Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Soccer Season Outlook
July 31, 2001 | Women's Soccer
July 31, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Note: The following lead has been altered to avoid accusations of plagiarism.
It was the best of times, it was the not-quite-best of times.
The Bowling Green State University women's soccer program, after a regular season marked by inconsistency, enjoyed a magical ride through the Mid-American Conference Tournament last season, battling through several injuries to key personnel and advancing to the championship match. BGSU lost that contest in double overtime to Miami, though, and the RedHawks' winning goal signaled the end of the line for seven Falcon team members.
Now, BG's second-year staff, consisting of head coach Andy Richards and assistant coach Ashlee Orr, enters the 2001 season, looking to replace the first graduating class in team history.
That group included six players who saw action in each of the Falcons' first four years, five of whom started at least 50 matches in their respective careers. The Falcons lose Michelle Lisy, who is the school's career leaders in goals and points, as well as Janice Mentrup, the all-time assist leader who started every match (78) in program history.
Ashley Enser started each of the first 76 contests of her career before going down with an injury in the MAC Tournament's quarterfinal round, while Stephanie Heller was another four-year starter who provided a steadying presence. Autumn Harris, Jamie Eshleman and Leslie Buse rounded out a group that formed the core of the team and provided valuable leadership both on and off the field.
The Falcons finished seventh in the conference regular-season standings last year, but upset second-seeded Eastern Michigan (2-1) in the first round before knocking off Western Michigan (2-1) in the semifinals. The Brown and Orange, playing without Enser and leading scorer Jill Conover, took Miami to OT in the final before losing, 1-0, in the 111th minute.
Obviously, Richards, Orr and the Falcons opened some eyes around the conference with their late-season success. But, the head coach comes into the 2001 campaign looking to replace the graduated BGSU players, while also knowing that the Falcons won't be able to sneak up on opponents this season.
"We were inconsistent last year, and it drove us nuts," said Richards. "Ashlee and I would talk about it, though, and we'd say, `If we can get to the tournament, we'll be fine,' because we knew the team would play well when they were not the favorite.
"This year, we can not keep going on like that. Everyone we beat last year will be after us, and all those teams that beat us last year will feel like they can do the same thing again. So, mental strength is one of the bigger issues for us. We need to get used to being the favorite, and know what it takes to be strong."
The Falcons' inconsistent play was evident from the beginning of the conference campaign. BGSU opened with three road matches, all against teams picked to finish higher than the Brown and Orange in the league standings, and won all three matches. Then, BG faced Northern Illinois, a team that finished at the bottom of the league, and lost.
"We went on the road, to Toledo, to Central (Michigan), to Eastern (Michigan) and we came back 3-0. And, I think we got a little overconfident. We came back home and got beat by Northern, who on the day played very well. But, they finished at the bottom of the MAC, so where's the sense in that?
"We suffered a lot of that type of inconsistency all year. But, we also managed to put a good run together right at the very end. The timing was just perfect.
"The loss of those seven seniors is big to our program, though. We have lost some very good players, and some tremendous personalities."
Richards does, however, welcome back a total of 13 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2000 squad, so the cupboard is far from bare.
"You look at the crew we've got returning, and we have some great personalities still. People like Beth Wechsler, Leslie Hepfinger, Mandy Smith and Erika Flanders, all the way to the incoming freshmen, are going to fill their roles. It is new ground, and nobody really knows quite how it will pan out.
"But, we all recognize that there's a transition, and I think that by recognizing that it is going to be a factor, then we are halfway to solving the problem.
"(Getting to the championship last year) has to help. The returning players have had experience of what it's like to play in the postseason, to play in the final, and to go on the road and win games. And, there really is no substitute for experience. Once you've been through a situation, you're just a little more prepared the next time. So, it has to help us."
The following is a positional analysis of the 2001 Falcons.
GOALKEEPER
Consistency is something coaches strive for, but they certainly don't mind having a goalie who is playing at a high level, too. Richards knows that the Falcons' late-season run was due in large part to the play of Erika Flanders. Flanders, who enters her junior year, holds nearly every BGSU single-season and career goalkeeping record, and was selected to the MAC's All-Tournament Team for her stellar play at year's end. Freshman Ali Shingler will look to push Flanders for playing time.
"We all know what a phenomenal second half of the season Erika had," said Richards. "She was just unbelievable, and if not for her, we never would have gone to overtime against Miami.
"She played on an under-23 team over the summer, and that team went to nationals in Orlando.
"Erika is a solid foundation on which to build from the back, and she is a leader. She is intense and committed, she knows how to work hard, and she is not afraid to tell people that they're slacking. I see two more great years from her. She will be huge for our program.
"That having been said, Ali Shingler should be tremendous competition for Erika. Ali comes from a very good background. She is a technically sound goalkeeper who has had some good experience playing at regional tournaments and high-quality club games. We're looking for her to push Erika and get some playing time this fall.
"We feel pretty good about the competition there. There are two years difference between them, and we hope that, when Erika graduates, Ali will be entering the phase that Erika is about to enter."
DEFENSE
Richards welcomes back most of last year's defensive core, losing only Stephanie Heller. Heller capped a solid career in the Brown and Orange by playing primarily at the stopper position last fall.
A pair of senior co-captains return in Beth Wechsler and Leslie Hepfinger, along with senior Meredith Davis, junior Heidi Williams and sophomores Lindsay Enser and Kasey Freeman. Last season, Wechsler became the first player in school history to earn All-Ohio First-Team honors. She has made the all-state squad in each of her first three seasons, and has been named to the All-MAC Team twice as well.
Hepfinger has provided a steadying influence in the back, and displayed offensive prowess as well last year, scoring a pair of match-winning goals. Hepfinger has started 55 matches in her career, the second-highest total among returnees behind Wechsler's 58.
Enser did not play in the first two contests last year, then came off the bench in the third match. After that, she moved into the starting lineup for good. Davis started seven matches last fall before missing the final few matches due to injury. Freeman made six starts in her initial campaign before surgery ended her season.
"We have a solid group of people that can play in the back," said Richards. "If you look at the starting lineup in the second half of last season, when we were playing our best, we have three of those four defenders back in Wechsler, Hepfinger and Enser. So, I think we can continue to be steady defensively."
Richards also sees room for some options, given his team's depth on defense.
"The beauty of having someone like Meredith (Davis) on the team is, not only does she do her job, but she releases other players. For example, if Meredith is playing well and with confidence, she could tie down a (starting) spot in the back. That would mean we could move Beth Wechsler (to midfield or forward). Beth is going to be an influence, whether she plays defensively, in the midfield, or wherever. You put Beth anywhere and she's a factor."
A pair of freshmen, Jenny Berlovan and Beth Rieman, could find themselves in the mix as well.
"Jenny should do well back there," said Richards. "She certainly should be fighting for a starting spot. She is fairly flexible, so she could play at midfield, too.
"We see Beth Rieman as being a possible replacement for Steph Heller, as stopper is her natural position. She could play as a sweeper or in midfield, but her best qualities in the long term, I think, are at stopper.
"She is a tremendous personality, and down the line, Beth Rieman will be a leader for us. I can see her being a factor early on, and she could be one of those freshmen that comes in and plays right away."
MIDFIELD
Whereas most of Richard's defenders return in 2001, things are different in the midfield. Five of last year's seniors saw time in the middle of the field.
"Midfield is a key area for us," said Richards. "We lost a lot of people there, in Lisy and Mentrup, Ashley Enser and Buse ... the list goes on and on. Even Steph Heller saw some time there."
BGSU has several returnees in the midfield, several players who played in other spots last year, and several "newcomers." Among those newcomers are a pair of familiar faces. Libby Christensen transferred from Oregon State last year, but missed the entire 2000 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Michelle Hoyng, who played on the 1998 BGSU squad, attended school for the last two years, but did not play soccer. She started all but one match in '98, and led the team with seven assists. Both Christensen and Hoyng will be seniors.
"The return of Libby is a bonus for us, and is almost like a new recruit," said Richards. "The same holds true for Michelle. She has not played for a couple years, but she was very successful in her freshman year. Once she gets back into the swing of things, she has the potential to be another star for us."
Two other senior returnees, Mandy Smith and Annmarie Aparo, will figure into the equation at midfield. Smith, a team tri-captain, was one of three players to start every match last year. Smith, who scored five points last season, is a scrappy competitor.
"Mandy played some good time for us last year," said Richards. "Annie helped us off the bench, and I think both of them, like all seniors, are committed to go out on a successful note."
Another returnee, sophomore Sara Leary, could play in the midfield as well. Leary primarily played at a defender or wide midfielder spot as a freshman, but also could see time at forward in 2001.
"Sara's speed is always a factor," said Richards. "Speed creates problems for the other team. So, we may see Sara playing in a slightly different position as well."
Senior Adrienne Graessle and freshmen Jessica Sadler and Nikki Pucillo will be vying for spots in the midfield as well. Graessle, who joined the Falcons last year, faces a tough road back after undergoing surgery in July.
FORWARD
While the Falcons lost just one true striker to graduation in Jamie Eshleman, the front line is an area of concern for Richards at season's outset.
The Brown and Orange will have a number of forwards whose status may be questionable when the referee's whistle blows for the season opener. Juniors Jill Conover, Tracy Gleixner and Susan Wallace all are battling the injury bug, and hope to return to 100 per cent.
Conover broke her leg late in the semifinal match of the MAC Tournament. She has, however, recovered enough to play club ball over the summer. Gleixner suffered the dreaded ACL injury in the spring, and hopes to return to action sometime in September. Wallace battled some nagging foot injuries over the summer.
All Conover and Gleixner have done in their respective Falcon careers is move to the top of several scoring lists. Conover owns the top-two single-season assist totals in school history, including the BGSU record of nine last season. She has also scored 12 goals in her first two years.
Gleixner had a school-record 12 goals as a freshman in 1998, and added five more last season despite battling injuries. She needs one goal to tie Lisy for the BGSU career record in that category.
Gleixner and Conover rank second and third, respectively, in career points, with 42 and 41.
"Jill has had a few frustrations along the way, just as anyone does when you rehab from a serious injury," said Richards. "She's had a lot of soreness and some infection in her leg, but is just so determined to get back to being as successful as last year, if not more so.
"Jill is pushing herself hard, but she is playing, and she scored some goals (during summer ball). I think she will be fine once she gets through preseason training.
"Tracy is another one that has battled some serious injuries, but is very determined. Being a kid from the Chicago area, she wants to play in our two September games in that area (Sept. 21 vs. Iowa State in Chicago, Sept. 28 at Northern Illinois).
"Susan is having some problems with her arches. But, we are fortunate in that she is such an athletic kid. She was not able to play much soccer over the summer, but kept in playing shape by doing some other things, like cycling. We are hopeful that her return will be quick."
Obviously, the status of three returning strikers has an impact on the type of offense Richards has his team play.
"Last year, we played a 4-4-2 because that system suited our personnel best," said the coach. "Last year, also, we were very strong in the midfield and the back, whereas this year we are a bit more evenly spread.
"I think we have a few more attacking options this year, partly because of personnel and partly because, if we can be stronger against some teams, we can be more attack-minded.
"The other thing, of course, is that you don't want to be too predictable. Otherwise, other teams will find it pretty easy to play against us."
Richards is looking forward to the addition of a pair of freshman strikers, Kristy Coppes and Katie Piening.
"We are excited about the two kids we've added," he said. "If everyone is healthy, I will feel very optimistic about our front line.
"We lost one striker, but have gained two. If we can put Coppes and Piening along the `old guard,' if you will, we should be a little quicker, more dynamic and a bit more unpredictable."
THE SCHEDULE / THE MAC
Last year, Richards' first team was forced to play its first eight matches on the road. This season's schedule is more balanced. The Falcons kick off the 20-match slate with road matches vs. UW-Green Bay (Aug. 31) and Michigan State (Sept. 2), but then return home for five of the next seven contests, with the first of 10 home contests coming Sept. 7 against Samford.
Arch-rival Toledo comes to Cochrane Field to open the MAC slate (Sept. 9). After a home contest vs. Youngstown State (Sept. 12), the Brown and Orange head to Columbus to take on the season's second Big Ten Conference foe in Ohio State (Sept. 14). A home contest vs. Wright State (Sept. 16) and a neutral-site match vs. Iowa State (Sept. 21) close the non-league schedule, as the final 11 contests of the regular season come against MAC members.
"I feel the schedule is a lot stronger for us this year, and a little more even as well," said Richards. "I think that will help us.
"When you work with a team, you want to try and get them in a rhythm. Playing Friday-Sunday, they can keep that rhythm going and the preparation through each week is similar, so they feel more comfortable.
"Last year, we seemed to have a lot of odd days of playing, or night games. This year, we have one midweek match, and every other match before November is on a Friday or a Sunday."
With Akron sponsoring women's soccer for the first time, all 13 MAC squads will field a team in 2001. Over the first four years of MAC women's soccer, the one constant has been unpredictability. Richards and the Falcons have found the "any team can beat any other team" clich‚ to be true, as BG went 2-0-1 against the teams that finished first through third last year, but lost at home to Northern Illinois, a team that tied for 11th. While Richards and Orr will prepare their team for each opponent, they know that their own team holds the key to success. If BG plays well, the Falcons have a chance to win. If the Brown and Orange do not play well, the team will struggle regardless of the opponent.
"In our conference, there is so much parity that you have to be ready for everybody," said Richards. "I think anybody who was at Buffalo (for the MAC semifinals and championship) would agree that the two teams playing in the championship game produced a very good final.
"If you look at the regular-season standings, Miami finished fourth and we finished seventh. How can a team that finished seventh in the MAC come within a whisker of winning the whole thing?
"I think that's a true reflection of how tough this conference has become. It is very hard to do well all season as well as in the tournament. But, it also shows that if anybody can put a run together, you can produce something pretty special."
FINAL THOUGHTS
Andy Richards knows a great many things. He knows that his team will miss the seven departed seniors. But, he also knows that he has some quality returnees and talented newcomers. Additionally, Richards knows that the other MAC teams will be ready to play when they meet the Falcons in 2001.
But, he also has the benefit of having been at the helm for an entire year, and his team has the advantage of knowing what he expects from them, as players and as people. It is not surprising, then, to know that Richards is excited to begin the season.
"It was very difficult last year," he said. "I didn't know our team, and I didn't know what we were up against.
"I believe it takes a year for everybody to get used to each other. It takes us a year to figure out will work best for our players, and it takes that amount of time for players to learn how to follow. This year, we should benefit from a lot of the work we did last fall and over the spring.
"We always will profess hard work, intense competition, and playing as a team. This will be a year in which we solidify our program.
"That having been said, we can't make the same steps we made last year. There is no way we can double our win total again, but it is very realistic to try to have a winning season and be peaking at the right time.
"Can we win 11 or 12 games? Yeah, I think we can. Can we do well in the postseason? Well, yes we can, but you never know what might happen. We just need to concentrate on playing with consistency and working on our mental strength.
"We will be under more pressure this year, but at the same time, I think we have gained more respect from our opponents. When other teams respect you, they don't come out at you as quickly as they otherwise would, and don't hammer you as hard.
"Last year, some teams said, `Oh, we're playing Bowling Green, this will be easy,' and they came at us quick. We couldn't surprise them. This year, though, we have gained a bit more respect, and maybe they change a formation, or they feel the need to adapt to us in some way. It is difficult to say, but, without a doubt, our past experiences will help us."
