University of Minnesota Athletics
2007 Minnesota Soccer - Team Outlook, Part 2: Forwards
8/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
In part two of our comprehensive look at the 2007 Minnesota Soccer program, we break down the Golden Gophers' forwards. Look for more soccer previews in the coming days at gophersports.com.
Since taking over the program in 2004, head coach Mikki Denney Wright has built her teams around defense, but after scoring just three goals in 10 conference games last season, Minnesota put an increased emphasis on building the attack over the off-season.
The Gophers return both of their primary scoring threats from a year ago in Lindsey Schwartz and Elena Fruci. Schwartz has been the team’s most valuable offensive player in each of her first two seasons with the program, while Fruci ranked third on the team in points during her first year of college soccer after returning from a knee injury.
Minnesota has relied primarily on two attackers each of the last two seasons, but Denney Wright admitted that needs to change in order for the Gophers to score goals in the Big Ten.
“We’ve had no more than two effective attackers for the last three years and that just can’t happen,” Denny Wright said. “So we’ve moved some players forward in an effort to do that, and focused on the development of our attacking players.”
To add skill and depth up top, sophomore Sara Clancy and junior Carlie Edwards move up from their respective midfield and defensive positions. Both performed very well during the spring season in their debuts on the front line. Clancy was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Gopher Spring Classic, while Edwards was one of Minnesota’s most productive performers throughout the spring.
In addition to the position switches, Denney Wright and her staff also looked to bolster the attack by bringing in some talented newcomers.
“The two things we tried to address in recruiting were athleticism and building on our attack,” Denney Wright said. “We brought in the best athletes we could possibly find, and we brought in kids with an attacking personality and an attacking flair.”
Freshmen Julie Rezac and Katie Bethke are each expected to compete for starting time right away, and both should help bolster an attack that ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring a year ago. Rezac, the 2006 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, excels at beating players one-on-one and is a great player in the attack.
Bethke, who was widely considered the top high school player in the state of Wisconsin a year ago, is an incredibly technical and savvy player who will be a dangerous attacker for the Gophers up top. She was a two-time all-state selection in high school and led her high school team to a regional championship.
In addition, for the third straight year the Gophers welcome the Ms. Minnesota of soccer in Angie Olson. The Eagan native is another attacking player and will immediately become one of the fastest players on the team.
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