Women's Soccer, Part 7: Wright State

Aug. 29, 2007

After a successful campaign in 2006 ended in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament, the Wright State women's soccer team has high expectations for the 2007 season. After losing five players from a squad that finished third in the Horizon League last year, the Raiders will look to a 13-player recruiting class to contribute quickly.

The Raiders will look to build on back-to-back seasons with at least 11 wins, with their 2006 campaign tying the school record for wins in a season with 12. The Green and Gold enter their third season under head coach Pat Ferguson and will look to contend for the Horizon League championship.

Goalkeepers
This season the Raiders will have to replace the production of Second Team All-Horizon League keeper Steph Comisar and will do so with a trio of rookie netminders. Angie Baker, Meghan Hackerson and Jessie Zamichow will all be vying for time in the net for WSU.

Baker comes to WSU after a four year career at Van Buren High School as a part of the schools men's program. Baker was a Second Team All-League Performer last season, making 106 saves in goal. Hackerson joins the Green and Gold after helping her club team to four straight Iowa State Cup Championships as a member of Ames (IA) High School. Zamichow was a two time all-conference selection while at Springfield High School.

Forwards
The Raiders front line will consist of Second Team All-League performer Amy Miller and newcomers Ashley Burkhardt and Amber Kasmer. Miller is coming off of a spectacular season that saw her find the back of the net nine times and assisting on five other markers.

Kasmer helped Walsh Jesuit High School to an OHSAA State Championship during her senior season, with WJHS ending the season with a 23-0-0 record. The Warriors ended the season ranked #1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of Americas poll. Burkhardt comes to WSU after a four year career at Kenton Ridge High School. Burkhardt is a four time all-league selection and was named the 2006 Division II Player of the Year.

Midfielders
In 2007, the Raiders midfield will consist of seven returning players and five newcomers. Jess Rooma will anchor this group after back-to-back seasons as a First Team All-League performer and a career high three goals and four assists last season. Rooma was named to the NSCAA All-Region team as well as the SoccerBuzz.com All-Great Lakes Team. Joining Rooma will be Nicole Amador, Megan Bush, Katie Comisar, Stephanie Habner, Abby Mink and Desirè Morris.

Morris netted five goals last season and dished out three assists during her junior campaign. Bush tallied four goals before her season was shortened due to injury. Comisar netted two goals last season, while Amador and Habner each tallied a marker.

The group of newcomers consists of Jen Agueci, Jenna Cooper, Cassie Gross, Megan Harrison, Jenny Maykut and Trisha Stevens. Agueci is the lone international player on the WSU roster, coming from Holy Trinity High School in Richmond Hills, Ontario. Local products Cooper (Northwestern), Harrison (Xenia) and Stevens (Centerville) will all look to contribute early, while Gross and Maykut, the Ohio High School Heisman winner, will all vie for playing time.

Defenders
The Raiders have a very experienced defensive backfield this season as three players have experience as a starter under Ferguson. Megan Mattioda will lead the group as she was a Second Team All-Horizon League performer in 2006. Mattioda tallied two goals last season and led the team with six assists. Cassie Jones has started 54 games during her time with WSU, all as a defender and Lorrin Bertsch was an All-Newcomer Team selection last season and started all 19 games during her rookie year.

Kristi Brendlinger will give the Raiders a little more experience as she saw action in eight games last season as a part of the Raiders defense. Rookies Lori Anderson and Jazmine Galbreath will also look to compete for playing time in the backfield. Anderson was a three time defensive MVP while at Xenia High School and was twice named to the All-District Team. Galbreath was a First Team All-Greater Western Athletic Conference selection as a senior and helped Wayne High School to the Regional Semifinals in her final season.

Schedule
The Raiders will kick off the season by hosting the Wright State Soccer Classic, which includes games against Jacksonville State and Austin Peay. The Green and Gold will then play seven of their next eight games on the road, starting with five games against foes from the state of Ohio. WSU takes on Ohio State, Kent State, Toledo and Bowling Green away from home to start the month of September, before returning home to square off with Cincinnati.

The Raiders then hit the road for games at Western Michigan, Big Ten foe Northwestern and Big XII opponent Texas, who is ranked ninth in the SoccerBuzz.com Preseason Poll, to end the month.

October starts with a pair of Horizon League contests against Butler and Cleveland State at home and ends with home League contests against Valparaiso and Loyola. In between, Wright State will travel to Detroit, Youngstown State, Green Bay and Milwaukee to complete the League slate.

The Horizon League Tournament will kick off with a first round contest between the eighth and ninth seeded teams before moving to campus sites for the quarterfinal match-ups. The semifinals and championship will be hosted by the highest seed on November 9th and 11th to culminate the season, with the winner heading to the NCAA Tournament.

Story provided by Wright State Office of Sports Information