LARAMIE, Wyo. (8/13/22) – Versatility and endurance is the name of the game for the University of Wyoming midfielders. Head coach Colleen Corbin requires a lot from her midfield positional group, and she has plenty of players poised to conquer those steep challenges.

"We play a style of soccer that really utilizes our midfield to unlock a bunch of stuff," Corbin said. "It's really vital that those players are fit and that they are able to transition quickly from offense to defense. We feel like we have a lot of creative decision-making soccer players that are able to cause problems."

That list of soccer players begins with senior Jamie Tatum. She's the Cowgirls' leading returning goal scorer, competing in and starting all 19 matches for a total of 1,555 minutes played – good enough for third on the team.

Tatum netted six goals and had a team-high seven assists during the fall 2021 season. She resides in the top 10 in school history in both statistical categories with 13 career scores and nine assists.

Arguably even more important than her on-field production is her off-the-field impact. She's a captain that committed herself to improving every facet of her being this past offseason.

"Jamie made a commitment this summer," Corbin said. "She wanted to be the best version of herself, not only for her own comfort and success, but also to be as effective and helpful as she can be to the rest of the group. For her to set the bar for not just the midfield but the rest of the team, says a lot about her commitment to not just to herself but the program, as well."

Fellow senior captain Hannah Hagen returns after making 16 appearances and nine starts, logging 770 minutes played. She netted one goal in a record-setting 6-1 victory over Nevada.

Sophomore Liv Stutzman played the fourth-most minutes on the team with 1,416. She also found the back of the net against the Wolf Pack, which marked Stutzman's first-career score.

Sophomore Eliza-Grace Smith played 887 minutes with 17 appearances and nine starts. She boasted her first-career goal against Omaha and added another versus Nevada.

Junior Jazi Barela played in 17 games and made a pair of starts for 522 minutes of competition time.  She logged her first-career goal against Northern Colorado while also adding an assist on the season.

Sophomore Gabby Clutter made 10 appearances for 219 minutes played. Senior Maria Allen rounds out the returning midfielder group but did not play during the fall season.

Freshman Alyssa Glover stands as the lone freshman entering the fray in the midfield.

"We have depth at this position," Corbin said. "It's exciting to see where this group will end up at the end of the year. Where they started and where they're at now, there's been a lot of growth both physically and mentally. It's exciting."

Wyoming begins the regular season Thursday at Northern Colorado.