August 29, 2002

MOUNT VERNON, IOWA . . . The 2002 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer season begins this weekend with eight of the 10 Conference schools opening their season before Labor Day. Four schools – Central (at Concordia, Minn.), Cornell (at Augustana, Ill.), Loras (at Clarke) and Wartburg (at Augsburg) – get underway on Friday, August 30.

On Saturday, Buena Vista travels to Mount Mercy, Coe hosts the Coe Invitational and Dubuque travels to Concordia (Ill.) to begin their seasons. Cornell (at Wisconsin-LaCrosse) and Wartburg (hosting Culver-Stockton) play game two of its seasons on Saturday. Sunday features Upper Iowa hosting Mount Mary in its season opener and Central traveling to Augsburg for its second contest of the season.

Simpson begins its season on September 3, at Grandview and Luther’s season starts on September 4, at Clarke.

In a preseason poll conducted of the Iowa Conference women’s soccer coaches, Simpson is picked for the top spot, five points ahead of Luther and six points ahead of Loras. Simpson received three first place votes, Luther received two first place votes and Loras received one. The complete Coaches Poll, in which six coaches participated, is below.

Up-to-date composite Conference schedule, results and statistics are available on the women’s soccer home page of the Conference web site at www.iowaconference.com. For the most up-to-date team rosters, visit the women’s soccer home page of each schools’ athletic web site.

A complete team-by-team preview follows.

Buena Vista University Beavers
(1-14-0, 0-9-0 10th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/4

About the Team: Buena Vista ended its 35-game losing streak on October 14, 2001 with a 2-1 victory over Mount Mercy. The Beavers will look to build on that. Seniors Katie Binkard and Bekah Larson along with junior Muffin Morris and Linda Torborg return as the Beavers’ most experienced players. Junior Athena Grecelius saw limited action last season.

Among the newcomers ready to help Buena Vista are seniors Heidi Erpelding and Karen Lally, junior Ann Eddy, sophomore Abbie Kretz and freshmen Rebecca Dewey, Crystal Kruger, Jill Morley, Melissa Riddle and Angela Rowedder.

About the Coach: Matt Klosterman enters his first season as head coach at Buena Vista. The 1999 graduate of Loras College served as an assistant at his Alma Mater and head coach at Dubuque Senior High School the past two seasons.

Coach Klosterman on his team: “I expect the team to make significant strides in closing the talent gap and making games more competitive.”

Coach Klosterman on the Conference: “I expect the competition level of the Conference to continue rising. It seems like every season another team joins the upper division of talent in the Conference and makes the Conference that much deeper.”

Central College Dutch
(4-13-0, 3-6-0 7th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 5/6
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/10

About the Team: Central is one of only two teams in the Iowa Conference to have lost more starters from last season than they have returning (Upper Iowa is the other). The Dutch have a key position filled with returning goaltender Kate Pipho, a Second Team All-Conference performer last season when she made 98 saves in 14 games despite an injury-plagued year.

Last season’s team suffered five one-goal losses and to make matters worse, the Dutch’s top three scorers from last season have graduated. Sophomore midfielder Rachel Schipper (2-3-7) and junior forward Jess Watson (2-0-4) are the only returning players who scored more than one goal.

Other starters returning this season include junior midfielder Melissa Eshelman, who started eight of the 15 contests in which she played, and sophomore defenseman Katie Owens, who started 12 of the 15 games she played.

Senior Amber Van Der Kamp played in five games last season and will see action in goal and on defense this season. Sophomore midfielder Tara Thornton saw action in 17 contests last season and a pair of defensemen, junior Leslie Schmaizl and sophomore Jami Wheelock round out the returning players.

Junior defenseman Kelly Lally, sophomore goaltender/defenseman Katie Loomans, freshman forwards Amanda Sietstra, Lynnette Woodrow and Jennifer Wood all join the squad looking to make an impact.

About the Coach: Cory Ann Ellis begins her first season as head coach at Central. She spent the last two seasons as an assistant at DePauw University.

Coach Ellis on her team: “Since we have a roster of only 17 with many who have never played soccer before, I expect my team to work hard and continue to improve as the season progresses. I think that we have some quality players and will look to hold the team together against some tough competition. Although our team is small in numbers, I think they will be able to win a few games with out persistence and tenacity. Basically, don’t count us out.”

Coe College Kohawks
(6-7-1, 5-3-1 5th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 10/1
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/3

About the Team: Coe returns 10 of 11 starters from a season ago including sophomore defenseman Danielle Allen and sophomore midfielder Emily Sellers, who tied for the team lead with eight goals apiece. Allen added four assists for her team-high 20 points. Sellers finished second with 16 points. Senior midfielder Kelly Whittlinger finished third on the team in goals (4) and points (8).

Junior goaltender Cari Johnson started all 14 games last season and finished with a 1.95 GAA, 86 saves and two shutouts. Along with Allen, Johnson was helped on defense by senior Theresa White, who had a goal and an assist in 14 contests, sophomores Sara Martin, who scored two goals and added two assists, Sarah Grothe and Bridget Dunlay, both of whom appeared in all 14 games.

Senior midfielder Michelle Owens, who had five points (1-3) last season and senior forward/midfielder Janice Frueh, who scored two goals in seven games, return up front for the Kohawks.

About the Coach: Mickey Wu enters his second season as head coach at Coe. He led the Kohawks to a 6-7-1 overall record last season and an appearance in the Conference tournament. Wu had two stints as head coach of the Kohawks’ men’s team (1980-81, 1987-90).

Cornell College Rams
(11-10-0, 6-3-0 2nd in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/6

About the Team: Gone are Cornell’s top scorer and top goaltender from last season’s Conference runner-up team but the Rams have 13 other returning letterwinners and a trio of promising freshman that will look to step in for Julie Carne (20-13-53) and Sam Hittman (1.78 GAA, 7 shutouts).

Cornell has plenty of offensive firepower back from last season as four players return with 20 or more points – senior midfielder Katie Boyle led the team with 16 assists and finished second with 11 goals and 38 points, junior midfielder Jenny LaBaw was third in team scoring with nine goals and 22 points, senior midfielder Megan Bachmann finished the year with 11 assists (third on the team) and 21 points (fourth on the team), and senior defenseman Mara Becker had seven goals and six assists.

Senior forward Mary Beth Jakobsen started 11 of 21 matches and contributed three goals and four assists Junior midfielder Erin Lynch started 20 of 21 matches and scored seven goals and 16 points, while classmate Tiffany Klingert started 19 of the 20 matches she played on defense. Sophomore defenseman Alex Myers started all 21 games as a freshman and scored one goal and two assists.

Senior Carolyn Lee missed the 2001 season due to injury but will join three seniors and two sophomores that saw action last season and are looking to make a bigger contribution this season. Lisa Carey played in 16 matches last season with two starts. Keri Kose saw action in 10 matches and Rebekka Youngquist saw action in seven matches. Sophomore Caity O’Rourke recorded seven assists in 21 games including 10 starts and Rachel Gutierrez had two goals and two assists in 20 matches.

Defenseman Monica Goncze, forward Laura Maile and midfielder Elizabeth Richards will look to crack the line-up as freshmen.

About the Coaches: Mike and Steve Robertson begin their ninth season as co-head coaches at Cornell. In eight seasons, they have guided the Rams to a 66-75-2 record. The Robertson brothers were named IIAC Coaches of the Year in 1997.

Coach Steve Robertson on his team: “This year’s team success will be determined by how the team progresses as a group, rather than in the past where we have been carried by certain individuals. If the team can continuously make progress and improve over the season, we should have a very successful season and be a contender for the Conference title again.”

Coach Steve Robertson on the Conference: “The favorite has to be Simpson and Loras. Simpson lost only one starter from last year and Loras was the champion and lost only three starters. The conference race should be very tight and hard fought. As a whole, the Conference lost very few impact players and most of the teams return most of their lineups from last year.”

University of Dubuque Spartans
(4-12-1, 2-7-0 8th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/6

About the Team: Dubuque returns its top-three scorers and top goaltender from last season, and all four players are just sophomores. Forward Lesley Oyen led the team with 14 goals and 31 points last season. Her three assists were tied with three others for tops on the team. Midfielder Tiffany Bahls had five goals and three assists as a freshman, finishing second to Oyen in goals and points (13). Defenseman Jackie Herrig finished third in team scoring with four goals and 10 points.

CeCe Zangara was in goal for each of the Spartans’ 17 games last season. She made 245 saves and posted one shutout. Stephanie Armbruster joins Herrig as returning defensemen.

Junior midfielder Sara Simm is the only junior on the roster that includes no seniors, six sophomores and 10 freshmen. Simm had one goal in 17 matches last season.

The large group of freshman that will make an immediate contribution to the team include goaltender Angela Michal, defensemen Jillian Nieves, Christina Ahlvin and Kourtney Shay, midfielders Sara Schumacher, Simone Oglesbee, Ashley Switzer and Julie Futrell, and forwards Katie Bosley and Crystal Bomarito.

About the Coach: Jason Berna begins his second season as head coach at Dubuque. In his first season, which was also the first season of the Spartans’ soccer program, he guided the team to a 4-12-1 record.

Coach Berna on his team: “Our team is predominantly freshmen and sophomores which provides much youth for the years to come. We are looking to surprise a lot of teams this year with a better starting line-up and much needed depth on the bench.”

Coach Berna on the Conference: “I feel each year this Conference is getting harder and harder. The past two years the top-two teams in the Conference did not win the Conference tournament. One through four in the Conference has come down to who is playing better at the very end.”

Loras College Duhawks
(16-5-2, 5-2-2 1st in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 20/8

About the Team: Seven starters and 20 letterwinners from Loras’ 2001 Conference Championship team will be joined by a strong freshman class as the Duhawks look to defend their title. The biggest question for Loras is in goal where four-year starter Sara Wieczorek graduated. Sophomore Erin Hall appeared in 12 games and posted a 1-0-1 record with a 1.65 goals against average. She will compete with freshmen Jessy Young and Katie Eskey for the starting job.

Whoever earns the starting job will have two experienced defenders in front of her. Junior Becky Duffy appeared in all 23 games last season and sophomore Kerry Walsh appeared in 20 contests. Freshmen Fae Carroll and Cheryl Oldenburg will also get playing time on defense.

Offensively, senior forward Maggie Moore is Loras’ career leader in goals, assists and points. Last season she had 17 goals and 47 points. Sophomore forward Michelle Wieser led the team with 18 goals and finished second with 42 points. Sophomore Dani Pline finished third in team scoring with 21 points (9-3) while coming off the bench in 20 of the 22 contests in which she played.

The midfield position is also strong for the Duhawks. Junior Julie Krett and sophomores Katie Brake and Katie Zurek return as starters while senior Jeannie Hill and sophomore Sandra Gonzales saw considerable action off the bench last season. Brake (2-8) and Zurek (4-4) contributed 12 points apiece, Krett added nine points (4-1), Hill recorded five points and Gonzales three points.

Freshmen Jenni Wiberding and Julie Spako will compete for playing time at forward and Rodie Doar, Melissa Donile and Oldenburg will compete for playing time at midfield.

About the Coach: 2001 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year Dan Rothert is in his fifth season as head coach at Loras. He has led the Duhawks to a 46-31-5 record in his four seasons and has twice been named Conference Coach of the Year (1998, 2001).

Coach Rothert on his team: “After making a great run at the end of the season and in the IIAC Tournament to win the Conference, we are very excited about our upcoming season. We return a bulk of last years’ squad that was very young and has gained great experience and confidence from last year.”

Coach Rothert on the Conference: “The IIAC will be tough and very solid with at least six teams vying for the championship and the NCAA’s automatic berth.”

Luther College Norse
(15-4-2, 8-0-1 4th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 23/5

About the Team: Luther led the nation in scoring last season with 106 goals, 117 assists and 329 points. All three totals were school records. The bad news for the Norse is they lost the school’s career goals and points leader with the graduation of Jen Shinbori. They also lost Dawn Borcherding and Stephanie Finzen, both of whom finished their careers ranked in the top-10 in assists. The bad news for Norse opponents is that six of the team’s top ten scorers in 2001 are back in 2002.

Conference leading scorer Katie Pettigrew had 29 goals and 14 assists as a freshman. Classmate Abby Bachelder finished third in team scoring with 15 goals and 36 points. Junior Anne Peterson finished fifth in scoring with 19 points (5-9) followed by Sarah Braun (5-6-16) and Kendal Maxa (2-6-10). Junior defenseman Angie Froehle finished tied for ninth in team scoring with eight points (2-4).

Seniors Jodie Jansen and Erin Reidesel and junior Becky Knott all gained experience off the bench last season at the forward position. Sophomores Kirsten Russell and Marianne Holmer will provide depth and experience at that midfield position.

In addition to the offensive firepower that is returning to the Norse line-up, three starting defensemen and their starting goaltender also return to the top ranked defense. Maxa, Froehle and senior Liz Westcott start in front of junior Michelle Edelman, who finished the 2001 campaign with a 0.92 GAA and 12 shutouts.

Seniors Erika Hegland and Rian Helgerson, junior Deneb Woods and sophomore Julie Streib will all compete for playing time on defense.

Freshmen looking to make an immediate impact include Ann Cary, Lauren Kraus, Krista Lane, Sara Olson, Brittany Reed, Emily Scholten and Elizabeth Thompson.

About the Coach: Doug Mello begins his 13th season as head coach at Luther. He has a 147-81-16 record with the Norse and a 534-246-49 career coaching mark in 25 seasons.

Coach Mello on his team: “Everyone who saw us play (last year) was impressed with our wide open play and finishing skills. This year should be no different. We have added our largest and perhaps our best recruiting class to date. This combination of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers will hopefully provide us with a nucleus that will make 2002 our break-out year.”

Simpson College Storm
(16-3-2, 8-0-1 3rd in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/5

About the Team: The Conference MVP and two First Team All-Conference performers lead Simpson up front. Sophomore Erin Goettl was named MVP last season leading the Storm with 25 goals and 59 points in 21 matches. Former Conference MVP, Tracie Whitney along with Christy Pierick were First Team All-Conference selections last season. Pierick finished second in team scoring with 22 goals and 52 points followed by Whitney with 13 goals and 36 points. Freshman Megan Gallagher is expected to see considerable playing time up front.

Simpson also returns three of four starting midfielders in senior Shari Biggs, junior Lindsay Clark and sophomore Ivy Zhang. Biggs had four goals and 12 points last season, Clark contributed five goals and 16 points, and Zhang scored one goal and four points. Sophomore Chelsie Reifschneider had eight goals and 21 points off the bench last season to finish fourth in team scoring.

Several freshmen midfielders – Keli Demetri, Gallagher, Megan Hauswald, Ashley Moore and Michelle Stoddard – should compete for playing time right away.

Four seniors will anchor the Storms defense including three returning starters – Christina German, Jill Emmerich and Ashley Wilson. Erin Haller contributed off the bench last season. Sophomore Laura Ebberts should vie for extended playing time. Wilson became a full-time defender after splitting time between goal and defense.

In goal, sophomore Valeria Quiroz, who saw action in six games last season, is the lone experienced netminder. Freshman Elizabeth Ankeny will compete for playing time and Wilson could return between the pipes.

About the Coach: Aziz Haffar enters his seventh season as head coach at Simpson. He has posted an 84-37-3 career coaching record and was named IIAC Coach of the Year in 1999.

Coach Haffar on his team: “I sincerely feel that this could be a breakout year for us. The combination of having a seasoned group of returning athletes and having a good recruiting class coming in, will all tie into leaving a team that is on the verge of doing some big things.”

Upper Iowa University Peacocks
(5-10-1, 1-8-0 9th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 3/8
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 4/7

About the Team: Upper Iowa is a young team with nine freshman on it 14 person roster. Among the returning veterans are senior forward Tracey Jones who led the team in scoring last season with 12 goals and 26 points. She also appeared in two games in goal. Junior midfielder/defenseman Alex Schuchardt scored three goals and added two assists to finish fifth in team scoring with eight points. Junior defenseman Mandy Luiken registered two assists in 16 contests last season. Senior Eli Maldonado rounds out the group of returnees for the Peacocks.

Junior goaltender Lindsay Highland joins the nine freshman ready to make an immediate contribution. The freshmen include goaltender/midfielder Nicky Bormann, midfielder/forward Tori Filzen, midfielders Angela Keiper, Elicia Munns, Heather Olson and Amy Wengert, defensemen Chrissy Johnson and Cassandra Lindow and forward Melissa Davidson.

About the Coach: Yo Phonthipsavath enters his second season as head coach at Upper Iowa. During his first season, he led the Peacocks to a 5-10-1 overall record.

Coach Phonthipsavath on his team: “We are still in the rebuilding stages of our program. The team is mostly comprised of freshman, but you can expect some surprises.”

Coach Phonthipsavath on the Conference: “Competition in the Conference should be strong. New players will contribute to each program. Teams that once held strong should see other teams giving them a good match.”

Wartburg College Knights
(13-5-1, 4-4-1 6th in IIAC)

Starters Returning/Lost: 11/0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 19/1

About the Team: Last season, Wartburg set 15 school records. With 19 letterwinners and all 11 starters back, many of those records could be re-broken. Senior forward/midfielder Kat Breitbach set school records with 14 goals and 29 points. Sophomore forward/defenseman Chelsea Krohe finished second in team scoring with 13 goals and 27 points. Sophomore defenseman Katie Rapp led the team with 13 assists and finished third in team scoring with 23 points.

Sophomore midfielder Jamie Stratton, sophomore forward Sara Phillips and junior midfielder/defenseman Mindy Viering finished fourth, fifth and sixth in team scoring, respectively with 21, 20 and 17 points.

Senior Lara Geiger-Simpson and junior Cassy Dearborn will provide depth at the midfield position.

In goal, Mary Achelpohl returns as the top netminder. Last season she set a school record with a 1.03 GAA. Freshmen Kate Stoffel and Sarah Smart will battle Achepohl for playing time and give the Knights great depth at a key position.

On defense, sophomores Amy Petekavich and Erin Applegate who both played in 18 games last season have been slowed by injuries in the preseason. Freshmen Michelle Bethel and Ashley Kueker along with transfer Tiffany Treanor will see action on defense.

About the Coach: Jim Conlon enters his third season as head coach at Wartburg. In two years with the Knights, he has posted a 17-17-2 overall record.

Coach Conlon on his team: We won’t rely heavily on new faces like last year. The returnees on offense have a good blend of leadership and experience. They grew as players last year. A different person stepped up in each match and showed that team comes first.”