Published: November 04, 2009 10:09 pm      

Craft leaving her mark with Bronchos

Junior midfielder has UCO eyeing LSC Tournament title

A few years ago Whitney Craft was faced with a dilemma. The Central Oklahoma University soccer player had to give up the sport she loved or put her future career in nursing on hold. But Craft wasn’t ready to hang up her cleats.

“Nursing has a lot of clinicals on Thursdays and Fridays, and I’d be missing too much school for soccer,” said Craft, who switched her major to biology. “The department would not let me do that, I’d probably fail if I did that.”

Craft again found herself having to answer that same question again this year. The midfielder was granted an extra year of eligibility due to a season-ending knee injury she suffered as a sophomore. But this time Craft decided it was time to pursue her future.

“It was a tough choice,” Craft said. “I graduate in May and I have nothing left to take, so it is disappointing but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

UCO head coach Mike Cook said he hates to lose a player like Craft, but understood her decision.

“Whitney has been an unbelievable player for us,” Cook said. “She’s a very sharp girl and knows what she wants to do. Iappreciate the hard work these girls do and when they think it’s time to move on then I support that.”

The Skiatook native made a splash in her first season with the Bronchos. She appeared in all 21 games, making 10 starts. After missing most of her second season due to injury, Craft bounced back last fall. She started all but one game at midfielder and recorded four goals and two assists, while earning All-Lone Star Conference Second Team honors.

Craft has again helped UCO to a strong season this fall. While the regular season conference title slipped away with a 2-0 loss to Texas Women’s University on Sunday, the Bronchos are still eyeing a trip to the national tournament. To do so they’ll need to fight through the LSC Championship this weekend in Canyon, Texas.

Cook is optimistic about UCO’s chances and believes the key will be taking advantage of their scoring opportunities and finishing games.

“We feel like we’re the best team in the conference, so we want to go up there and win two games and prove that,” Cook said. “We have to finish. We’ve outshot everyone we’ve played, had more chances, but we’ll give up a goal or make a mistake and then we don’t finish our chances.”

The Bronchos will also be without one of their leading scorers as freshman Brittni Walker remains sidelined with a knee injury. Walker has scored eight goals and added three assists this season. Katelyn Cropp and Katy Kashwer will look to pick up the slack in the conference tournament.

The LSC Tournament play begins today with TWU taking on Texas A&M-Commerce at noon, followed by a 2 p.m. game between Midwestern State and Abilene Christian.

UCO will meet up with the winner of the first game Friday at noon, and regular season conference champion West Texas A&M will play the other winner at 2 p.m. The finals are then scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.