Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Soccer Opens Season Out West
8/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 25, 2003
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University women's soccer team begins the 2003 season when it goes out west to play in a four-team tournament in Flagstaff, Arizona. Northern Arizona is the host.
While the Chippewas won't battle the home team, the Lumberjacks, they will play both the University of California-Riverside and the University of Idaho.
"The challenge this weekend is to continue to get our younger players to step up their level of play," said sixth-year head coach Mark Salisbury. "That is something that needs to happen in the first three games before the conference season starts.
"We are going to face a pair of good teams this weekend that are comparable to us and will be a challenge. We're looking to get better as a team, and if we meet that goal, the wins and losses won't matter as much."
Play begins against the UC-Riverside Highlanders on Saturday, August 30, at 4 p.m. (PDT). This will be the first game on the 2003 docket for both teams. The Highlanders finished sixth in the Big West last season, going 10-8 overall and 4-4-1 in conference action. They were 2-0 in neutral matches last year. The 2003 preseason coaches poll tabbed UC-Riverside to finish seventh in the Big West.
The Highlanders offense featured two standout freshmen last season. Renee Schachetti paced the team in goals, assists and points. She tallied seven goals and, four assists for 14 points in her rookie campaign. Fellow classmate Lisa Jensen was second on the team in both goals and points, finding the back of the net five times for 10 points. <>
Katie Blank is the Highlanders' top returning goalkeeper. She started half of the games last season and logged nearly 865 minutes between the pipes. Blank ended the season with a .763 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average.
This will be the first time that CMU and UC-Riverside have faced each other.
The Chippewas return to action the following day when they play the Idaho Vandals on Sunday, August 31. The match is slated to begin at 11 a.m. (PDT). The Vandals were 10th in the Big West last season, ending the season with a 2-14-3 overall record and a 0-8-1 mark in conference tilts. The preseason coaches poll picked Idaho to finish ninth in the conference.
Sarah April and Emily Nelson led the offensive attack for Idaho last season. April led the team in both goals and points (five goals, 10 points), while Nelson was second with four goals and eight points. Adriane Kehl led the Vandals with three assists.
Lindsay Smith is the top returning backstop for Idaho. She went 0-3-0 in nine games played. Smith turned in a .783 save percentage and a 1.63 goals-against average.
The Chippewas enter the 2003 season after participating in a soccer showcase in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While IPFW walked away with a 2-0 win, Salisbury is quick to point out that it was an invaluable learning experience.
"It was a good and necessary experience," Salisbury commented. "We have a young team with a lot of freshmen that will be talented. But, they need to get some college experience.
"To play IPFW on a gorgeous field in front of a large crowd was a great opportunity. You can't replicate what goes on during a game in practice. It was a great chance to get out a lot of early-season nerves and to see how our team performs under pressure. We would have liked to get a win but it was a positive experience and we got a lot out of it."
With 15 of the 24 athletes on the
roster either a freshman or sophomore, CMU takes the field with a lot youth. While youth dominates the roster, the backfield will bring the most to the field this season. Seniors Cari VanDyck (Medina, Ohio), Katie Conway (St. Charles, Ill.), Jacqui Lorenzo (Hudson, Ohio) and junior Lisa Taube (Brighton) were all regulars between midfield and defense last season.
Headlining the midfield are two freshmen, Rosa Maria Rago (Mississauga, Ontario), Laura Roberts (London, Ontario), both of whom teamed up to lead their provincial team to the U-17 championship. Returnees Jill Adams (St. Louis, Mo./Sr.), Ashleigh Burke (Saginaw/So.) and Rachel Snyder (Wadsworth, Ohio/So.) add talent and collegiate experience at midfield.
The Chippewas are most youthful up front. The lone senior at forward is Jennifer Williamson (Midland). She is joined by Burke and Snyder along with freshmen Alison Heydorn (Ancaster, Ontario), Katie Dolata (Linden) and Jacquie Lacek (Rochester, N.Y.).
Kari Alexander (Midlland/Sr.) is the battle-tested veteran in net and returns as the incumbent starter. Pushing for time will be all-stater Anne Decker (Troy/Fr.) who is fresh from leading her high school to the Division I state championship. Suzi Bicknell (Boulder City, Nev./Fr.) also figures into the mix.
Preseason Outlook - Ohio was picked in the preseason coaches poll to win the regular season title. Following OU in the poll were Ball State, Miami, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. The poll also picked Ball State to win the MAC tournament. In a format change from previous years, the coaches poll only ranks the top six places in sports that are not separated into divisions.
Looking Ahead - The Chippewas continue with their season-opening, five-game road stretch when they play at Cincinnati on September 5. CMU begins conference play at Bowling Green on September 12.
