Kate Mason goes from soccer to accounting and back again

Kate Mason goes from soccer to accounting and back again

Not many people switch out of a stable job to pursue a career in something far less stable. Yet, that Lipscomb women’s soccer senior goalkeeper Kate Mason, a double major in accounting and finance, did this year. Mason had already accepted a full-time accounting position at a public accounting firm before she got an offer to play for Telge United FF, a Swedish professional soccer club. “When this came up, I knew it was something I couldn’t turn down,” Mason said. “Luckily the firm was very understanding of that and made it known that if I want to come back, there will be a spot for me.” At Lipscomb, the 5-foot-10, brown-haired goalie recorded more than 100 saves and allowed just 43 goals in her 42 career games. She posted shutouts in three of her final five games, including a 1-0 victory over Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA tournament last November. It was the support system around Mason that made her decision to play professional soccer in Europe easier. She said her coaches, teammates and friends at Lipscomb had major influence on the trajectory of her life and playing career. “This was a place that was really special to me and I had grew so much, not only as a soccer player but off the field too,” Mason said. “It was so awesome to be in a place where I was encouraged to play for something bigger than myself and use this platform to share the gospel.” A player of Mason’s caliber does not go unnoticed in the recruiting process. She could have gone to...
Lipscomb women’s soccer snags transfers from Auburn, Florida

Lipscomb women’s soccer snags transfers from Auburn, Florida

Following the success of its championship 2018 season, Lipscomb women’s soccer coach Kevin O’Brien had more good news to share Monday. The team announced the arrival of two SEC transfers – forward Cami Rogers from Auburn and midfielder Danielle Van Liere from Florida. Both players are eligible for the 2019 season. “They’re going to create more depth, and if they work hard, they could be starters for us,” O’Brien said. “Because you play so many games in rapid succession, it’s important to have a deep team and be able to rotate your squad.” Rogers scored two goals in 15 games as a freshman at Auburn in 2018. She tallied 86 career goals at Prattville High School near Montgomery, Alabama. “She has electric pace and is good at running at defenders,” O’Brien said. “She’ll fit into how we play with our transition and counter-attacking style.” Van Liere appeared in 15 matches over three seasons at Florida. O’Brien said her passing ability from the center midfielder position will provide a boost for the Lady Bisons. “She’s technical, intelligent and is a really good passer,” he said. “We have talented forwards, but their runs [toward the goal] don’t mean anything if we don’t have someone to pass them the ball.” Rogers and Van Liere join forward Allie Dunn as Lipscomb’s 2nd and 3rd transfers from the SEC. Dunn played at Arkansas in 2017 and figured to be a promising addition for the Lady Bisons before an injury derailed her 2018 campaign. Lipscomb is coming off its most successful season in program history after finishing with a 15-5-2 record and winning its first-ever...
COLUMN: Lipscomb men’s soccer was an underdog with an asterisk

COLUMN: Lipscomb men’s soccer was an underdog with an asterisk

The Lipscomb men’s soccer team might have been an underdog, but this Cinderella packed quite a punch. The Bisons began the tournament by taking down No. 17 Washington and No. 9 Central Florida, which both clearly underestimated the upstart Lipscomb squad that turned a 1-7 start into an ASUN title. But Lipscomb’s final opponent was not caught napping. Kentucky was simply too well acquainted with the Bisons after the two squads met in each of the last three regular seasons. Kentucky used second-half goals from Jason Reyes and Bailey Rouse to eliminate Lipscomb and advance to the Elite 8, bringing the Cinderella story to a screeching halt. “They’re just good,” Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow said of the Wildcats. “The fact of the matter is, you look at [Kentucky], you look at UCF and you look at Washington, player for player athletically, the teams we’re playing are just better. “And we know that going into the game. That doesn’t mean that we can’t win.” You don’t have to look any further than the team’s most experienced (and arguably best) players to find more underdog tales. Forward Logan Paynter and goalkeeper Chris Zappia began their Lipscomb careers as redshirt nobodies, but the fifth-year seniors are now leaving the program as two of its best players in recent memory. Paynter, a former walk-on, and Zappia were roommates for their freshman season in 2014. Both shared in the frustration of sitting out after being the stars of their high school teams. “I know both of us played quite a bit in high school and with our club and academy teams, and coming to...
HEARTBREAKER: Lipscomb’s Cinderella run ends in Lexington

HEARTBREAKER: Lipscomb’s Cinderella run ends in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lipscomb men’s soccer team is going home after a hard-fought, 2-1 loss to No. 3 Kentucky in the NCAA Sweet 16. After a 1-7 record to start the year, the Bisons put up an incredible fight the rest of the way. They sneaked through the NCAA tournament with improbable overtime victories against Washington and UCF, but there wasn’t enough magic to give them another. “This run that we’ve had … is in large part due to the leadership of our senior group,” Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow said. “And [I’m] just really, really proud of them.” Lipscomb’s lone goal came from redshirt senior forward Logan Paynter in the 76th minute. Paynter finished his career with 36 goals – the most in Lipscomb soccer history. “I love Lipscomb more than anything,” Paynter said. “My five years here have been the most amazing time of my life.” His goal tied the game at one shortly after a Wildcat goal from Jason Reyes in the second period, but UK was able to respond with a game-winner from Bailey Rouse in the 81st minute. The Wildcats outshot the Bisons 20-10, and nine of Kentucky shots were on target. “Not necessarily the best soccer teams win,” Morrow said. “But sometimes just…the more athletic teams win.” The first half was all Kentucky. The Wildcats had eleven shots in the first half, with junior forward J.J. Williams grabbing four. Lipscomb could only muster three first-half shots. The Wildcats had only one roadblock: Lipscomb goalkeeper Chris Zappia. The redshirt senior grabbed six saves in the first 45 minutes, and many of those saves were physical stops on...
GAME PREVIEW: Can the Bisons pull another upset at Kentucky?

GAME PREVIEW: Can the Bisons pull another upset at Kentucky?

After back-to-back upset victories of Washington and Central Florida, the Lipscomb Bisons men’s soccer team has become the Cinderella story of the NCAA tournament. The travel-weary Bisons will now make the trek to Lexington for a rematch against the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats, who handed Lipscomb a 3-2 overtime defeat in Nashville on Sept. 18. “It was hard to watch Kentucky walk off our field with a win in a game that we thought we deserved to win,” Lipscomb goalie Chris Zappia said. The winner of Saturday’s game will play the winner of the Duke-Maryland match in the Elite 8 next week. Game information No. 16 Lipscomb (11-9) vs. No. 3 Kentucky (18-1-1) Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT Location: Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex (Lexington, Ky.) TV: SEC Network Plus/WatchESPN Series history These two teams have seen a lot of each other recently. In 2016, the Bisons battled to a 1-1 tie in a game that went to double overtime. Lipscomb forward Josue Chavez scored an early goal and Zappia made six saves, before the Wildcats got on the board in the 70th minute on a tally from Kaelon Fox. In 2017, Lipscomb pulled a 3-2 upset in Lexington behind goals from Logan Paynter, Ivan Sakou and Ryan Birchfield. Zappia made four saves to preserve the victory. Kentucky then returned the favor in overtime this season. Kalil Elmedkhar and Aime Mabika gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead, but Paytner and Birchfield answered with goals of their own in the second half. But J.J. Williams’s chip over Lipscomb goalie Luke Wilson cemented the 3-2 victory for Kentucky. “One of the core...