2008 Saint Louis Women's Soccer Preview
Aug. 15, 2008
After winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, reaching the NCAA Tournament second round and posting a combined 31-9-2 record in 2005 and 2006, Saint Louis women's soccer felt the sting of a 10-6-2 record last season. That is correct. A winning record, and the 10th season in the Billikens' 12-year history that produced at least 10 victories, were not at all satisfying. And therein lies the good news. When a program reaches a point from which success is judged not by a record north of .500 but by championships and postseason appearances, that program has arrived. Confidently, but not boastfully, head coach Tim Champion conveys that belief. "A 10-6-2 record is OK for us, but we have higher expectations," Champion said. "Our program has reached a point where the players expect to win the A-10, get into the NCAA Tournament and make as deep a run as they can. Those things stay the same for us. When they don't happen, there is going to be disappointment. "We knew it would be difficult to return to a high level because we had lost four seniors who were four-year starters," Champion added. "Then we had some key injuries that hurt us. But overall I think we played pretty well, and we went into the last game of the regular season with a chance to win the conference again. From that aspect, it was a good year." Champion cites two major challenges Saint Louis must meet to become a championship-caliber team in 2008. "First, our goalkeeping has to be more consistent," he said. "The second thing is to determine who is going to play where on the field, and to find the right combinations of players who will maintain our strong defensive tradition and score goals." It is likely that the most effective combinations taking the pitch for SLU will consist primarily of upperclassmen. The Bills feature an experienced group of upperclassmen who, according to Champion, are ready to make their mark on the program.
"The players in those classes feel they are in position to take charge," Champion said. "We have a lot of sophomores and juniors who have contributed, along with our seniors. Now it's just a matter of finding the right mix of players and hoping they step up and play well. "Our offensive production was down last year largely because three of the four seniors we lost had scored a lot of goals," Champion added. "Experience has a great deal to do with scoring goals, and this year we have a lot of veterans who can put the ball in the net. We also have good team speed and the ability to move the ball." MINDING THE NET But first things first. As mentioned, Champion believes the Billikens' top priority is tightening up their goalkeeping. Juniors Hannah Koesterer (7-4-1, 1.15 goals against average in 2007) and Amber Zdanovec, sophomore Dominique Turk (3-2-1, 0.83) and freshman Hannah Perry from Wheaton (Ill.) North High School will vie to be the starting goalkeeper in a battle the head coach describes as wide open. "Hannah Koesterer has played the majority of the minutes the past two seasons," Champion said. "She is quick and comes out well on the ball. Dominique, who played significant minutes as a freshman, has good size and is consistent. Amber had a great spring and has terrific hands, and Hannah Perry has good height and strength and has shown excellent athleticism. "Each of them has the potential to start. But for us to be where we need to be defensively, one of them has to win the spot and play consistently well throughout the season." THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS Champion acknowledges that the Billiken defense will experience somewhat of a transition due to the graduation of wide back Liz Fox and Mary Green, who at times played center back. Fox, a first-team All-Conference and third-team Soccer Buzz All-Region selection last season, and Green anchored a defense that allowed just eight goals in 11 A-10 games. The Bills' top returning defender is senior Lauren Olson, a starter in all but one game during her collegiate career. Freshman Andrea Barklage, the 2008 Missouri Class 2 Player of the Year, could join the veteran in the central defense, and senior Allison Sole is a capable center back. "Lauren has given us consistency at central defense for three years," Champion said. "In addition to being great in the air and a solid defender, she is the hardest-working player on the team and a true leader. We expect her to anchor the defense. Andrea should have a chance to start right away. Allison has good height and strikes the ball well with good touch." The competition for playing time at wide back will be fierce, with a number of players fighting for spots. That group is led by senior Molly Hartmann and juniors Sally Sinclair and Jacqui Smith. "Molly started several games at wide back last year," Champion said. "She is great in the air, powerful and skillful, and she comes out of the back well. "Sally had a great spring, and I look for her to contend for a starting spot and have a good year. She is a fast, hard, strong player who will make an impact for us at wide back. "Jacqui is our best 1-on-1 defender who is capable of shutting down top offensive players. She is our quickest player in the back, and she gets up well on balls in the air." In addition to that formidable trio, Champion has others looking to contribute at wide back. Seniors Katie Allgaier and Kim Hemmig are in that group, as are junior Megan Yossi and sophomores Emily Kryzer and Christine Steinmetz. "Katie had a good spring, and Kim is a hard worker who does everything you ask of her," Champion said. "Megan will fight for time at wide back after battling injuries her first two years. Emily and Christine also should contend for a wide-back spot, or perhaps in the midfield." MAGNIFICENT MIDDIES Similar to its defense, the Saint Louis midfield has an array of players trying to win the favor of the coaching staff. The junior class provides the majority of those players, with Susan Frederickson, who started all 18 games a year ago, heading the list. "I expect Susan to start in the central midfield again," Champion said. "She might be our quickest player, and she probably is the most dynamic in creating breakaways because of her outstanding speed and her ability to get off the ball so quickly. She also has a tremendous shot." Juniors Kelly Waeckerle and Lauren Bozesky will play key roles at the wide-midfield spots. Waeckerle produced two goals and two assists as a starter in 16 games last season, while Bozesky started 11 games and tallied two goals and an assist. "Kelly and Lauren give us great speed on the wings and the ability to score goals coming out of the midfield," Champion said. "Kelly had a good season last year. She is unbelievable on the ball, has tremendous pace and skill and is dominant when she gets wide. Lauren has an impressive shot, is strong on the ball and has terrific speed up and down the wings." Junior Ashley Hayes and sophomore Kristyn Gawin also have impressed the coaches and are viable candidates to join Frederickson in the central midfield. "Ashley is a hard-working player who had an impressive spring," Champion said. "She is an exceptional passer with tremendous touch on the ball, and she sees the field well. She probably will get the nod for a lot of playing time in the central midfield. "Kristyn is another hard worker who played central mid in the spring and did an outstanding job. She is a tenacious defender who is good in the air, sees the field well and delivers good passes." Other returning midfielders contending for playing time are juniors Kristen Sapienza, Katy Brooks and Katie Mansell, and sophomores Ashley Brazill and Anna Van Alstyne. "Kristen is a central midfielder who has great touch on the ball," Champion said. "Katy Brooks plays wide for us and is a strong, powerful player who can run the wings. Katie Mansell is a versatile player who will compete for time at central midfield or central back. "Ashley played quite a bit as a freshman and will fight for a spot in the central midfield, and Anna is looking to win a spot in the wide midfield. She is good on the ball and a good technical player with speed and quickness." A quartet of freshmen also hope to contribute in the midfield. That group is comprised of Jasmina Suljic, an All-State selection from Oakville High School; Jessica Lopez, the all-time leading scorer at Seton Catholic Prep (Ariz.); All-State honoree Maura McKernan of Visitation Academy; and Sarah Reinking, who garnered first-team All-Conference plaudits all four seasons at Lutheran South High School. "Jasmina is quick on the ball, gets forward effectively and has great pace," Champion said. "Jessica could play the central midfield but is probably more of an attacking midfielder. She gets forward well, has a good shot, sees the field well and is good at taking defenders 1-on-1. "Maura will play wide. She has good speed, is a hard player and is good on the ball. Sarah is more of a defensive center mid with a high work rate and a good chance to earn playing time." Sophomore Christina Brown, who played in all 18 games with eight starts last season, is injured and will redshirt this year. SOME POP UP TOP At forward, SLU lost 2007 leading scorer Cassi Winchell (six goals, two assists) to graduation. However, the Bills return a proven goal scorer in junior Julia Bradenberg, a two-time Atlantic 10 second-team All-Conference honoree who registered three goals and three assists last season after missing time due to injury. "Julia is the type of goal scorer who can have a great impact on the game," Champion said. "She plays the ball well, strikes it with authority and can take defenders 1-on-1. She has a high work rate and is good in the air. How she plays will be a good indicator of how much success we have up top." Sophomore Caitlin Werkmeister and freshmen Lucy Hedges and Colleen Kustura look to join Bradenberg on the Bills' front line. Werkmeister played in nine games last year, Hedges is a University of Louisville transfer and Kustura was the Golden West League Offensive MVP at Ocean View (Calif.) High School. "Caitlin has incredible touch and vision as well as great speed," Champion said. "She has all the attributes of a great striker. Lucy has a high work rate and is a strong, powerful player. Colleen is strong in the air and good on the ball." THE SCHEDULE AND A-10 RACE The Billikens' challenging 20-game slate includes nine home games and some difficult road tests. In addition, Saint Louis will host the Atlantic 10 Championship in early November. "The difficulty and diversity of our schedule will make this season interesting," Champion said. "Because we wanted to maintain the good strength of schedule we have had the past few years, we scheduled teams from several of the power conferences. We face opponents from the Big East (Seton Hall), Big 12 (Nebraska), SEC (Vanderbilt) and Big Ten (Northwestern), plus three NCAA Tournament teams (Southeast Missouri State, Toledo and Charlotte) from last season. "Also, we play each of the five other teams that qualified for last season's A-10 Championship, and our conference road schedule is tough," Champion added. "Of course, being the conference tournament host will provide our players even greater incentive than usual to prepare and play well during the season." The outcome of SLU's first three conference games will go a long way toward determining the Billikens' fate in the A-10. A home game against Duquesne, which tied for second in the A-10 standings a year ago, gets things started Sept. 26. Crucial road contests against both 2007 A-10 Championship finalists are next, as Saint Louis plays at runner-up Fordham Sept. 28 before taking on defending champion Charlotte Oct. 4. "The A-10 is different than it was our first couple of years in the conference, when only two or three teams had a realistic chance of winning the title," Champion said. "This year, I think six or seven teams have a legitimate shot. Charlotte and Dayton will be strong, and Rhode Island will be good. Fordham has stepped up and had a good team the past couple of years. Duquesne had a good team last season. Charlotte won the conference last year, but I thought a couple of teams were just as dangerous. "As the defending champion, Charlotte is the team to beat. We lost some key players who will be hard to replace. But based on who we have coming back, and with a good group of seniors providing leadership, we have a team that plans on being one of the best in the conference." |
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