Women's Soccer Preview, Part 8: UW-Milwaukee

Aug. 24, 2006

Year in and year out, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team continues to raise the bar for itself. Heading into the 2006 season, the bar has never been higher.

Last season, the Panthers won the Horizon League regular season championship for an unprecedented sixth-straight time. In fact, only Penn state (Big Ten) has a longer streak of regular season league titles (8). If that was not enough, UWM won the league tournament to advance to its fourth NCAA Tournament.

Once there, Milwaukee battled Purdue to a 0-0 tie and prevailed, 6-5, in a penalty kick shootout, to move into the NCAA Second Round for the first time in school history.

The key to continuing that success this year will be a combination of experienced, veteran leadership and a large group of talented underclassmen.

"We'll be young. Last year's freshman class was a significant class for us. They'll have a year's experience, but they'll still be young," head coach Michael Moynihan said. "We still have some key players that do have a decent level of experience. We have four fifth-year seniors, so we are counting on that for good leadership."

Of the team's five seniors, four are in their fifth year, while juniors Ginny Graczyk and Amanda Winn are in their fourth years with the program. On the flip side, the Panthers' roster has 14 underclassmen, including six sophomores and seven true freshmen.

"We have the smallest roster this year that we've had since I've been here," Moynihan said. "But, there are enough quality players on the team that a smaller roster size will be good for us, in terms of competing and keeping everybody psychologically into it."

Also included in this year's group are seven starters, four all-league honorees from last season and a pair of freshman All-Americans. Leading the way is Graczyk, who was named to the all-league first team for the second time in 2005 and earned her way on to the all-region first team in two publications.

In goal, sophomore Erin Kane set school records for shutouts (13) and goals against average (0.58) as a rookie and was named to the league's first team and the Soccer America Freshman All-America First Team. She was also name to Soccer Buzz's Freshman All-America Third Team, where sophomore midfielder Sarah Teegarden was honorable mention. Teegarden, another all-league first team honoree, was one of three players to start all 22 games last season. She scored a team-best five goals, including two game-winners, from her midfield position.

Winn, UWM's last returning all-league honoree (second team), transitioned from an outside defender position to the midfield last season and will focus of anchoring the midfield this season. She tied for team-high scoring honors with 12 points (4 goals, 4 assists) a year ago. She scored three goals and tallied all four assists on set pieces for the Panthers.

Goalkeepers

Kane will be joined in the nets by a pair of freshmen that will vie for playing time this season. Two-time all-state team member Leslie Deebach played three years at Woodbury High School, leading the Royals to the Minnesota State Championship game each year, winning her sophomore and junior years. She will contend with Kane for playing time in her first year, but will likely serve as the team's backup while adjusting to the collegiate game.

"Leslie is a very good goalkeeper. She is very good with her feet, distribution and has a good vocal presence," Moynihan said. "It'll be nice to have someone working with Erin."

Ilana Bar-Av was a late addition to the Panthers' recruiting class out of Memorial High School in Madison, Wis. She joins former prep teammate Jodi Klagos on the roster and more than likely will gain experience as the team's third keeper. At Memorial, she was named to the All-State First 11 as a senior.

All three keepers will benefit from the tutelage of Milwaukee's first full-time goalkeeper coach in first-year assistant coach Kristen St. Clair. St. Clair was a four-time NAIA All-American at Westmont College, leading the Warriors to the 1999 National Championship.

"It is going to be phenomenal. Kristen has already been able to give them more attention than our keepers have had in the past," Moynihan said. "She comes in with tremendous experience in goal herself. She was a four-time All-American and was invited to the WUSA combine, so she has got a lot of experience that she can pass on. I think that attention is going to make them very strong.

"With a new goalkeeper coach, I expect our goalkeeping to be very strong. We saw what Erin can do already and with more consistent goalkeeping instruction, she is only going to get better. And, I think Leslie is going to push her and compete for some time."

Last season, Kane started 21 of 22 games with senior defender/forward Molly Duffy filling in for one match. Kane finished among the nation's leaders in both shutouts (t-2nd) and GAA (15th). A three-time Horizon League Player of the Week, she also went on to earn MVP honors at the league tournament.

Defenders

Defense has become the trademark of Panther soccer and 2005 was no different. Led by Graczyk, Winn and departed senior Janice McGann, UWM allowed the fewest shots on goal in school history (85), collaborated with Kane on a 717:10 shutout streak late in the season and also held opponents without a shot of any kind over 164:33 at one point during the season.

The defense will have a new look, as Graczyk and junior Claire Pignet are the only returners with significant experience. Junior Joanna Severson has seen time in the back, but will likely see her playing time focused on the midfield.

Graczyk has played every minute of her freshman and sophomore seasons and will once again assume her position at center back. Pignet, meanwhile, is returning from an injury that sidelined her for the spring season and can play either central or outside defender.

Likely joining Graczyk in the middle will be senior Taylor Powell. Primarily a midfielder and forward in her career, she was moved to the back in the spring and performed well. She heads to the defense with 23 career points on eight goals and seven assists.

"Ginny is a lot of times the key to our defense with her recovery ability and athleticism. I expect us to be making some mistakes early in the year with players that have not played there a lot, and Ginny can recover for that because she is so athletic. That's a nice thing to have," Moynihan said. "The reason we moved Taylor back there was that she is very good in the air, composed with the ball at her feet and she has a commanding voice and likes to take charge. She can be a natural leader for us back there."

Two more new faces on the back line will be junior Pam Shipway and sophomore Bailey Briggs. Shipway will make the transition from the midfield, while Briggs was a forward during her freshman season.

"We had Bailey and Pam play in the outside back last spring and they both showed tremendous promise," Moynihan said. "Bailey has a good serve and is very composed with the ball. She also has a strong build and it's just a matter of her gaining experience with some things. I like the potential she has for attacking out of the back.

"Pam is one of our more physical, strong players. I feel very confident with both of them and, with Claire coming back from injury, we'll have a little bit of depth."

Moynihan will also have help on his defense from Winn and redshirt freshman Kate Megna. Midfielders Winn and Megna each have defending experience and can transition to the back. Andrea Wisniewski will also vie for time in the back as she returns to the field after knee injuries cost her each of the last two seasons.

Midfielders

The UWM midfield enters the year loaded with a combination of the veteran experience and talented youth the team will count on this season. Winn, Severson and fifth year seniors Stacey Faude and Brenda Neigbauer return, as do sophomores Teegarden and Beth Steuer. Joining that group will be Megna, who missed last season with an injury, and freshman Erin Krueser and Kayla DeJardin.

"Amanda will probably be somebody we see anchoring the defense with Kate as an attacking midfielder for us," Moynihan said. "She has a strong shot and has good distribution. She has some flexibility and with her ability to pass and shoot, she should add another threat to our midfield."

Teegarden started all 22 games last season and was joined by departed senior Kitty Montgomery, Shipway, Faude, and Neigbauer. Following a late injury to Montgomery, Winn moved up from outside defender and will pick up whre she left off last season.

Faude and Neigbauer combined for 13 starts in 2005 and tallied three assists apiece. Severson has played in 39 games in her first two years, picking up two goals and four assists in that time.

Meanwhile, Steuer started the fist eight games of last season, but was slowed after missing seven games with an injury she suffered at Wisconsin. She ended up appearing in 13 games on the year.

"Stacey Faude had a strong spring. She's one of our veteran players and plays both intelligently and composed," Moynihan said. "Brenda Neigbauer was injured all spring, but we're hoping she can recover over the summer. Joanna Severson also had a good spring and could figure into the mix."

Despite having not seen much of Megna, and the team transition period for Kreuser and DeJardin to the college game, Moynihan is optimistic the group can contribute right away.

"Erin Kreuser might have the best chance to come into the midfield and contribute right away. She's quick and has got a good shot," Moynihan said. "Kayla, as a freshman, could play in the back or as a defensive midfielder, as well. She is very fit and very eager."

Megna was a high school All-American in 2004 and returned to action during this past spring slate. Kreuser is coming off all-state honors as a senior. DeJardin was an all-area defender at Pulaski High School in Green Bay, but should move into the midfield for the Panthers.

Forwards

Moynihan is looking to underclassmen to provide much of the scoring in 2006, as seniors Elicia Scaife and Molly Duffy are likely the only upperclassmen playing up top. Scaife had a great spring season, figuring, one way or another, into each of the team's goals. Sophomore Jodi Klagos also returns after sharing team-high scoring honors last fall with 12 on five goals and two assists. She started 20 of 22 games and also finished with the team-high 40 shots.

"Elicia is the strongest we have ever seen her. She didn't score many goals last spring, but she was drawing lots of fouls and looking very dangerous. This could be her year," Moynihan said. "Jodi had a lot of opportunities to score last season. She was among our leaders in scoring, but she hit the post or the crossbar seven times. If those start to go in, we have a formidable goal scorer.

"At this point, we are looking for somebody to pick up the scoring load and contribute 12 to 14 goals a year. That would be an ideal situation for us, as we have not had that kind of scoring in a while. I think Jodi has a good shot of doing that."

Duffy made the transition to forward late last season and provided energy off the bench. She generated a number of scoring chances before breaking through for her only goal of the season vs. Cleveland State in the league tourney.

Freshmen Carly Chertos and Louise Vraney were prolific scorers in both high school and with their club teams. Chertos set a school record with 49 goals last spring, while Vraney added 29 of her own. Steuer and Kreuser could also slide up from their midfield positions for Milwaukee.

"Carly was a huge goal scorer in high school and is a physical player. It will be interesting to see how she adapts to the college game," Moynihan said. "Louise Vraney also was a big time goal-scorer in high school and for her club. She is kid of small, but is crafty and can strike the ball very well with both feet."

In 2005, Klagos shared the goal-scoring duties with Katie Campion (4 goals, 3 assists). Powell (2 goals, 3 assists), Briggs (2 goals, 1 assist) and Andrea Kramer (2 goals, 1 assist) also figured prominently into the scoring last season. Campion and Kramer have since graduated and both Powell and Briggs will look to score their goals as defenders this season.

Newcomers

Kate Megna, Leslie Deebach and Erin Kreuser highlight the list of newcomers this season. But, they are not alone in those that could see action right away. Megna's much-anticipated arrival was delayed a year, while Deebach has been brought in to compete with Erin Kane in goal.

"Kate Megna will be a factor right away for us, while Leslie is coming in to compete with a freshman All-American. She is an exceptional keeper and we could see some things from her," Moynihan said. "I think Erin Kreuser is another player that can play right away. She is somebody that I think can step into the college game and make an impact right away.

"We brought all of [our newcomers] in here to be factors for us and contribute, but hopefully they will be able to do it as freshmen."

Story provided by UW-Milwaukee Office of Sports Information