Women's Soccer Weekly Release #1

Aug. 21, 2006

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On the Horizon This Week:

Friday, August 25
Youngstown State at Robert Morris - 4:00 p.m.
Butler vs. San Diego State * - 4:30 p.m.
Detroit at Eastern Kentucky - 5:00 p.m.
Valparaiso at Indiana State - 5:00 p.m.
Wright State at Nebraska - 6:00 p.m.
Xavier at Loyola - 6:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart at UW-Milwaukee - 7:00 p.m.
Illinois State at UW-Green Bay - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 27
Delaware State at Cleveland State - 12:00 p.m.
Butler at Purdue * - 1:00 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Youngstown State - 1:00 p.m.
Bowling Green at UW-Milwaukee - 3:15 p.m.
Loyola at Valparaiso - 4:00 p.m.

* - Boilermaker Challenge Cup - West Lafayette, Ind.

ALL TIMES EASTERN

Horizon League Notes and Preview

UW-Milwaukee
UWM went undefeated (6-0-1) in the League, with a 1-1 tie versus Wright State representing the lone blemish on the Panthers' loop mark in 2005. UW-Milwaukee coach Michael Moynihan's squad was just 2-4-2 in late September before defeating UW-Green Bay 2-1 on Sept. 23. The Panthers didn't lose another match in their next 13 contests, until the second round of the NCAA Championships, when a last-minute goal by Marquette ended UWM's season at 12-5-5 overall.

Ten of the 13 matches in the late-season run featured shutouts by goalkeeper Erin Kane, who set a League single-season mark with 13 whitewashes last fall. Kane's 0.58 goals-against average earned her First-Team All-League honors, while junior Ginny Graczyk was a First-Team All-Great Lakes Region selection for her efforts on the Panthers' back line. Nine of the team's top 11 scorers are back in 2006, led by sophomores Jodi Klagos (five goals, 12 points) and Sarah Teegarden (five goals to garner First-Team All-League accolades).

Detroit
Detroit's hopes ride on the combination of senior midfielder Mary Parker (another First-Team All-Great Lakes Region pick) and sophomore netminder Kate Fortenberry. Parker led the League with ten goals and 24 points a year ago, headlining a group of eight returning starters for coach Mike Lupenec. She provided the deciding marker in four UDM victories last fall and could become only the fifth four-time First-Team All-League honoree in loop history. Fortenberry registered a 1.00 goals-against average with nine shutouts in helping the Titans to a 10-4-5 overall mark, which included a 5-1-1 loop ledger.

Sophomore midfielder Lauren Moss and junior midfielder Liz Hardy provide the support for Parker, combining for seven goals and eight assists a year ago. Senior Allie Bullard and sophomore Melanie Slusher anchor the back line in front of Fortenberry.

UW-Green Bay
In Green Bay, coach Quinn Ross looks to senior forward Stephanie Gross to pace the attack. The First-Team All-League honoree finished the 2005 campaign with nine goals (four match-winners) plus five assists to finish just behind Parker for League scoring honors, but UW-Green Bay must overcome the loss of running-mate Sarah Oligney, who claimed League Player of the Year honors as a senior last year. Oligney had six goals and a loop-high ten assists, a 22-point total which must be replaced for UWGB to improve upon last season's 9-9-1 overall ledger.

Juniors Jennie Gorwitz (five goals, 11 points) and Lotte Rasmussen (three goals) could fill some of that void. In goal, junior Brooke Wikgren posted four shutouts and a 1.36 GAA a year ago.

Wright State
Wright State finished 4-1-2 in the League (11-5-3 overall), including a six-match unbeaten run to end the regular season. A 3-0 loss to Butler in the first round of the League Championship ended the season on a sour note, however, leaving eight returning starters with something to prove in 2006.

Three of the top four scorers from last year's group have graduated, but senior midfielder Jodie Shoaf (a First-Team All-League selection after recording five goals plus three assists) joins junior forwards Desire Morris (two goals and three helpers) and Jen Hansen (three strikes plus one set-up) for a balanced attack. Steph Comisar is back for her senior year in the Raider nets after winning Second-Team All-League notice for a second straight season based on a 0.96 GAA in 2005. Defender Jess Rooma gained First-Team All-League recognition and League Newcomer of the Year honors plus All-Region Honorable Mention a year ago, leading a WSU defense that registered six shutouts and held nine other foes to one goal apiece.

Butler
Former Butler assistant Tari St. John takes the reins at BU, which struggled through a series of injuries---no Bulldog started all 20 matches in an 8-10-2 campaign---last fall. Senior Forward Angie Muir topped the BU charts with six goals and 17 points a year ago and joins junior midfielder Ashley Twehues (a First-Team All-League choice with three goals plus three assists) and senior forward Marianne Schilling (four goals) in sparking the Butler attack. Juniors Annalise Larkin (0.83 GAA) and Kirby Zwickel (1.16 GAA) each posted three shutouts last season while sharing time with senior Megan Cappa in the nets for BU.

Loyola
Loyola's 8-10-1 record included a 2-5-0 League ledger which could be a bit deceiving considering four of those five loop losses were by one goal apiece. Senior forward Mary Dale and junior defender Amy Lomas each collected five goals and three assists a year ago, but Rambler coach Frank Mateus must replace the six assists and ten points posted in 2005 by (now-graduated) Jamie Wasielewski. Junior backliner Heather Lau supplemented her defensive efforts with a goal plus four helpers, while Emily Peick enters her senior campaign after posting four whitewashes and a 1.65 goals-against mark last year.

Youngstown State
Youngstown State has high hopes of surpassing last year's 1-18-1 ledger (1-5-1 in the League) with a heralded recruiting class which was tabbed one of the best in the League by SoccerBuzz magazine. Freshman Caitlin Bodzioney takes over in goal for YSU, with Kate Bonn joining the defensive unit and Jodi Bowlen adding scoring punch.

The newcomers are expected to provide support for junior forward Brittny Humphrey, who led the Penguins with three goals and six points a year ago. Sophomore defenders Jenna Fink (one goal) and Caitlin Lee (one assist) also will have to play a key role for YSU to climb the League standings in 2006.

Cleveland State
Cleveland State enters its third varsity season still in search of its first-ever victory, but the Vikings made significant strides in 2005 with 2-1 losses to Detroit and Butler, and nine starters are back for the 2006 campaign. Junior defender Abbie Kakias and sophomore midfielder Ashley Walchack each added a pair of strikes, with junior midfielder Jennifer Wieand setting up three of the team's ten goals. Erin Withrow topped the League charts with 122 saves as a freshman in 2005.

Valparaiso
Valparaiso officially joins the Horizon League in 2007, but the Crusaders get one last shot to defend the Mid-Continent Conference title they won last fall. Valpo's 36 goals scored were more than any Horizon League school (three better than UW-Milwaukee's 33) last season, with sophomore Kendall Brown hitting the net ten times and setting up four other strikes for a total of 24 points. Fellow Second-Team All-Mid-Con choice Lori Johnson added six goals and two helpers from her forward position, while Erin Murray patrols the nets for the Crusaders. The junior already holds the school's career shutout record with 11 and registered a program-best 1.35 goals-against average a year ago.