Fall Sports Player Preview: Women's Soccer Junior Angel Hart

Another day, another soccer player. There's just more of them than the other sports. As we did yesterday, today we highlight a key part of the defense in Women's Soccer's Angel Hart.

2014 would have been a banner year for the Bulls regardless - the senior talent up the middle of the formation was too good and the midfield too in-sync - but the vaunted defense didn't settle in until after the season had started.

Before Hart solidified herself in the back four, she started in the midfield against St. Bonaventure, and even after Dana Lytle hurt her ankle in the 26th minute, it was Rachel Cook who filled in. In the 2-0 win over Canisius, however, Hart started on the backline and that was that.

Within UB's formation, Angel plays the same role as Kristin Markiewicz on there other side, but is maybe a bit less prone to bring the ball up herself. She was involved in just a single goal on the season, but it was a big one when she punched in a loose ball off a corner kick for the eventual game-winner against Miami that clinched the regular season title for Buffalo.

There's nothing flashy about Angel Hart on the pitch. At 5'4" she's usually working at a size disadvantage, but in 2014 quietly but firmly got the job done time and time again. In 2015, UB will have to replace two central spots in the defense - Courtney Mann's holding midfielder role and Sophie Therien's spot next to Jackie Hall. Without knowing what Coach Burke tinkered with in the spring, I have to think that Hart with her midfield experience and hard-nosed defending would be a successor to Mann in the middle.

If someone else moves from the bench to the regular lineup - maybe Ashley Evans, Kori Hughes, or a freshman - there's no reason that Hart won't still be one of Burke's best options and a regular name in 2015.

Go Bulls