Every year, three main goals for the UK women’s soccer team are present in head coach Warren Lipka’s mind – win the Southeastern Conference crown; qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association post-season tournament; advance further in that tournament than did the previous year’s team. Lipka believes that the depth of this year’s squad will propel them to the top of the SEC.
Despite the loss of defender Allison Peppers, the school’s first All-American, the Wildcats have a strong freshman class.
Lipka boasts a freshman class capable of challenging each other as well as the rest of the team. “Out of our freshmen class, you will see a lot of diversity as we recruited a lot of backs, midfielders and strikers. I think that is what we needed to do, create depth within our team,” Lipka said. Unlike last season, this year’s squad boasts plenty of depth at every position.
Goalkeepers
Junior Beth Wells and sophomore Jo Fletcher return, giving UK two experienced goalkeepers. Wells and Fletcher will battle it out again for the top spot in the pre-season. Both players logged time in between the posts last year against formidable opponents. Wells posted a GAA of 0.742 last year, second among SEC keepers to go along with her seven shutouts. While Lipka believes that both are capable of winning the spot and doing the job, the spoils will go to the player who is on her game and sharp during August.
Defenders
The UK coaching staff believes the Cats’ defense will be one of the team’s biggest strengths this year. The defense retains the powerful triumvirate of senior Emily Oetjen, and juniors Melinda Buemi and Aimee Brown. Joining them in their attempts to foil the opposition’s attempts at scoring will be Chicago product Jen Wilkinson. Wilkinson could eventually be the answer due to the departed Peppers at sweeper. Talented freshman Kara McCue will add depth to the defense. “The coaches will have to determine which combination is the best to play. It is just a matter of what area of the field these players will stand out in,” Lipka said.
Midfielders
UK’s staunch midfield returns junior Suzie Ledzianowski and senior Jaime Dellbringge, while adding talented freshmen Erin Witchey and Allison Haeussler. Ledzianowski, an attacking midfielder, started every game last season for the Cats and has tallied five goals and six assists during her two-year career. The offensive-minded Dellbringge, UK’s stopper, scored five goals and two assists in 1999. The addition of Witchey and Haeussler provides UK “a strong and confident center midfield.” Haeussler also has the ability to play on the frontline as a striker, a position she saw time in during high school, while Witchey is proficient as a defensive midfielder. “We are in very good shape with our midfielders, and have enough quality in and around this area” Lipka said.
The wide midfielders boast two strong returners in Jen Reese, a senior, and Christal Mattingly, a sophomore. Reese, a first team All-SEC selection in 1999, has started every game (64) during her productive career. Mattingly saw quality playing time as a freshman and scored a go-ahead goal against Texas A&M in the NCAA tournament last season. Brooke Walters and returning redshirt freshman Meghan McCourt will add depth here, in addition to freshmen Dee Slupski, Lauren Russell, and Danielle Emerick.
Forwards
Coach Lipka believes that at the striker spot, he possesses the top three forwards in the conference. Redshirt junior Annie Gage had a standout campaign in 1999, breaking the UK individual season scoring records in goals (15), points (39) and shots (39). Sophomores Keri Boyce and Elizabeth Ramsey had prolific freshman campaigns as they combined with Gage to break every individual season scoring record for the team. Ramsey shattered the school mark for assists in a single season with 11 and Boyce found a spot in the top five in goals (13), points (30), and shots (54). Ramsey scored both goals against South Carolina last season in the Cats 2-1 overtime win. Boyce, the 1999 SEC Freshman of the Year, received honorable mention All-America honors by Soccer Buzz as a result of her outstanding freshman season. Freshman Beth Belanger and transfer junior Kate Qually are also contenders to play at this position. Qually, who transferred from San Diego State, started every game last season for the Aztecs. Rounding out the forwards are freshman Heather Saas and sophomore Jami Fritter, who will most likely play up top, along with Lauren Russell who could play here as well. “We have a lot of attacking players, either as a wide player or a striker,” Lipka said.
Schedule
As with any year, the Cats face tough competition from both conference and non-conference schools. Their season opener at home is against Cincinnati, who’s defense held the Cats scoreless until the final minutes of the game last season. UK will then travel the first weekend of September to the University of Minnesota Tournament in Minneapolis. The Cats will finish out the regular season away, facing non-conference teams Butler and Indiana.
Lipka believes that the conference has become stronger, making every team a contender. Florida, the 1999 SEC champion, tournament champion, and Eastern division champion, gave UK its only SEC loss last season and will meet the Cats in Lexington in October. Later that same weekend, UK will take on South Carolina, who finished just under the Cats in the conference last year.
Overall, the coaches look to the added depth of the squad to provide excellent competition on the practice field as well as the playing field. “We created depth and competition within our team in order to get the best out of our players,” Lipka said. He also says that the freshmen are “quite capable of coming in and taking a spot right away.”
By making the team deeper with an outstanding freshman class, Lipka believes that the team can rise to the next level-the top ten nationally as opposed to the top twenty. With the determination and skill that this team possesses, the SEC crown and the NCAA title may prove to be within reach.
