University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gopher Soccer Looks to the Future
1/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
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Minnesota Closes Out Season with Win
The Golden Gopher women's soccer team capped off its 2003 campaign with a 2-1 win at Iowa State on Nov. 2. The win was significant in that it ended a 13-match road winless streak, as well as a seven-match winless streak. Minnesota finished the season with a 6-10-2 record and a 2-7-1 mark in the Big Ten.
Wickstrand Contract Not Renewed
The contract of head coach Barbara Wickstrand was not renewed by the University of Minnesota following the 2003 season. Wickstrand spent four seasons as head coach and compiled a 26-43-4 overall record. Prior to being named head coach, she spent six seasons as an assistant with the Golden Gophers and helped lead Minnesota to a pair of Big Ten Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Wickstrand is a 1989 graduate of North Carolina State University and was a two-time All-American goalkeeper for the Wolfpack.
Denney Wright Named Head Coach
The University of Minnesota Athletics Department announced the hiring of Mikki Denney Wright as head coach of the Golden Gopher women's soccer team. Denney Wright has spent the last three seasons as top assistant and recruiting coordinator at the University of Missouri. Last year, the Tigers reached the national tournament for the first time in four years and claimed the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Denney Wright was a three-year letterwinner for the Golden Gophers from 1994-96. She served as team captain in 1995 and '96 as Minnesota earned a Big Ten Championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Denney Wright was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection and still holds the school record for consecutive starts with 63.
Lentsch named Freshman All-Big Ten
Haley Lentsch was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after a stellar first season with the Golden Gophers. The forward led all first-year league players in scoring with 19 points, seven more than her closest competitor. A native of Woodbury, Minn., Lentsch led the team in scoring with seven goals and five assists in 18 games. In the process, she joined Jennifer Walek as the only freshmen in school history to lead the team in scoring. Walek paced Minnesota in scoring in the program's inaugural season in 1993.
Lentsch finished second in the Big Ten with four assists in 10 conference games. She ranked 10th in points and goals among league players in all games.
Tale of Two Seasons
The Golden Gophers faced six teams that reached the NCAA Tournament (Purdue, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Penn State, Ohio State) and finished with an 0-6 record. Against opponents that did not make the national tournament, Minnesota finished with a winning record at 6-4-2.
Out of this League
Minnesota posted a 4-3-1 record outside of the Big Ten during the season. It is the second straight year the Golden Gophers finished with a winning record outside of the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers were 6-2-1 in 2002.
Strong Start
For the second straight season, the Golden Gophers got off to a strong start. But just like 2002, Minnesota faded towards the end of the season. The Golden Gophers were 4-2-1 in their first seven matches, but finished 2-8-1 down the stretch. In the past two seasons, Minnesota is 10-8-1 through the end of September and 3-13-2 following the month of September.
Study in Contrasts
Minnesota has fashioned a 4-3-2 record at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium this past season. In those nine matches, the Golden Gophers outscored their opponents by an 18-16 margin. On the road (including neutral field matches), Minnesota was 2-7-0 and were outscored 28-8.
The Big Finish
Minnesota played well in the first half of matches this past season, but for the most part were unable to find the big finish. The Golden Gophers were outscored 21-16 in the first half, but that difference swells to 22-10 in the second half and overtime.
Twice as Nice
Minnesota's two-goal output at Iowa State in the season finale marked the ninth time this past season in 18 matches that the Golden Gophers scored two or more goals. By comparison, Minnesota scored two or more goals in 2002 seven times in 19.
The Friendly Confines
Minnesota finished above .500 at home for the 10th time in the 11-year history of the program. The Golden Gophers finished 4-3-2 this past season at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. The Golden Gophers are 68-25-5 (.719) on their home pitch over 10+ seasons, including a 24-17-2 (.581) mark since moving to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium for the 1999 season. In the Big Ten at home, Minnesota is 25-19-3 (.564).
Rank and File
Minnesota finished a two-week stretch with three road matches against ranked opponents - Colorado, Penn State and Ohio State, Oct. 10-19. The Golden Gophers went 0-3 during that stretch. The Buffaloes and Nittany Lions subsequently moved into the nation's top 10. Purdue and Illinois each moved into the top 25 immediately after defeating Minnesota earlier in the year.
In 2002, the Golden Gophers faced four ranked opponents. Minnesota is 8-30-1 all-time against ranked opponents. In 2002, Minnesota routed No. 14 Michigan, 4-0, at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. The highest rated opponent the Golden Gophers have defeated was the 11th-ranked Wolverines in overtime in 1997.
Shooting Blanks
Minnesota posted just two shutouts this past season, a total which is the fewest in the history of the program. The 2001 Golden Gophers shut out a total of four opponents. Minnesota was shut out four times this past season, which is the fewest since 1998.
A Marked Improvement
Minnesota eclipsed its goal output in league games from a year ago. The Golden Gophers were 1-9-0 in 2002 in the Big Ten and scored a total of nine goals to go along with six assists. A total of six players accounted for the nine goals.
This past season, the Golden Gophers finished with 13 goals and added 12 assists. Nine different players scored a goal in conference play.
Balancing Act
With sophomore Laura Hoppe's game-tying goal on Oct. 12 vs. Iowa, a total of nine Golden Gophers tallied a goal this past season. That is the highest total since 2000. Last year, only seven players were able to find the back of the net. In 2001, eight different players scored a goal, while only three collected a marker in 2000.
Senior Salute
With seventy percent of the roster made up of under-classmen, the Golden Gophers will lose just a pair of seniors this offseason
A senior from Stillwater, Minn., Amanda McMahon transferred home after spending two seasons at Marshall. A team captain, she finished with seven goals and six assists for 20 points in 27 career games. She ranked third on the team in scoring this past season with four goals and four assists. McMahon was a two-time Big Ten All-Academic selection in her two seasons.
A native of Minneapolis, Nudell Lee also transferred to Minnesota after spending one year at Seattle University. She appeared in 48 matches with the Maroon and Gold and had two goals and four assists for eight points. Nudell Lee's two career goal both came this past season.
Super Sophs
The Golden Gopher sophomore class was the backbone of the Minnesota soccer program this past season. The group of 10 had a team-best 12 goals and 11 assists. The sophomores accounted for nearly half of the team's goals (12/26) and points (35/76).
Leading the way was Becky Dellaria who finished second on the team with five goals and six assists for 16 points. Despite missing eight games due to injury, Kaitlin Neary had two of the team's five game-winning goals. Seven of the 13 players that had a point this season were sophomores.
Season Interrupted
Sophomore Kaitlin Neary was poised for a breakout season in 2003 and got off to a strong start with two game-winning goals, an assist and 12 shot attempts in the first five matches. But after an injury sidelined her for seven matches, including six Big Ten contests, she slowly worked her way back into the lineup. She appeared in five of the final six matches, but did not register a point or shot attempt. Neary played in 19 games as a freshman with 18 starts and registered one assist.
Youth Movement
Minnesota's roster featured just two seniors and four juniors, while sophomores and freshmen made up 71.4 percent of the roster (15/21). The underclassmen accounted for 20 of the 26 goals and 57 of the 76 points. Senior captain Amanda McMahon ranked third on the team with 12 points and Anna Nudell Lee picked up her first career goal on Sept. 12 vs. Western Illinois and added her second marker on Oct. 19 at Ohio State. Junior captain Jen Cressman earned an assist on the game-tying goal against Creighton, Sept. 1.
Offensive Surge
Entering the 2003 season, the Golden Gophers returned 28 points to its lineup from 2002. Minnesota tallied 76 points in 18 matches with 26 goals and 24 assists in 2003.
The Golden Gophers finished with 22 goals in 2002 in 19 matches, but had 26 in 18 contests this past season, the highest goal output since 1999.
The Scoring Touch
Sophomore Laura Hoppe found her scoring touch in the final three weeks of the season. Against Iowa on Oct. 12, she scored her first goal of the season which tied the game at two in the 82nd minute. On Oct. 24 vs. Wisconsin, she collected the first two-goal game of her career. Her first goal came just 37 seconds after the Badgers tied the match at one. She added her second marker in the game's final five minutes.
Hoppe had three goals in her final six matches, as opposed to one goal in her first 29 career matches.
The Newcomers
With 12 second-year players on the roster, Minnesota's freshman class wasn't big in quantity, but paid off in quality. Freshman Haley Lentsch, a Woodbury, Minn., native, had a goal in each of her first four matches and added an assist in the fifth match for a five-game point streak. She led Minnesota to a 2-1 victory against Northwestern, Oct. 3, with an assist and then the game-winner. She led the team in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. Lentsch became one of just two freshmen to ever lead the team in scoring. Jennifer Walek accomplished the feat in 1993.
Allison Raino started all 18 matches and picked up her first career assist in the 2-1 win vs. Indiana, Sept. 21. Fellow rookie Kjirsten Sigmund appeared in 15 matches in her first season with the Maroon and Gold.
In the Big Ten
In 2002, Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten in scoring with nine goals in league play. This past year, the Golden Gophers finished fifth in scoring with 13 goals.
In conference matches, Becky Dellaria ended in a tie for sixth with 11 points and third with three assists. Haley Lentsch finished second with four assists.
Overall, Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten in scoring in 2002 with 22 goals. This past year, the Golden Gophers finished seventh with 26 goals.
Lentsch finished 10th in scoring with 1.06 points per game. Dellaria tied for ninth with 0.33 assists per game.
The Playmaker
Sophomore Becky Dellaria had a breakout season for the Golden Gophers. After collecting one assist in 16 matches last year as a freshman, Dellaria finished second on the team in scoring with 16 points on five goals and six assists. Her six assists were the most by a Golden Gopher since 1999. She opened the season with a goal and two assists in the 4-2 win vs. Buffalo (8/29). Dellaria scored the game-winner in a 2-1 win vs. Indiana (9/21). Against Wisconsin (10/24), she collected her second multi-point game with a goal and an assist. She tallied a point in eight of the 18 matches this season. In Big Ten games, she finished tied for sixth in the league with 1.10 points per game and ninth with 0.40 goals per game.
Who's Back
With just two seniors on the roster, the Golden Gophers are set to return 76.9 percent of its goal scoring (20/26) and 77.3 percent of it total points (58/75). Minnesota will return four of its top five scorers, including Big Ten All-Freshman Forward Haley Lentsch (7-5--19) and Becky Dellaria (5-6--16). The Golden Gophers will also return its entire defensive corps and three goalkeepers.
Golden Gophers Online
Find all of the latest information regarding Minnesota soccer, including game recaps, box scores, statistics, press releases, ticket information and more at www.gophersports.com - the official home of University of Minnesota athletics.
- Click Here For the Final Golden Gopher Soccer Release
Minnesota Closes Out Season with Win
The Golden Gopher women's soccer team capped off its 2003 campaign with a 2-1 win at Iowa State on Nov. 2. The win was significant in that it ended a 13-match road winless streak, as well as a seven-match winless streak. Minnesota finished the season with a 6-10-2 record and a 2-7-1 mark in the Big Ten.
Wickstrand Contract Not Renewed
The contract of head coach Barbara Wickstrand was not renewed by the University of Minnesota following the 2003 season. Wickstrand spent four seasons as head coach and compiled a 26-43-4 overall record. Prior to being named head coach, she spent six seasons as an assistant with the Golden Gophers and helped lead Minnesota to a pair of Big Ten Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Wickstrand is a 1989 graduate of North Carolina State University and was a two-time All-American goalkeeper for the Wolfpack.
Denney Wright Named Head Coach
The University of Minnesota Athletics Department announced the hiring of Mikki Denney Wright as head coach of the Golden Gopher women's soccer team. Denney Wright has spent the last three seasons as top assistant and recruiting coordinator at the University of Missouri. Last year, the Tigers reached the national tournament for the first time in four years and claimed the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Denney Wright was a three-year letterwinner for the Golden Gophers from 1994-96. She served as team captain in 1995 and '96 as Minnesota earned a Big Ten Championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Denney Wright was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection and still holds the school record for consecutive starts with 63.
Lentsch named Freshman All-Big Ten
Haley Lentsch was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after a stellar first season with the Golden Gophers. The forward led all first-year league players in scoring with 19 points, seven more than her closest competitor. A native of Woodbury, Minn., Lentsch led the team in scoring with seven goals and five assists in 18 games. In the process, she joined Jennifer Walek as the only freshmen in school history to lead the team in scoring. Walek paced Minnesota in scoring in the program's inaugural season in 1993.
Lentsch finished second in the Big Ten with four assists in 10 conference games. She ranked 10th in points and goals among league players in all games.
Tale of Two Seasons
The Golden Gophers faced six teams that reached the NCAA Tournament (Purdue, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Penn State, Ohio State) and finished with an 0-6 record. Against opponents that did not make the national tournament, Minnesota finished with a winning record at 6-4-2.
Out of this League
Minnesota posted a 4-3-1 record outside of the Big Ten during the season. It is the second straight year the Golden Gophers finished with a winning record outside of the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers were 6-2-1 in 2002.
Strong Start
For the second straight season, the Golden Gophers got off to a strong start. But just like 2002, Minnesota faded towards the end of the season. The Golden Gophers were 4-2-1 in their first seven matches, but finished 2-8-1 down the stretch. In the past two seasons, Minnesota is 10-8-1 through the end of September and 3-13-2 following the month of September.
Study in Contrasts
Minnesota has fashioned a 4-3-2 record at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium this past season. In those nine matches, the Golden Gophers outscored their opponents by an 18-16 margin. On the road (including neutral field matches), Minnesota was 2-7-0 and were outscored 28-8.
The Big Finish
Minnesota played well in the first half of matches this past season, but for the most part were unable to find the big finish. The Golden Gophers were outscored 21-16 in the first half, but that difference swells to 22-10 in the second half and overtime.
Twice as Nice
Minnesota's two-goal output at Iowa State in the season finale marked the ninth time this past season in 18 matches that the Golden Gophers scored two or more goals. By comparison, Minnesota scored two or more goals in 2002 seven times in 19.
The Friendly Confines
Minnesota finished above .500 at home for the 10th time in the 11-year history of the program. The Golden Gophers finished 4-3-2 this past season at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. The Golden Gophers are 68-25-5 (.719) on their home pitch over 10+ seasons, including a 24-17-2 (.581) mark since moving to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium for the 1999 season. In the Big Ten at home, Minnesota is 25-19-3 (.564).
Rank and File
Minnesota finished a two-week stretch with three road matches against ranked opponents - Colorado, Penn State and Ohio State, Oct. 10-19. The Golden Gophers went 0-3 during that stretch. The Buffaloes and Nittany Lions subsequently moved into the nation's top 10. Purdue and Illinois each moved into the top 25 immediately after defeating Minnesota earlier in the year.
In 2002, the Golden Gophers faced four ranked opponents. Minnesota is 8-30-1 all-time against ranked opponents. In 2002, Minnesota routed No. 14 Michigan, 4-0, at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. The highest rated opponent the Golden Gophers have defeated was the 11th-ranked Wolverines in overtime in 1997.
Shooting Blanks
Minnesota posted just two shutouts this past season, a total which is the fewest in the history of the program. The 2001 Golden Gophers shut out a total of four opponents. Minnesota was shut out four times this past season, which is the fewest since 1998.
A Marked Improvement
Minnesota eclipsed its goal output in league games from a year ago. The Golden Gophers were 1-9-0 in 2002 in the Big Ten and scored a total of nine goals to go along with six assists. A total of six players accounted for the nine goals.
This past season, the Golden Gophers finished with 13 goals and added 12 assists. Nine different players scored a goal in conference play.
Balancing Act
With sophomore Laura Hoppe's game-tying goal on Oct. 12 vs. Iowa, a total of nine Golden Gophers tallied a goal this past season. That is the highest total since 2000. Last year, only seven players were able to find the back of the net. In 2001, eight different players scored a goal, while only three collected a marker in 2000.
Senior Salute
With seventy percent of the roster made up of under-classmen, the Golden Gophers will lose just a pair of seniors this offseason
A senior from Stillwater, Minn., Amanda McMahon transferred home after spending two seasons at Marshall. A team captain, she finished with seven goals and six assists for 20 points in 27 career games. She ranked third on the team in scoring this past season with four goals and four assists. McMahon was a two-time Big Ten All-Academic selection in her two seasons.
A native of Minneapolis, Nudell Lee also transferred to Minnesota after spending one year at Seattle University. She appeared in 48 matches with the Maroon and Gold and had two goals and four assists for eight points. Nudell Lee's two career goal both came this past season.
Super Sophs
The Golden Gopher sophomore class was the backbone of the Minnesota soccer program this past season. The group of 10 had a team-best 12 goals and 11 assists. The sophomores accounted for nearly half of the team's goals (12/26) and points (35/76).
Leading the way was Becky Dellaria who finished second on the team with five goals and six assists for 16 points. Despite missing eight games due to injury, Kaitlin Neary had two of the team's five game-winning goals. Seven of the 13 players that had a point this season were sophomores.
Season Interrupted
Sophomore Kaitlin Neary was poised for a breakout season in 2003 and got off to a strong start with two game-winning goals, an assist and 12 shot attempts in the first five matches. But after an injury sidelined her for seven matches, including six Big Ten contests, she slowly worked her way back into the lineup. She appeared in five of the final six matches, but did not register a point or shot attempt. Neary played in 19 games as a freshman with 18 starts and registered one assist.
Youth Movement
Minnesota's roster featured just two seniors and four juniors, while sophomores and freshmen made up 71.4 percent of the roster (15/21). The underclassmen accounted for 20 of the 26 goals and 57 of the 76 points. Senior captain Amanda McMahon ranked third on the team with 12 points and Anna Nudell Lee picked up her first career goal on Sept. 12 vs. Western Illinois and added her second marker on Oct. 19 at Ohio State. Junior captain Jen Cressman earned an assist on the game-tying goal against Creighton, Sept. 1.
Offensive Surge
Entering the 2003 season, the Golden Gophers returned 28 points to its lineup from 2002. Minnesota tallied 76 points in 18 matches with 26 goals and 24 assists in 2003.
The Golden Gophers finished with 22 goals in 2002 in 19 matches, but had 26 in 18 contests this past season, the highest goal output since 1999.
The Scoring Touch
Sophomore Laura Hoppe found her scoring touch in the final three weeks of the season. Against Iowa on Oct. 12, she scored her first goal of the season which tied the game at two in the 82nd minute. On Oct. 24 vs. Wisconsin, she collected the first two-goal game of her career. Her first goal came just 37 seconds after the Badgers tied the match at one. She added her second marker in the game's final five minutes.
Hoppe had three goals in her final six matches, as opposed to one goal in her first 29 career matches.
The Newcomers
With 12 second-year players on the roster, Minnesota's freshman class wasn't big in quantity, but paid off in quality. Freshman Haley Lentsch, a Woodbury, Minn., native, had a goal in each of her first four matches and added an assist in the fifth match for a five-game point streak. She led Minnesota to a 2-1 victory against Northwestern, Oct. 3, with an assist and then the game-winner. She led the team in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. Lentsch became one of just two freshmen to ever lead the team in scoring. Jennifer Walek accomplished the feat in 1993.
Allison Raino started all 18 matches and picked up her first career assist in the 2-1 win vs. Indiana, Sept. 21. Fellow rookie Kjirsten Sigmund appeared in 15 matches in her first season with the Maroon and Gold.
In the Big Ten
In 2002, Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten in scoring with nine goals in league play. This past year, the Golden Gophers finished fifth in scoring with 13 goals.
In conference matches, Becky Dellaria ended in a tie for sixth with 11 points and third with three assists. Haley Lentsch finished second with four assists.
Overall, Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten in scoring in 2002 with 22 goals. This past year, the Golden Gophers finished seventh with 26 goals.
Lentsch finished 10th in scoring with 1.06 points per game. Dellaria tied for ninth with 0.33 assists per game.
The Playmaker
Sophomore Becky Dellaria had a breakout season for the Golden Gophers. After collecting one assist in 16 matches last year as a freshman, Dellaria finished second on the team in scoring with 16 points on five goals and six assists. Her six assists were the most by a Golden Gopher since 1999. She opened the season with a goal and two assists in the 4-2 win vs. Buffalo (8/29). Dellaria scored the game-winner in a 2-1 win vs. Indiana (9/21). Against Wisconsin (10/24), she collected her second multi-point game with a goal and an assist. She tallied a point in eight of the 18 matches this season. In Big Ten games, she finished tied for sixth in the league with 1.10 points per game and ninth with 0.40 goals per game.
Who's Back
With just two seniors on the roster, the Golden Gophers are set to return 76.9 percent of its goal scoring (20/26) and 77.3 percent of it total points (58/75). Minnesota will return four of its top five scorers, including Big Ten All-Freshman Forward Haley Lentsch (7-5--19) and Becky Dellaria (5-6--16). The Golden Gophers will also return its entire defensive corps and three goalkeepers.
Golden Gophers Online
Find all of the latest information regarding Minnesota soccer, including game recaps, box scores, statistics, press releases, ticket information and more at www.gophersports.com - the official home of University of Minnesota athletics.
