University of Minnesota Athletics
2002 Golden Gopher Soccer Season Outlook
8/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
| Head Coach Barb Wickstrand |
For a nine-year-old program that became accustomed to winning records, Big Ten success and NCAA Tournament appearances, the past two seasons have been somewhat trying times for the Golden Gophers. In 2000, Minnesota experienced its first losing record in program history followed by a 2001 campaign that saw the Maroon and Gold struggle to put points on the board throughout the season.
But third-year Head Coach Barbara Wickstrand and new assistant coaches Ellen Obleman and Chris Higgins are convinced that Minnesota is primed for a return to conference and national prominence. They believe that the pieces are in place for the Golden Gophers to become the Cinderella team in the Big Ten in 2002. Wickstrand admits that the team is relatively young, but knows that the squad possesses the leadership and dedication to turn the past two seasons around and compete nationally again.
"The entire team is excited about this upcoming season," Wickstrand said. "We're virtually a brand new team with a large number of underclassmen and transfers, but we also have a great core of returnees that will guide us throughout the season. Although we will be relatively young, we have the leadership and dedication to turn last year"s season around and compete nationally again."
The dictionary defines resurgence as "a rising into life, activity or prominence." There may not be a better descriptor of the hopes that the Golden Gopher players and coaches hold for the 2002 campaign. Each and every member of the program believes Minnesota's rightful place in the collegiate soccer world is among the nation's elite. The pride in the Maroon and Gold clearly exists as 15 of the Golden Gophers' 25 players hail from Minnesota, unarguably a strong soccer state. The entire women's soccer program agrees that it's time for Minnesota to regain its proper spot atop the Big Ten.
"There's no question that the University of Minnesota women's soccer program belongs among the elite in the Big Ten and NCAA," Wickstrand explained. "We've been down for a couple of seasons, but everyone involved with Golden Gopher soccer believes that the program cannot and will not settle for mediocrity. Minnesota will be a nationally prominent team again soon."
It would not be correct nor fair to compare the 2000 and 2001 squads to this season's edition of Minnesota soccer. Although the 2002 Golden Gophers return a strong core of experienced athletes, this year's team has a different makeup than of years past. A major reason for this is the fact that 18 of Minnesota's 25 players are either freshmen or sophomores. The coaching staff is excited about the caliber of those incoming players, however. Wickstrand looks for the newcomers to the Golden Gopher program to immediately contribute and provide some needed competition for several spots in the starting lineup.
"The 2002 class of student-athletes have many qualities," said Wickstrand. "They are all confident and competent competitors who will help our team get back on track nationally. They are physically strong, fast and technically sound soccer players with a great work ethic and desire to be the best and give the most to the University of Minnesota program."
| Junior Rachael Roth |
"It's no secret that we struggled offensively last season," Wickstrand said. "But with the talent we have returning and coming in, we'll be able to create more opportunities to compete against any team in the conference and beyond. We look for Rachael at forward and Amanda McMahon at midfield to provide much of the scoring punch this year."
Fans and followers of Minnesota soccer can expect a tenacious and athletic style of play from the 2002 Golden Gophers. The Maroon and Gold return a strong core of talented players in addition to a superb incoming class. Combined, the Golden Gophers will employ a relentless attacking style on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. In addition, Wickstrand has stressed a strong work ethic on and off the field. That emphasis has been and will continue to be a hallmark of Minnesota soccer.
"We're going to use a hard-working and relentless plan of attack throughout the season," Wickstrand explained. "With the talent and work ethic of our players and coaches, we'll be stronger offensively and defensively."
In each area of the Minnesota lineup, the Golden Gophers will rely on the talents of one or two experienced athletes to provide direction and focus for the forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers. Captains Meghan Jones, Keely Dinse and Amanda McMahon will provide the entire squad with veteran leadership in 2002.
Forwards
The offensive hopes and dreams of the 2002 Golden Gophers revolve around the boundless talent of junior Rachael Roth. The team's leading scorer in 2001 with seven goals and two assists, Roth enters the season with hopes of building upon her breakout sophomore year. Though sometimes outsized in the offensive zone at 5-3, she overcomes her diminutive frame with a fierce drive to succeed and a heart that cannot be matched. Minnesota will look for further development of Roth's infinite potential in 2002 to lead the Golden Gophers back to the top of the Big Ten.
| Junior Amanda McMahon |
An early contender to fill that complimentary position at forward is junior Anna Nudell Lee. The Minneapolis native was transposed from midfielder to forward late last season and showed huge improvement throughout the year.
Joining Nudell Lee in the fight for playing time at the forward position are six freshmen - Nicki Burnie, Rebecca Dellaria, Amanda Edwards, Kayla Lightfoot, Kaitlin Neary and Katlin Ruff.
"Each incoming forward brings athletic strength and speed, along with technical ability," Wickstrand commented. "The quicker they can pick up the tactical side of runs and taking on the offensive third of the field, the more playing time they will be afforded. Some forwards may also be looked on to play outside midfield or back."
Midfielders
The midfield for the Golden Gophers in 2002 will be in the hands of several experienced and capable players. Junior Amanda McMahon, an all-region transfer from Marshall University, will set the pace of the game from the central midfield position. She led the 2001 Thundering Herd in the scoring department with eight goals and 12 assists in 17 games played. McMahon will provide the Golden Gophers with a much-needed scoring threat from the middle of the pitch. Senior Kyndra Hesse, returning from a year away from competition, will assist McMahon on the midfield.
"Amanda reads the game extremely well, has a deadly shot and is one of the hardest workers on the team," Wickstrand explained. "Kyndra has a great work ethic, is awesome in the air, and is technically and tactically sound. Both Amanda and Kyndra can take a shot from anywhere on the field or make the perfect pass to their teammates."
On the outside midfield position, senior Keely Dinse will run the lines. A veteran who played her way into a scholarship after playing as a walk-on her first two seasons, Dinse is Minnesota's fastest player who can serve the ball from anywhere or drive the line and take a shot herself.
"In order for us to score more goals, we need to utilize Keely's speed and serve her the ball regularly on the outside," Wickstrand said.
The other outside position will be up-for-grabs among returnees Jen Cressman and Mary Kasper, and incoming freshmen Annie Carr, Laura Hoppe and Lisa Trachsel. Cressman, the team's "Heart and Soul" and "Spark" awardwinner in 2001, will definitely vie for a starting position.
"From top to bottom, we are going to have the strongest midfield in the program's history this season," Wickstrand explained. "I'm truly excited to watch this group of midfielders perform this year."
| Senior Meghan Jones |
In the backfield, the Maroon and Gold will look to the talents of senior Meghan Jones to lead a young defensive corps from the outside back position. Hailing from Littleton, Colo., Jones holds the all-around talent to make a goal-saving tackle or to jump into the offense and set up the game-winning goal. Her performance will be a key component to Minnesota1s success in 2002.
"Meghan is one of our most versatile players," Wickstrand said. "She has played outside mid, outside back and center back for us. She is a fierce defender who is hard to beat one-on-one."
Spearheading the defense with Jones will be junior Amy Khaleel and sophomore Tierney Palmer-Klein. Both are tenacious defenders who are superb in the air and possess unbelievable vision of the field.
"Senior Ginny Jorde will be looking for playing time as a defender, but will be challenged by incoming freshmen Hillary Stowell and Lisa Berg.," Wickstrand commented. "Hillary brings regional and national team experience and will contribute immediately while Lisa is a strong one-on-one defender with great speed and quickness."
Goalkeepers
The major question mark in Minnesota's projected 2002 lineup is the goalkeeper position. The Golden Gophers must fill the shoes of two-year starter and four-year letterwinner Julie Eibensteiner. The candidates for that tough assignment fall to three underclassmen with virtually the same experience - very little in Division I.
Sophomore Kelly Kraft comes into the 2002 season as the lone keeper with experience in the net for the Golden Gophers. She played in two games last season, logging 35 minutes. Sophomore Marni Prall, a transfer from Wisconsin-Green Bay, holds limited Division I experience as well. She played in eight games in goal for the Phoenix, logging 118 minutes. Both sophomores will be challenged by freshman Karli Kopietz, a native of Champlin, Minn.
"Karli is one of the most athletic goalkeepers I have seen in a long time," Wickstrand said. "Where she lacks in technical ability, she makes up for in natural instincts, hands and angles. Together, all goalkeepers bring different strengths and the battle for a starting position will be a healthy and exciting competition."
Schedule
Minnesota's schedule is not unlike any other year, as the Golden Gophers face a gauntlet of tough teams. In the early portion of the season, the Golden Gophers battle nonconference opponents from around the country. Minnesota opens the regular season with games against Washington State and Montana on August 30 and Sept. 1. Minnesota's first home game comes Sept. 4 in the form of Southwest Missouri State. In all, the Golden Gophers host nine games at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
| Junior Amy Khaleel |
East Lansing, Mich., and Michigan State play host to the 2002 Big Ten Tournament this season on Nov. 7-10.
| Head Coach Barb Wickstrand |
For a nine-year-old program that became accustomed to winning records, Big Ten success and NCAA Tournament appearances, the past two seasons have been somewhat trying times for the Golden Gophers. In 2000, Minnesota experienced its first losing record in program history followed by a 2001 campaign that saw the Maroon and Gold struggle to put points on the board throughout the season.
But third-year Head Coach Barbara Wickstrand and new assistant coaches Ellen Obleman and Chris Higgins are convinced that Minnesota is primed for a return to conference and national prominence. They believe that the pieces are in place for the Golden Gophers to become the Cinderella team in the Big Ten in 2002. Wickstrand admits that the team is relatively young, but knows that the squad possesses the leadership and dedication to turn the past two seasons around and compete nationally again.
"The entire team is excited about this upcoming season," Wickstrand said. "We're virtually a brand new team with a large number of underclassmen and transfers, but we also have a great core of returnees that will guide us throughout the season. Although we will be relatively young, we have the leadership and dedication to turn last year"s season around and compete nationally again."
The dictionary defines resurgence as "a rising into life, activity or prominence." There may not be a better descriptor of the hopes that the Golden Gopher players and coaches hold for the 2002 campaign. Each and every member of the program believes Minnesota's rightful place in the collegiate soccer world is among the nation's elite. The pride in the Maroon and Gold clearly exists as 15 of the Golden Gophers' 25 players hail from Minnesota, unarguably a strong soccer state. The entire women's soccer program agrees that it's time for Minnesota to regain its proper spot atop the Big Ten.
"There's no question that the University of Minnesota women's soccer program belongs among the elite in the Big Ten and NCAA," Wickstrand explained. "We've been down for a couple of seasons, but everyone involved with Golden Gopher soccer believes that the program cannot and will not settle for mediocrity. Minnesota will be a nationally prominent team again soon."
It would not be correct nor fair to compare the 2000 and 2001 squads to this season's edition of Minnesota soccer. Although the 2002 Golden Gophers return a strong core of experienced athletes, this year's team has a different makeup than of years past. A major reason for this is the fact that 18 of Minnesota's 25 players are either freshmen or sophomores. The coaching staff is excited about the caliber of those incoming players, however. Wickstrand looks for the newcomers to the Golden Gopher program to immediately contribute and provide some needed competition for several spots in the starting lineup.
"The 2002 class of student-athletes have many qualities," said Wickstrand. "They are all confident and competent competitors who will help our team get back on track nationally. They are physically strong, fast and technically sound soccer players with a great work ethic and desire to be the best and give the most to the University of Minnesota program."
| Junior Rachael Roth |
"It's no secret that we struggled offensively last season," Wickstrand said. "But with the talent we have returning and coming in, we'll be able to create more opportunities to compete against any team in the conference and beyond. We look for Rachael at forward and Amanda McMahon at midfield to provide much of the scoring punch this year."
Fans and followers of Minnesota soccer can expect a tenacious and athletic style of play from the 2002 Golden Gophers. The Maroon and Gold return a strong core of talented players in addition to a superb incoming class. Combined, the Golden Gophers will employ a relentless attacking style on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. In addition, Wickstrand has stressed a strong work ethic on and off the field. That emphasis has been and will continue to be a hallmark of Minnesota soccer.
"We're going to use a hard-working and relentless plan of attack throughout the season," Wickstrand explained. "With the talent and work ethic of our players and coaches, we'll be stronger offensively and defensively."
In each area of the Minnesota lineup, the Golden Gophers will rely on the talents of one or two experienced athletes to provide direction and focus for the forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers. Captains Meghan Jones, Keely Dinse and Amanda McMahon will provide the entire squad with veteran leadership in 2002.
Forwards
The offensive hopes and dreams of the 2002 Golden Gophers revolve around the boundless talent of junior Rachael Roth. The team's leading scorer in 2001 with seven goals and two assists, Roth enters the season with hopes of building upon her breakout sophomore year. Though sometimes outsized in the offensive zone at 5-3, she overcomes her diminutive frame with a fierce drive to succeed and a heart that cannot be matched. Minnesota will look for further development of Roth's infinite potential in 2002 to lead the Golden Gophers back to the top of the Big Ten.
| Junior Amanda McMahon |
An early contender to fill that complimentary position at forward is junior Anna Nudell Lee. The Minneapolis native was transposed from midfielder to forward late last season and showed huge improvement throughout the year.
Joining Nudell Lee in the fight for playing time at the forward position are six freshmen - Nicki Burnie, Rebecca Dellaria, Amanda Edwards, Kayla Lightfoot, Kaitlin Neary and Katlin Ruff.
"Each incoming forward brings athletic strength and speed, along with technical ability," Wickstrand commented. "The quicker they can pick up the tactical side of runs and taking on the offensive third of the field, the more playing time they will be afforded. Some forwards may also be looked on to play outside midfield or back."
Midfielders
The midfield for the Golden Gophers in 2002 will be in the hands of several experienced and capable players. Junior Amanda McMahon, an all-region transfer from Marshall University, will set the pace of the game from the central midfield position. She led the 2001 Thundering Herd in the scoring department with eight goals and 12 assists in 17 games played. McMahon will provide the Golden Gophers with a much-needed scoring threat from the middle of the pitch. Senior Kyndra Hesse, returning from a year away from competition, will assist McMahon on the midfield.
"Amanda reads the game extremely well, has a deadly shot and is one of the hardest workers on the team," Wickstrand explained. "Kyndra has a great work ethic, is awesome in the air, and is technically and tactically sound. Both Amanda and Kyndra can take a shot from anywhere on the field or make the perfect pass to their teammates."
On the outside midfield position, senior Keely Dinse will run the lines. A veteran who played her way into a scholarship after playing as a walk-on her first two seasons, Dinse is Minnesota's fastest player who can serve the ball from anywhere or drive the line and take a shot herself.
"In order for us to score more goals, we need to utilize Keely's speed and serve her the ball regularly on the outside," Wickstrand said.
The other outside position will be up-for-grabs among returnees Jen Cressman and Mary Kasper, and incoming freshmen Annie Carr, Laura Hoppe and Lisa Trachsel. Cressman, the team's "Heart and Soul" and "Spark" awardwinner in 2001, will definitely vie for a starting position.
"From top to bottom, we are going to have the strongest midfield in the program's history this season," Wickstrand explained. "I'm truly excited to watch this group of midfielders perform this year."
| Senior Meghan Jones |
In the backfield, the Maroon and Gold will look to the talents of senior Meghan Jones to lead a young defensive corps from the outside back position. Hailing from Littleton, Colo., Jones holds the all-around talent to make a goal-saving tackle or to jump into the offense and set up the game-winning goal. Her performance will be a key component to Minnesota1s success in 2002.
"Meghan is one of our most versatile players," Wickstrand said. "She has played outside mid, outside back and center back for us. She is a fierce defender who is hard to beat one-on-one."
Spearheading the defense with Jones will be junior Amy Khaleel and sophomore Tierney Palmer-Klein. Both are tenacious defenders who are superb in the air and possess unbelievable vision of the field.
"Senior Ginny Jorde will be looking for playing time as a defender, but will be challenged by incoming freshmen Hillary Stowell and Lisa Berg.," Wickstrand commented. "Hillary brings regional and national team experience and will contribute immediately while Lisa is a strong one-on-one defender with great speed and quickness."
Goalkeepers
The major question mark in Minnesota's projected 2002 lineup is the goalkeeper position. The Golden Gophers must fill the shoes of two-year starter and four-year letterwinner Julie Eibensteiner. The candidates for that tough assignment fall to three underclassmen with virtually the same experience - very little in Division I.
Sophomore Kelly Kraft comes into the 2002 season as the lone keeper with experience in the net for the Golden Gophers. She played in two games last season, logging 35 minutes. Sophomore Marni Prall, a transfer from Wisconsin-Green Bay, holds limited Division I experience as well. She played in eight games in goal for the Phoenix, logging 118 minutes. Both sophomores will be challenged by freshman Karli Kopietz, a native of Champlin, Minn.
"Karli is one of the most athletic goalkeepers I have seen in a long time," Wickstrand said. "Where she lacks in technical ability, she makes up for in natural instincts, hands and angles. Together, all goalkeepers bring different strengths and the battle for a starting position will be a healthy and exciting competition."
Schedule
Minnesota's schedule is not unlike any other year, as the Golden Gophers face a gauntlet of tough teams. In the early portion of the season, the Golden Gophers battle nonconference opponents from around the country. Minnesota opens the regular season with games against Washington State and Montana on August 30 and Sept. 1. Minnesota's first home game comes Sept. 4 in the form of Southwest Missouri State. In all, the Golden Gophers host nine games at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
| Junior Amy Khaleel |
East Lansing, Mich., and Michigan State play host to the 2002 Big Ten Tournament this season on Nov. 7-10.
