JANE LEE
Sports Editor
Consistency. Unity. Courage. Faith. These are some of the elements Head Coach Tim Ward said will guide his women’s soccer team to yet another NCAA tournament this season.
“I might add that exceptional soccer would help,” the ninth-year Waves coach said. “We have the players to get back there, there’s no doubt about that.”
Coming off a Sweet 16 appearance, the Pepperdine women’s soccer team has garnered a No. 20 national preseason ranking by Soccer Buzz and returns 21 letterwinners, including seven starters, as it begins the 2006 season.
“The team looks great right now,” Ward said. “The energy is wonderful, the girls’ fitness is fantastic and we have high hopes of continuing our tradition of success this fall.”
Last year, Pepperdine compiled an overall record of 15-4-3, including a West Coast Conference record of 3-2-2. The Waves earned their fifth consecutive invitation to the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history.
After the third-round loss to perennial national powerhouse North Carolina, Ward said goodbye to six talented players in forwards Jenna Fodor and All-American Megan Woods, midfielders Kelsey Quane and Lisa Steepleton, defender Daniella Bosio and goalkeeper Anna Picarelli.
“I think the challenge for every team in the country is to replace its senior leadership after they graduate,” Ward said. “Last year’s seniors were wonderful, special and unique, just like those that came before them.”
A wave of new players is ready to close that missing gap, as Pepperdine welcomes a group of six incoming freshmen that Soccer Buzz named the 18th-best incoming class in the nation. This fresh crop of talent includes goalkeeper Amanda Maes, forwards Sophia Medina and Krysten O’Dea, midfielders Kelly Reilly and Alexis Farler, and defender Courtney Price.
The Waves, which have been picked to finish fourth behind Portland, Santa Clara and Gonzaga in the WCC in a vote of conference head coaches, are led by seniors Lindsey Redlin, Jennifer Brewer, Courtney Nelson, Lauren Treinen, Caitlin Mitchell and Loretta Younkin.
Also a key player on the 2006 roster is sophomore defender Ashley Copp, who was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after starting 21 of 22 matches with two goals and one assist.
“It is now the challenge of this year’s team and this year’s senior class to find their own voice so to speak, and we feel very blessed and very confident about the leadership we have guiding the way this fall,” Ward said.
With the departure of standout goalkeeper Picarelli, who is now playing professional soccer in Italy, Ward will look to junior Kathryn Cumming and sophomore Kayla Stolte to step in and guard the net.
A quick glance at Pepperdine’s schedule shows that it’s no secret the team faces a tough challenge this season, as they will compete against seven teams that appeared in last year’s NCAA tournament, including defending national champion Portland.
“We are going to have to continue to raise the standard and quality of our play,” Ward said. “I think there is more parity this year than ever before, and the team that wins the match will be the team that is playing well on that day.”
The Waves opened regular-season play Friday with a 5-0 win over Idaho and then traveled north Sunday to play at Cal Poly.
Part of preparing for these games included a summer trip overseas to participate in scrimmage matches against European teams as well as attend the World Cup.
The Waves fell 1-0 in the final minutes of the game against the Under-19 Dutch National Team and then lost 3-1 to a German semi-pro team, but it was the overall experience that proved worthwhile.
“Although we lost both of the games, the trip was an amazing experience,” sophomore defender Kelsey Baker said. “Most of us had never been to Europe before, and to have the opportunity to travel to Europe, watch World Cup games and play was amazing.”
Being a part of World Cup history also provided the Waves with a few lessons.
“Just watching the World Cup games are inspiring enough to make anyone want to get up and play,” she said. “Our coach always tells us that watching games makes us better, and I can say for sure that just watching the highest level of soccer this summer I have become a better player.”
With international play and team-building exercises, Baker said the entire team gained valuable insight into the game they’ve played their entire lives.
“I know that despite going 0-2 the level of competition was so high that our team got a lot of great experience from the games, which we will use to propel us toward our goals of reaching the Elite Eight and beyond this season.”
Ward couldn’t agree more with his player, saying, “This is the team, and now is the time.”
08-28-2006