Women's soccer looks to improve on '97-'98

Winning athletic teams are not usually the norm here at Sacramento State, but don't tell that to the women's soccer team. Despite losing their home and season opener 1-0 to the visiting Tigers of the University of Pacific, expect CSUS to battle for a Big Sky conference title and improve upon last years 6-12-2 record. Though finishing well under the .500 mark, the Hornets finished with a very respectable 4-2 Big Sky mark and were in the hunt for the title until the final whistle.

You only need to look as far as the 1-0 result against Pacific to find improvement over last year's squad. Though not a win, it is considered a moral victory as Pacific put a 4-0 beating on the Hornets early on last year.

According to Head Coach Sandra Asimos, "We definitely have closed the gap between the two (CSUS and UOP) teams." The Tigers came into the game fresh off a 5-1 thrashing of San Jose State, and with their usual direct and physical style of play, the game had the potential to get ugly. Sacramento thwarted all attacks however and never allowed the Tigers to take control of the game. The only severe miscue was the lack of communication on a UOP free kick in the 22nd minute that Natalie Dorr took advantage of to secure the win for the Tigers.

Despite losing several key players to graduation, Asimos is as excited as she has ever been coming into this season. "This team is the fastest, most fit, and best skilled team we have ever had here," she said. The Hornets' bench also runs deeper than ever before. "It will be very competitive within the team for playing time," she said. "We lose very little when we bring players in off the bench." For Asimos, it's a matter of confidence, which she has already seen grow in scrimmages against quality teams. She expects it to bloom even more as the season progresses. "Right now we are just fine tuning for Big Sky," she said. "We'll be ready to go."

The biggest question mark for the Hornets is the offense. The Hornets were last in shots per game in the Big Sky last year, and the loss of Paula Guarda and Monica Almaraz, who combined for more than half of Sacramento's goals last year, means that offensive firepower will need to come from new sources. Look for sophomore Lisa Casey and junior transfer Jessica Mackiewicz to combine up top to provide most of the scoring. Some may recognize Mackiewicz as American River College's all-time leading goal scorer. The question is how well she and Casey will adjust to each other's styles. Mackiewicz is a powerful striker who possesses the ball very well, but Casey beats the defense with her speed. The two should compliment each other well as the season moves along.

Defensively, there are no question marks for the Hornets. They should be as solid as ever with senior Becky Powers, junior Kara Jefferies, and sophomore Jennifer Mariani on the back line. Powers will anchor the defense, back for her second year of solid, consistent play. Jefferies split time last year between midfield and marking back last year, but inspired enough confidence on the back row that she earns full-time duties there. Mariani makes the transition from outside midfield to sweeper, but has done so seamlessly, leaving her mark already with a few crunching tackles against opposing strikers. Powers and Jefferies are both adept at stepping in front of their marks and winning the ball outright, which would be a risky proposition if not for Mariani's speed.

It is often said that soccer games are won in the midfield, therefore there is no reason that the Hornets should not win their fair share of games. With Mariani sweeping, junior Kate Mathany is able to step up to the midfield, where she will use her playmaking abilities to the fullest. Alongside her is sophomore Desirae Feria, who can play both ends of the field equally well. Sophomore Lori Kerswell has been seeing the most action at the offensive midfielder spot and scored a goal against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in an early scrimmage. On the outsides are sophomore Kristin Hoffman and freshman Marisa Barragan. Expect to see a lot of senior Chryssa Thompson and freshman Julie Hollander on the outsides and junior transfer Kristina Collyer in the middle when the need arises.

There is also a battle for the goalkeeper spot as sophomore Danielle Reitnouer and junior Kristy Milanese look to push each other all season long. Reitnouer saw plenty of action last year and finished with a 1.040 goals against average in 692 minutes. Milanese transferred from Ohlone College and started the first game against UOP after both keepers split time in the early season scrimmages.

All things said, the Hornets should once again be in the thick of things for the Big Sky title. Expect the offense to really start rolling when conference play begins, if not sooner.