will be in position to win this year, we will handle those situations a little bit differently (than last year). We are more mature and hopefully those experiences will help us … give us a different feel.

"There's not any reason why we're in the position that we are, other than it's just the way it's been. There's this persona with our program that we've hit a rut and got stuck in it and not really tried to get out of it. A lot of it could be our own perception of ourselves, that we're too small for this or we don't deserve this. We've just got to go do it."

One of Anderson's primary concerns entering this season was finding a strong second goalkeeper to provide both competition and relief to junior Addison Milner, who was the lone goalie on the 2017 roster. Milner had to take every rep of every practice and every game last season, and while that no doubt toughened her up, it also was a major challenge both physically and mentally.

Anderson thinks she found a local gem in freshman Josie Knox, who starred at nearby Deer Creek High School in Edmond, earning first-team All-City honors from The Oklahoman as a senior. Milner will enter this season as the starter, but Anderson said Knox certainly will have the opportunity to play.

"Addie did everything last year that she could have done in a very difficult situation," Anderson said. "This year, she will have someone to both push her and give her support and who will understand what she's going through in games. She won't have to take every rep. Josie will be able to step in and play fairly well when she's in there."

Two starters return on the defensive end in sophomore left back Lexi Lane and center back Oby Okeke. Senior Michell Fuentes, who sat out last season, should provide a considerable spark at the other center back position, with freshman Caprice King set to take over at right back.

Juniors Courtney Hernandez, who started 11 games for OC last season, and Grace Simpson also will be options on the back line, as will freshman Sarah Albert, who could see time there in addition to her duties as a forward. Two other defenders, Cassidy Davis and Naomi Reagan, enter the season injured but could figure into the mix when healthy.

Anderson has two strong options at the always-important center defensive midfield position in seniors Lauren Parker and Carley Cooley. Cooley, limited by injury to six games last season, will start against UCO, but Parker will see considerable time on the field, too. Depending on the situation, Fuentes, Dakota Milner or newcomer Taylor Neilson could also figure into the mix.

The midfield wings will be a pair of returnees – Chanie Scrivner on the left side and Dakota Milner (a third-team All-Heartland pick in 2016) on the right side. Veterans Kylee Ingalls and Morgan Boling and newcomers Jasmine Chacon-Diaz (a transfer from Mid-America Christian) and Cameryn Covington also are capable wing players. Freshman Addy Gibbs is also a possibility, and should see action, too, on the defensive end. If healthy, sophomore Jamie Lewis could also figure into the mix.

OC's primary attacking midfielders will be senior Darrian Palacios and junior-college transfer Melisa Lopez, both of whom should have plenty of opportunity to push forward and take cracks at goal.

OC is as deep at forward as it's been in years. Speedy sophomore Bri Concienne had a goal and four assists before her 2017 season ended prematurely due to injury, while Anderson is high on freshman Denise Bennett. Corina Marin is OC's top returning goal-scorer with three, and Albert and fellow freshman Natalie Thomas will provide other solid options up front, along with another new player, Maria Young, and sophomore Julia Moore.

"At any given time, we can put any of those four players (Concienne, Bennett, Marin, Thomas) in and we will have a very active and dominant front line," Anderson said. "This year, we should be better at getting the ball in quality offensive positions."

The Lady Eagles will face a pair of top NCAA Division II squads – UCO and Central Region finalist Southwestern Oklahoma State – during its nonconference schedule before embarking on the 14-game Heartland slate that will include home-and-home meetings with the league's seven other teams, including longtime powers Dallas Baptist (Texas) and St. Edward's (Texas).

"Expectations of us from the outside are pretty low," Anderson said, noting OC was picked last in the Heartland's preseason poll. "Quite frankly, it will be, until we expect differently from ourselves to do better, to get results, to finish games and to want to be involved with the conference. That's something we have challenged ourselves with this year, is to not be the bottom, but to be competitive."