Cove’s Stevenson signs to play soccer for Angelo State

By TJ MAXWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Haven Stevenson, a recent graduate of Copperas Cove High School, will take her skills to the next level as she recently signed to play soccer for head coach Travis McCorkle and the Angelo State Rambelles in San Angelo.

The four-year varsity starter, who has earned many accolades despite getting her senior year cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing schools in March, is excited about the opportunity to play college ball.

It’s pretty exciting,” she said. “But I also know there are some things I need to work on because I’m such a late recruit. Now that I’ve worked on a checklist of things, I’m excited to get a chance to play with the team. Now, I just have to focus on getting my strength up to the collegiate level.”

Stevenson caught the eye of coaches during a soccer showcase in Austin and a trip to San Angelo cemented her decision.

I was talking to the coach during the soccer showcase in Austin and I drew the attention of the coaches,” said Stevenson. When I went on a visit, I fell in love with the campus. I loved that it wasn’t too big or too small. I loved the athletic facilities because they were a lot bigger than some of the other colleges I visited, but they weren’t crazy big.”

McCorkle and the coaching staff liked what they saw from Stevenson as well and her potential moving forward.

“They said my angle of passes were good and my choices of who to pass to were good, but I just need to hit it with more force,” said Stevenson. “He also said he likes my speed of play and how fast I am. He said my soccer knowledge was good, but I just need to work on individual things. They think I will be a good offensive attacker.”

Stevenson is planning to major in Kinesiology while getting the most from her journey on the soccer field where she hopes to contribute to her team’s success.

“I just want to help my team go to the championship and win a title,” she said. But, this year I’m mainly focusing on being able to help the team where I can because I know I’m one of the smaller players on the team. I just want to help them as much as I can and make an impact.”

Stevenson, a team captain her final two year, had a ton of memories from her four years on the Lady Bulldawgs varsity squad but earning a spot in the playoffs as a freshman was at the top of her list, but overcoming an injury ranked high as well.

A forceful argument to reenter the game was overruled by team doctors but she made up for it with a hat trick on her return.

“Going to the playoffs my freshman year was a highlight,” she said. “This year, it may not seem like a highlight to some people, but when I got my forehead busted open in a game against Temple and had to get stitches. 

“It stands out to me because it never happened to me before and I like how I was able to come back and score a hat trick my first game back after getting stitches.”

Like everyone else, Stevenson struggled with the pandemic shutting down life as we know it and that was exacerbated when she lost a family pet.

“My dog passed away just before the Fourth of July and that was super hard, but I couldn’t let stop me from continuing to work hard so I can show myself in front of the coaches,” she said.

Her degree plan of Kinesiology will likely keep her intertwined with athletics, but that career may have to wait should her soccer dreams continue after college.

“It would be awesome to make the Olympic team, but I actually want to see if I could make the National Women’s Soccer League on teams like the Houston Dash, because I feel like I can reach those goals and then see where it takes me after that. If not, just playing college soccer will satisfy me.”