Lone senior Paulen to replace 1999 tri-captains
By SARAH RYKOWSKI
Sports Writer
Saint MaryÕs soccer is in full swing now that everyone is on campus, ready to meet the goals set just a week ago when practice began.
ÒDivision III soccer offers women an ideal environment to participate in highly competitive and fulfilling athletic and academic programs,Ó Jason Milligan, second-year head coach for the Belles, said. ÒWe are committed to the development of student athletes who accept nothing but the best and always strive for improvement.Ó
The leadership of the team falls on senior Laura PaulenÕs shoulders. The lone senior, Paulen needs to fill the shoes of last seasonÕs senior tri-captains: leading scorer and Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association first-teamer Katy Barger, defensive leader Rachel Egger and Erin McCabe.
Paulen will depend upon juniors Tia Kapphahn, Adrian Kirby, Jessica Klink, Katy Robinson and Kristen Priganc to step up and lend their strong leadership skills to the team. Kapphahn, Kirby, Klink and Robinson were mainstays on the 1999 squad. Klink and Robinson were named Honorable Mention all-MIAA in 1998. Priganc returns to the team for 2000 after missing a season studying in Rome.
Sophomores Shawna Jianonni, Heather Muth and Lynn Taylor also return, bringing a core of solid play to the team. Jiannoni was one of the third-highest scorers for the BellesÕ 1999 squad, finishing with three goals and two assists in 13 games. Muth was named to the MIAAÕs Honorable Mention list for her freshman season, with two goals and two assists.
ÒHeather Muth will be the next star at [Saint MaryÕs College],Ó Milligan said. ÒShe has a wonderful attitude and will achieve a great deal while she is here.Ó
But it is the freshmen Milligan hopes will cement the teamÕs base of skill and determination to build a powerhouse in the MIAA. The returning members of the team echo this philosophy.
ÒWeÕre excited because we have freshmen coming in with good talent,Ó Paulen said. ÒWeÕre counting on them to step up and fill the spaces that we have. With the returning players and the freshmen coming in, we have a solid base to build from there.Ó
Muth said the freshmen already fit in on the team.
ÒThey are fitting right into the team,Ó Muth said. ÒThey filled all the gaps that we have.Ó
According to Taylor, it is not only the skill but also the individuality of each freshman that is important.
ÒThey bring not only their skill but their personality to the team,Ó Taylor said.
So while Barger, Egger, McCabe, and the rest of the team that did not return will be sorely missed, the remaining players and their new teammates are fully prepared to make the 2000 season successful.
ÒWeÕre really excited about this year,Ó Muth said.
MilliganÕs expanded efforts to recruit nationally has brought freshmen from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Michigan, Florida and Alabama.
Milligan hopes new player Alissa Brasseur, a South Bend resident, will contribute right away. Pressure also falls on Laura Metzger, from Bemus Point, N.Y. Metzger, also a freshman, must fill the goalkeeping vacancy left by last yearÕs netminder, Brie Gerschick.
Milligan is confident in his teamÕs ability to meet their goals for this season.
ÒThe majority of our team played for Division I and Division II clubs from all over the U.S., and about half have experience at the state and regional levels of the Olympic Development Team,Ó Milligan said. ÒWatch these women in action and you will understand that this is a dynamic group of women whose enthusiasm is unmatched.Ó
On these women he hopes to build a team that will be even more successful than last yearÕs 9-6-2 record and fifth place finish in the MIAA.
ÒA positive attitude, diligent work ethic and an unyielding desire to be successful are the cornerstones that will ensure a bright future for Saint MaryÕs College soccer,Ó Milligan said.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, August 23, 2000
