North Carolina State University Athletics
2003 Women's Soccer Outlook
7/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
July 30, 2003
- The Law
An excerpt from Rudyard Kipling's "The Law of the Jungle" reads, 'For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.' The 2003 women's soccer team has adopted the phrase as the Wolfpack mantra this season and fittingly so. Head coach Laura Kerrigan recognizes that strength can come in numbers, strength can come in physical attributes and strength can come in intelligence. The 2003 NC State women's soccer team is strong in all three. The Wolfpack has five seniors, two juniors, seven sophomores and eleven freshmen entering preseason. Newcomers include transfers Erin Griswold and Anna Helenius, who come to the Wolfpack with experience at the D-I and international levels. Joining sixth-year head coach Laura Kerrigan in building the team into a cohesive unit in a short period of time, will be fifth-year assistant coach Lindsay Cobb and recently retired from the professional playing ranks, first-year assistant Michelle Demko.
"This is a very young, athletic team that is ready to build on the success of last season," said Kerrigan. "We return a group of upperclassmen who displayed much heart and desire last season and will take the helm to lead this year's team. It's an exciting time for us to blend youth and experience together."
NC State began its preparations for the 2003 season with a successful spring training season following a 2002 campaign highlighted by strong wins over nationally ranked North Carolina and Maryland, in addition to a tie versus Wake Forest. Those veterans sidelined with injury during the 2002 fall season, including sophomore Lydia McBath and redshirt freshman Michelle Crocker, were healthy and back on the field in the spring. Additionally, the Pack welcomed UC Santa Barbara transfer Erin Griswold to the line-up. Kerrigan noted that, "Erin proved to be a strong goal scorer and playmaker for us this past spring. We look forward to her insertion into the line-up."
To get things rolling immediately, the Pack will have its first pre-season game a short five days into training. The women will head to Georgia for an exhibition match before returning home to face William & Mary a week later. With such a short period of time to become acclimated with one another, NC State will use the precious three days of training as a springboard before taking the pitch for the first time in the red and white uniforms.
"The preseason games against solid opponents Georgia and William & Mary will give us an opportunity to learn how to play with one another," said Kerrigan. "It will be important for our team to use that time to grow together on and off the field. Those preseason games will be more about developing our team shape and personality than about the resulting score."
Upon completing the preseason docket, NC State will look forward to a challenging schedule featuring some of the best teams in the nation. The 2003 slate holds a tremendous amount of potential to build on the successful tradition of the Wolfpack. The toughest block of the schedule is in the Pack's backyard: the Atlantic Coast Conference. Five of the Pack's seven ACC opponents will return with a 2002 final ranking and NCAA postseason berth under their belts, including North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State, Maryland and Clemson. In the midst of the ACC docket, the Pack will participate in three tournaments, including its own Summit Hospitality Invitational, featuring NCAA-caliber Villanova, Tulane and Old Dominion. The first tournament opens the season in the final weekend of August when the Wolfpack will take on host College of Charleston. The final of the three tournaments will be played at George Mason the second week in September, with the Pack facing both Delaware and GM.
"We are looking forward to facing another year of tough competition," said Kerrigan. "Last season our team persevered and came through with some great victories against top teams. We are confident this year will bring more of the same."
NC State will host two special events following the regular season, beginning with the ACC tournament at the end of November and then the coveted NCAA College Cup in December. Both venues will be played at the SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. As always the Wolfpack aspires to win the ACC Championship title and advance on to play in the NCAA tournament, and this season, the Pack will have the opportunity to do both in front of its hometown crowd.
"It will be an exciting time for us to host the 2003 ACC tournament and the NCAA College Cup in the same year," said Kerrigan. "All eyes will be on NC State and the surrounding community and we are happy to be a big part of it."
The Front Line
Perhaps the strongest and most experienced group within the roster composes the forward positions. NC State welcomes back two seniors in Lindsey Underwood and Adrienne Barnes. The pair combined for 18 goals and 11 assists last season, which resulted in the bulk of the team's points. Barnes is a two-time All-ACC honoree, including a first-team nod last season. Underwood returns as the team's leading scorer with 10 goals last season, which ranked fifth in the ACC in goals per game. The two leading scorers will be looking to make one final run at the College Cup before exiting their fruitful careers.
Barnes and Underwood aren't the only veterans up front. Sophomores Erin Ardler and Lydia McBath, in addition to junior transfers Erin Griswold and Anna Helenius will have a considerable amount of experience. Ardler recorded three assists while splitting time at midfield. She is a fast, stong player who is always a goal scoring threat. McBath made just nine appearances last season due to intermittent injuries. She made a strong recovery during the off-season and is ready to build on her shortened success in 2002. Griswold joins the team after transferring from UC Santa Barbara. The forward recorded a team-high nine assists with the Gauchos last season, along with three goals, to rank third on the team in scoring. Helenius will also add quite a bit of experience from her time spent in the Finnish Premier League while in college in Turku, Finland. She has two medals to her name, including a silver medal in 2000 and a bronze in 1999 from her premier league successes.
"This group of experienced veterans will provide a strong attack for us," said Kerrigan. With the proven goal-scoring success of Underwood and Barnes last season, a strong spring from Ardler and McBath, along with the flare of Griswold and Helenius, NC State will see some great scoring opportunities."
The Midline Force
The Midfield will see a blend of youth and experience this season. Senior Katherine Warman will anchor the midfield. A starter since her first game as member of the Wolfpack, Warman netted three goals last season, while assisting on three. She is an intelligent player with the ability to begin the attack, as well as finish it. Sophomores Lindsey DeLorenze and Erin Ardler also come back with experience in the trenches. DeLorenze had a solid season in 2002 after seeing action in 14 matches with four starts. She tallied two assists despite a shortened season due to illness and injury. Sophomore Jill Parsons, who joined the team in the spring, proved to be a strong ball-winner and aggressive player, and she will most likely see time in both the midfield and in defense.
Six freshmen will be vying for playing time in the midfield, as well. Kristina Bryn, Brittany Cuellar, Amy Graul, Mandela Schumacher-Hodge, Katherine Spencer and Carol Tognetti, will all challenge for positions. Bryn is known for her creativity at center-mid. She can distribute the ball well and can finish too. Cuellar is a strong ball winner with good one v. one skills who will also see some time at back. Graul is a crafty, center-mid who wins 50-50 balls with her aggressive play. Schumacher-Hodge reads the game exceptionally well. Spencer has long-range shooting capabilities and will be a goal-scoring threat all over the field. And, last but not least, Tognetti is described as a tough, hard-nosed player who can score from anywhere.
"Midfield will be very competitive with so much talent among both the returners and the freshmen," said Kerrigan. "It will be interesting to see how we come together."
The Defense
Seniors Jaci Harper and Tara Knauss will return from a back line that held its opponents to only 30 goals last season on 123 shots. Harper, who is best known for her tenacious defense and exceptional tackling ability, will justifiably be the anchor. Knauss, who played a key role in some of the Wolfpack's biggest wins last season, will also find herself in the role of mentor in the back line. Redshirt-freshman Michelle Crocker will finally make her first appearance for the Wolfpack after sitting out last season to recover from ACL injury suffered while she was still in high school. She hit the ground running this past spring and made an immediate impact.
The defense is supported by a cast of six freshmen contending for playing time. Megan Buescher, Brittany Cuellar, Karla Hutton, Christina Mann, Nicole Mayo, and Megan Sadler all have a strong understanding of the game. Buescher will be a factor for the Wolfpack on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. Cuellar will use her aggressiveness to take on the opposing attack shows tremendous ability to defend one v. one. Hutton will lend her attacking skills and understanding of the game at outside-mid. Mann is an exceptionally fast player who also takes on the opposition without hesitation. Mayo is an fast, athletic defender who could play on the inside or outside. And, Sadler is good in the air with strong tackling capabilities and can distribute the ball well. "We are fortunate to have such depth at the defensive positions to support our keepers," said Kerrigan. "This is a very strong and aggressive pool of players who will no doubt weaken the opposing attack."
Keepers
The Pack welcomes back two veterans who have been schooled by goalkeeper coach Lindsay Cobb, one of the finest netminders in NC State history. Sophomores Lauren Georges and Kim Selz return to compete for the starting position in the net. Both saw some time in between the posts last season and have seen what it takes to be successful. With two different styles of goalkeeping, both should be able to lend their talents to the situation at hand. Megan Connors is the newcomer, but she comes to the Pack with tremendous credentials, including being on the Region 1 ODP team and being a 2003 High School All-American. Along with Georges and Selz, Connors will be a strong contender for the starting position.
"Three different styles of play will be advantageous for us," said Kerrigan. "Georges and Selz know what it takes to win and should be good role models for Connors. All three of them could be starters for us at some point or another."
As in nature, the Wolfpack must work together to face the challenges of the day; the older wolves work side-by-side with the younger ones in order to achieve sucess ... the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
