Bowling Green State University Athletics
2002 Women's Soccer Season Outlook
August 22, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 22, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - It may sound like a cliche', but it's true.
In the extremely balanced and competitive Mid-American Conference women's soccer circuit, any team really can beat any other team on a given day. And, the margin between victory and defeat is slim.
Andy Richards this out firsthand.
Richards' first Bowling Green State University team enjoyed a magical run through the 2000 MAC Tournament, winning a pair of matches over higher-seeded teams and sending the league championship contest to overtime before succumbing.
Last year, however, the pendulum swung the other way. Richards and his assistant, Ashlee Orr, had the Falcons sitting at 7-3-2 -- the first time BGSU had been four games over .500 in school history -- when the bottom dropped out. The Brown and Orange ended the season by losing seven consecutive conference contests and finishing in 12th place.
Opponents on hot streaks, injuries to key players and just plain bad luck all contributed to the less-than-storybook ending to the 2001 campaign.
Now, a group of experienced players led by a small but solid group of upperclassmen will join a large, talented crop of newcomers to attempt to move BG toward the upper echelon of the MAC. Richards, beginning his third season at the helm, has 20 of his own recruits on the 25-player roster. He feels his 2002 squad can manufacture some good luck and positive outcomes through confidence and hard work.
"I think, within the team, there's a sense of wanting to make up for some of the disappointments we had last year," said Richards. "We all had to pinch ourselves to really believe we lost seven (in a row), because we really weren't that bad a team. We just had a lot of circumstances that didn't work for us.
"So, I know there is a determination by all of our players to make an impact and to prove some people wrong, perhaps. Ashlee and I feel that we have tremendous leadership this year. Our seniors will do a great job of leading our team through the good and the bad times."
That senior class, while small in numbers in comparison to the previous two years, is not lacking in quality. The group of four includes Jill Conover and Tracy Gleixner, who are at the top of the school's career scoring lists; Susan Wallace, who scored arguably the biggest goal in BGSU history; and Erika Flanders, who has a monopoly on the school goalkeeping records.
"We have been lucky to inherit great kids," said Richards. "I look at the people from my first year (the 2000 senior class), and that was a fantastic group. Last year's graduating class also gives us some holes to fill.
"However, we are very excited about the freshmen coming in, and, hopefully, Ashlee and I will see the fruition of our recruiting efforts."
The following is a positional analysis of the 2002 Falcons:
GOALKEEPER
The goalkeeping position is a big reason for Richards's excitement about his team. Flanders enters her fourth season as the starter, having set a school single-season record for saves in each of her first three years. Flanders, the 2002 team captain, earned some national recognition last year, being named to the Soccer America Team of the Week and the Soccer Buzz National Elite Team of the Week after a season-opening weekend which saw her save 26 of 27 shots. Flanders owns the five longest shutout streaks in BGSU history.
"Erika's form speaks for itself," said Richards. "She has been fantastic at Bowling Green.
"She is a tremendous goalkeeper, and we will miss her for that reason when she graduates, but she is also an unbelievable leader. She is very well-respected by all players.
"She isn't a yeller and a screamer; she just leads by example and does a great job."
Sophomore Ali Shingler and freshman Allie Failor will back Flanders in the nets.
"Ali Shingler would probably start for a lot of teams in our conference," said Richards. "We have tremendous competition for the starting goalkeeper spot.
"Allie Failor will give us a bit more depth. We see her as a long-term project, and a player who enters our program with a strong reputation.
"We're strong in that department, as these three 'keepers give us both quality and depth."
DEFENDER
The Falcons have bid farewell to four-year starter Beth Wechsler, who held down the sweeper position. But, most of the other players that saw time on the back line return for 2002.
"We have a lot of options back there," said Richards. "We don't know how it will all pan out.
"We don't know if we will play three players or four in the back, or who we will have at sweeper. But, I think that's symptomatic of where our squad is; we just have so many options this year that we haven't had in the past."
Regardless of Richards' decision, it is likely that Kasey Freeman will find herself on the field. Freeman, one of just two juniors on the Falcon squad, really came into her own last year, starting all 19 contests and providing a steadying presence.
"Kasey really made that spot her own last year," said Richards. "As a freshman she was unfortunate in that she had some injuries. Last year, she played very well and, by the end of the season, was playing with tremendous composure and really giving us some options on the left-hand side. We see her as a constant this year."
A pair of sophomores, Beth Rieman and Jenny Berlovan, also should see time in the back. Rieman, who started every match as a freshman, could start as the sweeper position. Berlovan started the year's final 14 contests in 2001, and may get some playing time in the midfield as well as in the back.
"We have a couple candidates for the sweeper spot among our newcomers," said Richards. "But, we also know from the spring season that Beth Rieman could do a very good job there.
"Jenny Berlovan forced her way into the lineup last year and did a great job as a right-sided defender. I think, though, she has aspirations and the ability to play elsewhere, perhaps in the center of midfield."
Sophomore Kylene Newell will be in the mix on the back line, as will freshmen Natalie Sampiller, Megan Rapp and Molly Bremen. Newell, a walk-on to last year's squad, played in just one match in the fall, but saw increased time in spring ball.
"Kylene did tremendously well for us," said the head coach. "She has a great work ethic, never complains, and provides us with another option.
"We expect the three newcomers -- Natalie Sampiller from Illinois, Megan Rapp from the Ohio South (ODP) program and Molly Bremen from Iowa -- to see time. Where they'll play, we don't know. Natalie and Megan could sweep, but again, it depends upon the numbers and the system we use.
"The great thing is that none of our defenders are seniors, so we will be able to get some needed stability back there."
MIDFIELDER
The Falcons have lost a large number of players from center of the field due to graduation over the past two years. But, Richards feels that the addition of several newcomers and the maturation process of the returnees should help make the midfield a strength of the team.
"We weren't as strong last year, particularly in the center of midfield, as we needed to be to compete in the MAC," said Richards. "But, as is the case with the back line, we have a lot of options that should enhance our success there."
The candidates to play in the center of the field include sophomores Nikki Pucillo and Jessica Sadler along with freshmen Leah Eggleton and Samantha Meister. Pucillo was another of last year's frosh that get her feet wet immediately, playing in every contest and making 14 starts. She tied for the team lead with six assists.
Sadler saw action in 10 matches, scoring a goal in her first collegiate contest, at UW-Green Bay. She made a pair of starts on the year.
"Nikki Pucillo played a lot of the time in the center last year," said Richards. "She will be a factor there.
"Jessica saw some time last year and could well see it again, whether in the center of midfield or up front.
"Leah and Samantha, both from the Cincinnati area, were each pretty highly-recruited by MAC programs as well as by some other big programs. We feel they will really enhance our program, and will look to them to hold down the center."
Bremen and Rieman, potentially two-thirds of an all-rhyming defensive line (Bremen-Freeman-Rieman), could move forward to play center midfield as well.
At the wide midfield positions, Richards and Orr again have a number of candidates to be on the field for the season's opening kickoff. A pair of upperclass players, Wallace and junior Carrie Richards, will look for time on the outside, while four freshman will be competing for those spots as well.
Wallace has shown flashes of brilliance over her first three years with the team, and her coach looks for her to step her game up a notch for her senior season.
"Susan Wallace, who could play wide right for us, has been a tremendous asset to our team," said her head coach. "Sometimes people forget that Susan was the girl who scored the winning goal in the (2000 MAC Tournament) semifinal and took BG to our first-ever MAC championship game. She goes down in history as somebody who has played a huge part in our program, and we expect that she will continue to do so."
Carrie Richards, no relation to her coach, played in just one match last fall, but had a pair of assists. In fact, her first touch of the ball directly led to a goal in a win over Youngstown State.
"We have been fortunate in that Carrie Richards did an unbelievable job in the spring," said her coach. "She played only 10 minutes last fall, and I guess the writing was on the wall, because she got two assists in those 10 minutes.
"We didn't feel that she was quite ready for competition at that level. In the spring, though, she did an excellent job. She got a lot of playing time, scored some goals and created assists for us, and just looked much more confident. Carrie has put herself in a position where she could be in line for a starting spot or very quickly off the bench in the wide-right position."
Several newcomers, Ashley Wentzel, Julie Trundle, Leslie Dawley and Keeley Dayton, were recruited with an eye toward shoring up the outside midfield spots.
"We felt this was a weakness in our team," said Richards. "And, we recruited to fill those gaps.
"Ashley, from the same high school as Erika Flanders (Mason), could come in and play on the right side as well.
"Julie and Leslie could tie down the left-side position. Julie is a very strong recruit for us; a specialist wide-left midfield player who comes from the Internationals team. She is the kind of player who will attract other players to come into our program in the future. Leslie is a bit more flexible, although, in fairness, either one of them could also play up front as needed."
Dayton also could see time at a forward spot as well.
"Keeley comes from a very strong club program," said Richards. "Her team has been perennial state champions in Arizona. She is a very technical player, extremely exciting to watch, and another strong recruit for us.
"So, again, we have options. We have nine players to fill four or five spots. We have depth and quality in numerous spots, and everyone has the ability and the chance to play."
FORWARD
The front line could be the area that holds the most uncertainty for the coaching staff. If this group of players can avoid injuries, Richards and Orr could have a lethal group of finishers. The Falcon strikers, however, were never all healthy at the same time in 2001.
A pair of seniors, Conover and Gleixner, join reigning MAC Newcomer of the Year Kristy Coppes up front. Sophomore Katie Piening also returns after logging some quality minutes last fall. Conover already reigns as the BGSU career scoring leader, with 55 points in her first three years. She is tied for the school career assists record, with 23. Conover was second on the team in scoring a year ago, but was forced to play numerous spots due to injuries to key teammates.
"Everyone in our conference knows about Jill Conover," said Richards. "Last year, we had to move her around a bit, but now she will be back in the position where she feels most comfortable.
"We feel very comfortable, too, about having Jill back in the front full-time. She is a hard worker and a major asset to our team, and we hope to see her efforts rewarded this year."
Like Conover, Gleixner has her name listed prominently in the BGSU record books. Gleixner, despite battling numerous injuries in her career, holds the school recor dwith 20 goals, and is tied for second on the career points list. She never quite found herself at full strength last year, however, and Richards hopes the team's lone fifth-year player will go out on a successful note.
"Tracy is the player who originally set the record (goals in a season, with 12) that Kristy Coppes tied last year," said Richards. "Tracy has had some bad luck in the years since, but is determined to find her place on the front line in 2002.
"A healthy Tracy Gleixner could give us a lethal group of strikers."
Coppes burst onto the scene with a bang, leading the team with 12 goals and 26 points, but played hurt down the stretch. Her injury coincided with the team's season-ending seven-match slide.
"Kristy is a very special forward who finds a way to get the job done," said Richards. "She was obviously our top finisher last year, and we look to her to return to the form she displayed before her injury last fall."
Piening started 12 matches last season, and wound up third on the squad with 12 points. She figured in the scoring of every Falcon goal in a 3-0 win over Akron at Cochrane Field.
"Katie got a lot of playing time for us," said Richards. "We look to her to make an impact this year, and give us yet another offensive weapon for opponents to try to contain."
Newcomer Britt Anderson will attempt to crack the lineup at forward. Anderson, who hails from Colorado, was recruited by the Falcon women's basketball team and will play two sports at BGSU.
"Britt is somewhat of an unknown to us, in that we never saw her play before she arrived on campus. We have had some positive scouting reports, we know she has achieved a great deal in club and high-school play, and we know that she is very athletic. We hope that she will contribute to the team and become a big part of what we are doing here."
THE SCHEDULE
BGSU dives right into the 2002 slate, with three matches in a six-day span. The Falcons will open the year with a Sept. 1 match against visiting Michigan State, then host Detroit on Sept. 4. Two days later, the Brown and Orange will open the 12-match MAC campaign with a road contest vs. arch-rival Toledo.
The Falcons will play Pittsburgh and Missouri in a tourney at Ohio State, and also will face Eastern Illinois, Valparaiso, Wright State and NCAA Tournament participant Cincinnati in non-league action.
"We have a pretty tough start," said Richards. "There are no easy games in our non-league schedule; every one of those contests will provide a challenge. And, of course, we know how tough the MAC can be.
"In the league, you can never afford to relax against anyone, and if you do, there is a good chance you will lose that day.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Unlike last season, Richards and the Falcons come into the current campaign having had a disappointing end to the prior year. Richards feels that some of the negative aspects of the 2001 campaign can turn into positives this season.
"A great deal of our returners logged a lot of minutes as youngsters in the past," said the coach. "We feel all of the returning players will make a contribution, through their ability and their past experiences. They will bring quality to us.
"And, we are very excited by the recruiting class we've brought in. We think this team will jell very well, and we feel that all the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place. We are encouraged that we will have a successful 2002 season."
