Women's Soccer Preview, Part 4: Butler

Aug. 18, 2006

Rookie Coach, Veteran Players Prepare To Battle For Title

As rookie head coach Tari St. John begins her first season at the helm of the Butler women's soccer team, she can take solace in the fact that the Bulldogs will feature veteran talent at just about every position.With 15 of the 20 letterwinners and nine of 12 starters returning from a 2005 squad that advanced to the semi-finals of the Horizon League Championship, the Bulldogs will be one of the most experienced teams in the conference this season.

The overwhelming depth of returnees should not rule out the potential contributions of the six Bulldog newcomers, however, who will also be relied upon for significant playing time.

"Just about everyone on the team will have an impact this season," St. John said. "We have the luxury of being able to go down the line and not have a drop off. We have a very deep and talented roster."

St. John needed no introduction when she was named the fourth head coach in school history last April. As an assistant coach with the Bulldogs for the past two seasons, she had been instrumental in the recruitment of many of the current players and crucial in the development of their talents. She has seen first hand what the team is capable of, and now she has the opportunity to make those capabilities pay dividends at the end of the season.

"This team has become recommitted to this program," St. John said. "They have bought in to what we are doing and what can be achieved here. "We are going to compete in every game, from the first whistle to the last. Our goal is to be at the top of the standings at the end of the year and to carry it through to the conference tournament championship."

Goalkeepers

The Butler goal-keeping corps features three talented and seasoned veterans in juniors Annalise Larkin and Kirby Zwickel and senior Megan Cappa. The trio combined for six shutouts and a 1.16 goals allowed average in 2005.

"We have three goalkeepers who could start for us," St. John said. "The competition for that starting role is going to be a tough one, which will only make each of them better."

Larkin paced the net-minders last season with a 0.83 goals allowed average in nine games played, making 49 saves while allowing a mere seven goals. In her first season with the team, Zwickel played in a team-best 12 contests and held opponents to a 1.16 goals allowed average. Cappa also saw action in four matches, making eight saves.

Defense

The defensive unit has traditionally been a strong aspect of the Butler squads, especially under St. John's tutelage.

"We have had excellent defenders in my two prior seasons," St. John said, "and that won't change this season."

"Our defenders are all competitive and physical on the field. They are mentally and physically tough, and they are the type of players who opponents hate to go up against."

Senior Julie Backscheider returns as an anchor in the backfield after earning all-Horizon League First Team honors in 2004. Sophomore Molly Callon, a league newcomer team member in 2004, will return to action after sitting out last season due to injury. The Bulldogs also have strong options in sophomore Crystal Wright and senior Kristin Harnest.

OffenseThe Butler scoring unit returns some of the top offensive talent in the Horizon League from a season ago. The team touts six of their seven top scorers from last year, including three all-league team members."We are the deepest that we have ever been at midfield and forward," St. John commented. "The team has put a lot of work in during the summer and is the fittest that they have been."

After missing the final eight games of the season due to injury, sophomore Angie Muir returns following a break-out freshman campaign, during which she paced the Butler offense (6 goals, 5 assists, 17 points) and earned all-Horizon League Second Team and Newcomer Team honors. She will be joined upfront by junior first-team member Ashley Twehues, who was third on the team with nine points, and sophomore newcomer team honoree Jenny Southard, who ranked fifth with six points. Senior Marianne Schilling (4 goals) and Caitlin Gill (1 assist) are also top options on offense.

The Venues

For the second year in a row, Butler will have the added benefit of being able to practice and play on both natural and artificial surfaces. Four of the Bulldog's home contests will be played at the natural grass Varsity Field, while the three remaining matches will be held on the artificial turf of the Butler Bowl.

"We have a luxury that not too many other programs have: the ability to train on different playing surfaces," St. John noted. "This team is able to adapt to whatever surface they play on, much in the same way they can adapt to different climates and alignments."

Butler will host its home opener in the Butler Bowl against Miami (Ohio), as well as contests against Ball State and Horizon League rival Wright State. Games against Loyola, Cleveland State, Youngstown State and Indiana State will take place at Varsity Field.

The Schedule

With a strong non-conference schedule building toward a competitive Horizon League slate, the 2006 women's soccer schedule will have the Bulldogs on a path for success this fall. The campaign will keep the team relatively close to Indianapolis throughout most of the season, but will pair them with teams from all over the country.

"Each year, we will look to increase the strength of our non-conference schedule," St. John said, "and this fall will provide a great building block."

Butler will participate in a pair of tournaments during the year. The team will join Purdue, San Diego State and Western Kentucky in West Lafayette, Ind., for the Boilermaker Challenge Cup and will head to Annapolis, Md., for the US Naval Academy Tournament against Navy and Villanova.

"I am excited that we have quite a few out-of-region opponents on the schedule," St. John said. "Our trip to Annapolis, as well as the Purdue Tournament, will provide great preparation for conference play."

Butler will face as many as four Indiana opponents during the year, including Ball State, Indiana State, IUPUI and Purdue. The Bulldogs will welcome the Cardinals and the Sycamores to Indianapolis and will battle the Jaguars just down the street at Kuntz Stadium. Purdue will be one of two possible opponents on the final day of the Boilermaker Challenge Cup.

The regular season winds down at the end of October, with a Friday evening game against Youngstown State serving as Senior Day. Seniors Julie Backscheider, Megan Callon, Megan Cappa, Caitlin Gill, Kristin Harnest, Jamie Martin and Marianne Schilling being honored prior to the match.

The Horizon League Championship runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5 and will be held at sites to be determined.

Story provided by Butler Office of Sports Information