North Carolina State University Athletics
Balanced Scoring Pacing Women's Soccer
9/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2010
A balanced scoring attack and an influx of newcomers has got the NC State women's soccer team off to a good start to the 2010 season. Heading into Friday's final non-league match at Old Dominion, the Wolfpack finds itself with a 5-3 record.
Head coach Steve Springthorpe has reshaped his program from the ground up, and now in his second season at the helm of the Wolfpack, the foundation is being layed with the help of his large group of 11 true freshmen players.
The ground work started this past summer when almost the entire 28-person team was on campus for the second summer session of school. Camaraderie and friendship through training and textbooks were building as the season was on the horizon.
Springthorpe credits the upperclassmen for allowing the incoming players to feel comfortable right from the start.
"Because of the way our veterans approached this season, those 11 have been able to jump right in and have been able to prove themselves," said Springthorpe. "They've tried to prove themselves in a non-threatining manner meaning they respect the upperclassmen, they respect what we're (coaching staff) trying to do here and are happy to just be a part of what we're trying to accomplish.
"Allowing the freshmen to incorporate themselves into the team has been huge for us. The upperclassmen have made sure the team is doing things together to build team chemistry."
The atmosphere has allowed for a handful of first-year players to excel. Forward Jennie Krauser made the long trek east to Raleigh from Irvine, Calif., and has been at or near the top of the team's scoring charts through the first one-third of the campaign.
Springthorpe didn't necessarily expect her to lead the team in scoring through the first six games, but she has certainly made the most of her opportunities.
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"She uses her body well and is pretty quick and makes defenders play off-balance."
She has certainly maintained her composure. Not many players can say they scored in each of their first three collegiate matches.
Sophomore teammate Kara Blosser has been encouraged by the effort that Krauser has displayed in her first act as a college player.
"I can tell that she wants it just as bad as I do," said Blosser, who led the 2009 club in scoring as a freshman.
Moving into the midfield, three freshmen have made an immediate impact for Springthorpe's squad. Ariela Schreibeis, Kaley Shlaes and red-shirt freshman Meagan Proper have played significant roles controlling the pace of play from their respective midfield positions.
Schreibeis, diminutive in stature at only 5-3, brings creativity to the Wolfpack mid section of the field. The Laramie, Wyo, product is a tactically aware player that has a high soccer IQ according to Springthorpe.
"When Ariela is in there she wants touches on the ball and puts herself in good positions on the field. She knows where her spacing is supposed to be and where she should be to receive the ball, and then knows were she is supposed to play the next ball."
Her positioning was spot on during the Pittsburgh game when she collected a loose ball and deposited a left-footed shot into the back of the net for her first goal at NC State.
Meanwhile, Shlaes, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, brings her lunch pail to work each and every game with a hard-nosed approach to the game of soccer.
"Kaley is a kid who just loves to play and is incredibly coachable," said Springthorpe. "She wants the opportunity to get in there and battle and I certainly can't ever fault her effort."
Like her classmate Schreibeis, Shlaes has already landed in the goal-scoring column in 2010. She scored in the lopsided 7-0 defeat of Coastal Carolina and followed that up the next time out with a left-footed marker in the 3-0 win over High Point.
Proper played very little last year because of an early injury that forced her into surgery. Now recovered, the local product from Garner, N.C., has provided the Wolfpack with another attacking midfielder in a similar vane as the aforementioned Blosser.
Though she hasn't crossed a ball over the goal line yet, she certainly has the ability according to Springthorpe, who says, "she has one of the better shots on the club, but just hasn't been in great goal scoring opportunities thus far."
And moving to the backline for NC State is where this class has made the most impact with three freshmen starting on defense, including Randi Soldat and Claudel Pilon, who have received the starting nod from game No. 1.
Soldat, a Rockwall, Texas, native has arguably been the most surprising player for the coaching staff thus far. Lightly recruited out of the greater-Dallas area, Soldat has shown Springthorpe skills he didn't initially see when he saw her play for her club team.
"Randi has impressed us more than anything by her ability to read the ball, an important component to playing on the back line," said Springthorpe.
"She knows where it's going, and when to step in front of a player. She is a smart, smart player."
From one mainstay at center back to another at outside back is local-product Claudel Pilon from Raleigh and Leesville Road High School. Pilon has provided pretty much what the coaches expected out of her - the ability to use her athletic ability and make runs on the outside and put pressure on Wolfpack opponents.
"Claudel came in with a lot of experience playing for CASL (Capital Area Soccer League) - a really good club and good team - so were not surprised with what she has been able to do for us," said Springthorpe.
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"She hasn't always made the greatest decisions, and has made some mistakes, but is athletic enough to recover and get back when needed," explained Springthorpe. "When I first saw her athleticism, I saw her size and strength, the first thing that popped in my head was not recruiting her as a forward, but recruiting her as a back. I thought she could transition to be a back because of her athletic tools and her abililty to want to go forward with the ball.
Springthorpe captures a satisfied grin when thinking of how well these three have played so far. With the trios help, NC State posted four shutouts in the first six games of the season.
"To have three freshmen playing in the back, and give up the amount of shots, which has been very few, is a testament to them working hard and learning and gelling together."
And lucky for the Pack the youngsters have been able to rely on junior Paige Dugal to provide stability back there when times have gotten tough.
"Paige has really been the mainstay that they can look at and she can organize and she can lead them," said Springthorpe. "She really has that personality that the three players can look up to."
When you add these new scoring threats to a roster that already included veteran goal scorers you come up with a lot of players that have the ability to put away a goal. In fact, through the first six games there have been 11 different players that have notched a goal in 2010.
That's something not lost on the Wolfpack's head mentor.
"11 different scorers is a bit unusual, but at the same time if you look at what we have tried to do a lot of players have gotten time and a lot of them are attacking players. The depth we have at positions has worked out where there all getting opportunites and there scoring some goals. I hope it stays that way." As Springthorpe continues to mold this program he has gradually seen his club start to play the style of soccer that afforded him success at his past coaching stops, including a pair of NCAA appearances at Fresno State.
"We want to play pressure defense, we want to get more goal scoring opportunities, we want to get forward.
"We have to be able to run with faster players, we have to jump with players who can jump higher. This conference has fantastic players, national team players...we have to at some point match that talent. Not only do we hope to find good athletes, but to also find good soccer players."
