2003 MIAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW The 2003 MIAC women's soccer season kicks off with non-conference games beginning August 29. MIAC conference play begins September 16. Last year the University of St. Thomas and the College of Saint Benedict tied for the MIAC Championship with 9-0-2 conference records. Both St. Thomas and Saint Benedict advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Tommies are currently ranked 22nd in the nation in the NSCAA Division III preseason poll. The Tommies hope to continue their hot streak as they have tied for back to back conference titles and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2002. The Blazers, under first-year coach Kate Hand, return several starters and plan to make a run for the top spot in the conference. Macalester, 8-0-3 in 2002 conference, did not allow a goal against in MIAC play. The Scots, who return their entire defense and two time All-America goalkeeper Lisa Bauer, will turn their focus on offense as they hope to regain the conference title after winning it five of the past six years. The 2003 season begins a new tradition for MIAC women's and men's soccer as they will hold a conference playoff with the top four teams from regular season play competing. Semifinals will be Tuesday, November 4 followed by the championship game Saturday, Nov. 8. The winner will receive the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. | AUG | BC | CAR | CON | GAC | HAM | MAC | CSB | CSC | SMU | STO | UST | Augsburg College    Head Coach: Mike Navarre (5th season / 27-39-4 overall) 2002 Record: 11-5-2 (5-5-1 MIAC / 6th) Key Returners: Millie Suk (So., F, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS), All-MIAC first team in 2002 (one of only 3 freshmen named All-MIAC first team), team-high 12 goals and 26 points (12G-2A--26P); 3rd in MIAC in points (8G-1A--17P in league games) and 2nd in goals (8). Laura Hoffman (Sr., GK, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS), All-MIAC HM in 2001 and 2002, 0.41 GAA, 113 saves and 9 shutouts in 2001; 0.88 career GAA is best in school history; 24 career wins and 16 career shutouts are both 2nd in school history; 4th among MIAC regulars in GAA (0.55 in league games); 9th in NCAA Division III in GAA (0.41) in 2002. Heidi Hilleren (Sr., MF, Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS), All-MIAC HM in 2000, 2001 and 2002, team's leading scorer in 2000 and 2001, 3G-2A--8P in 2002 (11G-15A--37P in career, assist total 5th-best in school history). Jazz Burch (Sr., D, Minnetonka, Minn./St. Louis Park HS), moved from forward to defense in 2002, 1G-1A--3P in 2002 (4G-4A--12P in career). Kristi Ofstad (Sr., MF, Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Stevens HS), 4th on team in scoring in 2002 (2G-4A--8P), 9G-7A--25P in career. Eilidh Reyelts (So., F, Duluth, Minn./Duluth Marshall HS), 5th on team in scoring in 2002 (3G-1A--7P). Carrie Velenchenko (Jr., MF, Maple Grove, Minn.), 6th on team in scoring in 2002 (1G-1A--3P), 3G-2A--8P in career. Season Preview: Last season, the Augsburg College women's soccer team perched on the verge of greatness. The Auggies produced the second-best record in school history -- 11-5-2 overall, 5-5-1 in the always competitive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Augsburg's defense was among the best in the country, allowing a goals-against-average of 0.38, fifth-lowest in NCAA Division III. And Augsburg's 12 shutouts were ninth-best nationally. So how do the Auggies top the incredible season of 2002? With eight of 11 starters returning, the Auggies enter the 2003 season with confidence that a run for the MIAC's postseason playoffs -- or perhaps the MIAC title -- is within their grasp. "The biggest challenge I'm going to issue to them is to improve upon what we did last year, which is going to be hard," said head coach Mike Navarre, who enters his fifth season as the chief architect of a long-term revival in soccer at Augsburg. "Our conference is always tough and we've increased the strength of our nonconference schedule." The MIAC has instituted a four-team postseason playoff this year, with the playoff winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the 45-team NCAA Division III national playoffs. Last year, the Auggies finished sixth in the league, thanks to two losses and a tie in the team's final three games, which put a damper on a 8-1-1 midseason streak that put the Auggies in contention for their first-ever conference championship. Injuries to key players hampered the Auggies late in the season, and while the Auggies will benefit from a solid recruiting class, depth will still be an issue. Augsburg's success in recent years has been keyed by its defense. Last season, Augsburg allowed just seven opponent goals all season -- a school record -- and all five of its losses were by just one goal each. Goalkeeper Laura Hoffman (Sr., Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) had the best season of her career in 2002, ranking ninth nationally in individual goals-against-average with a school-record 0.41, just the fourth sub-1.00 GAA in school history. Hoffman had nine individual shutouts, tying a school record, and she enters this season with a 0.88 career GAA. Jazz Burch (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) made a successful transition from forward to defense last season and shined as a center back, helping to fill a crucial spot in the Auggie defense. While the two seniors will anchor the defense, there are two big holes to fill in the backfield, having to replace graduated marking backs Laura Grant, a four-year starter, and three-year starter Kim Glumich. Leah Vasquez (So., St. Louis Park, Minn.), a transfer from Division II Bemidji State (Minn.), could be a key contender to fill the marking-back role. She earned all-conference honors her freshman season (2001) for the Beavers. Recruits Shannon Olson (Fr., Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS), Aili Brom-Palkowski (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) and Breanna Johnson (Fr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) will also contend for defensive starter roles. Up front, Augsburg found a jewel in Millie Suk (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS), who was one of only three freshmen named to the All-MIAC first-team last season. She became the focal point of the Auggie forward line, scoring 12 goals, including six game-winners, and adding two assists. Suk was second in the MIAC in goals and third in total points, and her performance will be a key to Augsburg's success. Eilidh Reyelts (So., Duluth, Minn./Duluth Marshall HS) was a key forward off the bench last year, with three goals and an assist, while Melynda Kleewein (Jr., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS) saw action as a reserve in nine Auggie games, with a goal and assist. The midfield is led by two seniors who have seen the consistent improvement of Auggie soccer throughout their careers -- Heidi Hilleren (Sr., Duluth, Minn./East HS) and Kristi Ofstad (Sr., Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Stevens HS). Hilleren has earned all-conference honorable-mention honors each of her first three seasons, developing a reputation as a consistent scorer and playmaker. She has 11 goals and 15 assists in her Auggie career. Meanwhile, Ofstad has become a team leader and sparkplug in the middle, with nine goals and seven assists in her career. Complete preview available online at: http://www.augsburg.edu/athletics/soccer/0304wpreview.html Bethel College    Head Coach: Scott Krohn (4th season/ 19-32-1 overall) 2002 Record: 8-9-0 (3-8-0 MIAC / 10th) Key Returners: Jennie Pulford (Jr.), GK, Richfield, Minn. 8-6 record, 1.86 goals against, 3 shutouts in 2002 Angie Seim (So.), FW, Fargo, N.D. 3 goals, 1 assist in 2002 Kate Nordbye (Sr.) D, Portland, Ore. Katie Jack (Sr.) MF, Roseville, Minn. Alyson Sundberg (Sr.) FW, St. Paul, Minn. 4 goals, 2 assists in 2002 Heidi Salzbrenner (Sr.) D, White Bear Lake, Minn. Season Preview: Although Bethel's women's soccer team has struggled in recent years with just eight MIAC wins in the past three years, their overall win total has increased each of those years. Head coach Scott Krohn, in his fourth year at Bethel, is looking to continue the rebuilding. "We will have many new faces in 2003 and have the challenge of trying to fill the holes left by a solid group of graduates, including thee-time All-MIAC player Lindsey Heiligenthal. We have a solid core of returners, including Jennie Pulford, who will be a key for us in net," he said. If the Royals can find consistent scoring, they hope to make a significant leap in the MIAC standings and contend for a berth in the first-ever MIAC conference tournament, which includes the top four teams. Full preview available online at: http://www.bethel.edu/Athletics/W_Soccer/2003/preview.html Carleton College    Head Coach: Karen Parker (2nd season / 6-8-4 overall) 2002 Record: 6-8-4 (4-5-2 MIAC / 7nd) Key Returners: Stella Schulte, Sr., D, All-MIAC in 2002, 2 goals, 3 assists Amy Holmes, Sr., F, All-MIAC in 2002, 5 goals (2 game winners), 2 assists Caroline Conrad, Jr., F, 3 goals in 2002 Jill Bingham, Sr., F, 1 goal, 4 assists in 2002 Caitlin Coomes, Jr., M, 1 goal, 1 assist in 2002 Season Preview: With four of its top five scorers returning from a year ago, the Carleton women's soccer team is hoping to reverse last year's trend which witnessed the Knights scoring fewer than one goal per game. Directing the Carleton attack under second-year head coach Karen Parker are returning seniors and All-MIAC picks Stella Schulte (Portland, Ore./Lincoln) and Amy Holmes (San Francisco/University). Schulte, a defender, has led a defense that's allowed only 1.23 goals per game over the past two seasons. She ranked second on the team with seven points last season as well, scoring two goals. Holmes was the team's leading scorer with five goals and two assists, with two of those scores being of the game-winning variety. Schulte and Holmes are two of seven total seniors on the Carleton roster, a fact that Parker feels should help the Knights climb back to the top of the MIAC standings in 2003. "The strength of this group is just that – it's a group that's been together a long time," Parker said. "We're an older group, and that will present challenges for us next year when we have to replace them, but I like the intangibles that this team brings to the table." Full preview at www.carleton.edu/athletics/wsoccer/ Concordia College    Head Coach: Dan Weiler (2nd season / 5-12-1 overall) 2002 Record: 5-12-1 (4-7-0 MIAC / 8th) Key Returners: Annie Cullen - So, F, Moorhead, MN - 2nd on the team in scoring in 2002 Lisa Gutsche - Jr, F, White Bear Lake, MN Carmelle Johnson - Jr, D, Northridge, CA - 2002 MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Kara Parsons - Jr, D, Eden Prairie, MN Season Preview: Concordia College women's head soccer coach Dan Weiler will be doing a little remodeling work in 2003. Gone are seven players from last year's squad that were regulars over their four-year career - most notably is the departure of goal scoring ace Kendra Lee who was a two-time All-MIAC performer. Built in their place is a squad which consists of 11 first-year players and 15 total players that have a maximum of one year of college soccer experience. Weiler will need to let the walls and foundation settle before making the final touches to the program but in a short while will have completely transformed a squad that consistently played at the .500 level into one that has a chance at making a run at the top of the MIAC. Weiler will have a corps of solid returning players who will help make the "new look" transition a little more eye pleasing. Carmelle Johnson (Northridge, Cali./Hamilton HS), who was the defensive captain last season, returns for her junior season. Last year she was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team for the first time in her career and helped the Cobbers lower their goals against average from 2.64 in 2001 to 2.06 in 2002. She will be aided by the return of wing back Kara Parsons (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), but will need to cover for a new Cobber goaltender for the first time in four seasons. Concordia lost their all-time career leader in minutes played due to graduation last spring. Kathy Braun had been a fixture between the pipes for the Cobbers and her experience will be missed as Weiler and the team try and find the right mix of defenders early in the season. In the middle of the field Concordia will be led by sophomore Cara Cloppas (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) who improved steadily in her first year and finished the 2002 campaign with one goal and two assists. More than likely she will find herself between three new players as the Cobbers hope to form a midfield unit that will be able to possess the ball at a more frequent rate and cause more turnovers in the offensive half of the field. Concordia will have two returning players on the front line. Annie Cullen (So., Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead HS) and Lisa Gutsche (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) will be counted on to pick up the slack caused by the departure of Lee. Last year Cullen used her speed and knack for the net to finish second on the team in overall scoring (3 goals/2 assists). Gutsche finished the year with only two assists, but her numbers will increase because of more touches around the opponent's goal and a more balanced scoring attack. The Cobbers will only have four non-conference games before they are thrown into the thick of the MIAC schedule. Preseason tournaments at St. Ben's and Luther (IA) should offer an early inspection of the newly remodeled Concordia team. After the initial walk through, they will travel to a much-improved Bethel squad on September 16 and then host perennial league powerhouse Gustavus on September 20. The team will also get their first chance to face regional contenders UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls on a midsemester trip to Wisconsin. Last season UW-Stevens Point lost in the regional final to St. Thomas. The key for Weiler and the rest of the Concordia team will be finding their way through the growing pains of their new look. If they can get past the first months of transition then the Cobbers could find themselves in a cozy little place for an extended period of time. Gustavus Adolphus College    Head Coach: Mike Stehlik (14th season / 161-52-17 ) 2002 Record: 9-4-4 (5-4-2 MIAC / 5th) Key Returners: Samantha Engh, SO, Forward, Wayzata, MN (seven goals, three assists) Kelly Keith, JR, Defender, Minneapolis, MN (Midwest All-Region, All-Conference) Birabwa Mutebi, SR, Midfielder, Minneapolis, MN (eight goals) Britanne Pelikan, SO, Forward, Rosemount, MN (Honor. Ment. All-MIAC, eight goals) Season Preview: Three of last year's top four scorers and an all-region pick at defender return for the Gustavus women's soccer team this fall. With seven starters back and a solid recruiting class gearing up for the 2003 campaign, 14th year head coach Mike Stehlik has reason to be optimistic about the upcoming year. "I am impressed with the commitment our upperclassmen have made in the off-season. They have done a lot of things to build a team atmosphere," Stehlik reported. "We will see soon enough if all the work they have put in will pay off." Gustavus finished the 2002 season at 9-4-4, 5-4-2 in the MIAC. After starting the season 7-1-2, the Gusties hit a stretch in which they scored only four goals over the following six competitions. The inability to put the ball in the net against some of the tougher teams in the league led to Gustavus finishing fifth in the MIAC, its lowest showing since 1991. "This year we need to play better as a unit," commented Stehlik. "We need to do a better job of making sure that everyone is on the same page. If we have to move people around and make a change, we need to make sure they are ready to do so." Starters coming back from last year include Kelly Keith (JR, Minneapolis, MN), Birabwa Mutebi (SR, Minneapolis, MN), Katie Ottum (SR, Bloomington, MN), Heather Pecosky (Oregon, WI), Britanee Pelikan (SO, Rosemount, MN), Gwen Peterson (SO, White Bear Lake, MN), and Ashlie Thomas (SR, Excelsior, MN). Mutebi, Pelikan, and Samantha Engh (SO, Wayzata, MN) were three of the team's top four scorers last season, and figure to provide much of the squad's offensive firepower once again. Mutebi scored eight goals, the second highest total on the team. Pelikan also netted eight goals and was second on the squad with 20 points. She was named all-conference honorable mention. Engh injected a spark into the Gustavus offense off of the bench last fall with seven goals and three assists. Thomas, Keith, and Ottum headlined a 2002 defense that held conference opponents to just one goal per game. Keith was named to the Adidas/National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III All-Central Region Third Team. Keith and Thomas along with Pecosky, a midfielder, are this year's captains. With one of the largest and most talented recruiting classes in recent years, some of the veterans may be asked to fill different positions on the field this season. Peterson for example will move to midfield to open up the keeper position for Osseo High School graduate Lindsay LaVoie (FY, Osseo, MN). There are numerous other new players that Stehlik believes will contribute during their first seasons at Gustavus. "We are going to be really young. That brings with it uncertainty," stated Stehlik, who has only nine letterwinners back from last year. "Going into practice we don't know exactly who will be where once we start playing games. It will be interesting to see how the new players and veterans interact." The MIAC regular season will take on new meaning this fall with the addition of a conference playoff at the end of the year. The top four teams during the regular season will take part in a single elimination tournament to determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. "I think for our team it is a benefit, since we are pretty young," Stehlik said. "That will take some pressure off and allow us some time to make mistakes, learn from them, and come back. In the past, if you lost two games you were out of it. The tournament will add excitement because more teams will have games with more meaning towards the end of the season." His squad figures to be one of those teams, since the Gusties have finished fourth or higher in the MIAC 10 out of the past 11 years. In fact, Gustavus has not had a losing record since 1989. The Gusties begin their season on August 29 at non-conference foe Nebraska Wesleyan. A quirk in the scheduling has Gustavus playing six straight road games to start the year before opening up a six-game homestand against St. Benedict on September 27. Hamline University    Head Coach: Tony Englund (1st season / overall) 2002 Record: 4-14-0 (2-9 MIAC / 11th) Key Returners: Melissa Cherry, So., GK, Parker, Colo. - Started 18 games, 3.06 GAA, .813 save percentage, two shutouts. MIAC All-Conference first team selection in 2002. Jen Granmoe, Jr. D, Duluth, Minn. - Started 18 games in '02. MIAC All-Conference Hon. Men. selection in 2002. Vanessa McClellan, Jr., M, Anchorage, Alaska - Started 14 games last season. Second on the team in scoring (five goals, two assists, 12 points). Melinda Peulen, Sr., F, Bayport, Minn. - Started 18 games in '02. 3rd on team in scoring (4-2-10), 2 game-winning goals. Shauna Sullivan, So., M, Emmett, Idaho - Started 18 games last season. Fifth on the team in scoring (3-1-7). Laura Beam, Jr., M, Sun Prairie, Wis. - Started seven games in '02. Fourth on the team in scoring (3-2-8). Season Preview: With first-year head coach Tony Englund at the helm, the Hamline women’s soccer team will undergo a year of transition in 2003. The Pipers, who return 10 of 11 starters from last season’s 4-14 squad, must adapt to a new coach and a new philosophy. What that philosophy is has yet to be determined as Englund will tailor-make his system around the athletes in the program. “We’re walking into this season basically with a blank slate,” Englund said. “There are a few basic principles that we’re going to try and put in, but we certainly want some input from the athletes. We’ll design a system around what kind of talent we’re going to have. The big thing is fitting the system to the players.” One of the fundamental ideas Englund will employ is the significance of winning one-on-one matchups. “If you win most of the 1-on-1 battles, you have a very good chance of winning,” said the former Hill-Murray head coach. “We are going to break the game down into its simplest components, and make sure that we are doing that to the very best of our ability.” Englund will also emphasize an aggressive style of play in order to win those important matchups. He hopes this will keep games close throughout, giving his team the chance to win in the last minutes of the game. “When you emphasize one-on-one play, you need athletes who won’t back down and want to stick their nose in and fight,” Englund said. Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Cherry is one of those players. The Parker, Colo. product was a MIAC All-Conference first team selection as a freshman. Cherry started all 18 games a year ago, playing all but 60 minutes. She made 230 saves (12.8 per game) with a 3.06 goals against average. To help out Cherry, the Pipers will look to defender Jen Granmoe. The junior started all 18 games and was named MIAC All-Conference honorable mention. Englund calls Granmoe, a Duluth, Minn. native, an “outstanding athlete, who tackles well.” “You need someone you can lean on a little bit in the back to organize things, and Jen is that type of player.” Englund said. Up front, the Pipers turn to junior Vanessa McClellan (Anchorage, Alaska), and senior Melinda Peulen (Bayport, Minn.) to score goals. McClellan was second on the team in scoring with five goals and two assists (12 points), and Peulen tallied four goals and two assists (10 points). Complete Season Preview at: www.hamline.edu/cla/athletics/wsoccer/outlook.html Macalester College    Head Coach: John Leaney (15th season / 202-48-16 overall) (18th season overall / 230-75-19) 2002 Record: 11-2-5 (8-0-3 MIAC / 3rd) Key Returners: Lisa Bauer (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) GK / 2X All-America, 3X All-MIAC, 0.37 GAA in Meghan Leahey (So., Wayzata, Minn.) MF / All-MIAC, 3 goals Jessica Bullen (Jr., Ashland, Ore.) MF Anna Gierke (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis) F / 10 goals as sophomore in Season Preview: The Scots didn’t allow a single goal in conference play but three scoreless ties kept them from claiming a sixth consecutive MIAC championship. This year they’re out to regain the trophy and they should be one of the top challengers again, thanks largely to the return of two-time All-America goalkeeper Lisa Bauer. After posting a 0.37 goals against average and 13 shutouts in ’02, Bauer enters her senior season with 35 shutouts in 54 career starts, and in three years at Macalester has a 0.45 goals against average and 42-6-6 record. Meghan Leahey joined Bauer on the all-conference team as one of just three frosh selected last season and will help the attack from her midfield position. She had three goals and an assist last season. If 15th-year head coach John Leaney and the Scots are to improve on last year’s 11-2-5 record and get back into the national playoffs, the team will have to do a better job scoring goals this Fall. No player scored more than three goals last year and that was very unusual for a program which generally always produces double-digit goal-scorers. Mac will seek goal-scoring production from the likes of Leahey, Anna Gierke, Alice Hacker and Jessica Bullen. Gierke netted 10 goals as a sophomore and is looking to regain her scoring form. Complete Season Preview at: www.macalester.edu/~wsoccer/news/062303_prev.html College of Saint Benedict    Head Coach: Kate Hand (1st season / 0-0-0 overall) 2002 Record: 12-3-4 (9-0-2 MIAC / 1st-tie) Key Returners: Taylor Hilker, SR, White Bear Lake, Midfield (5 goals, 1 assist), All-Region Second Team, All-MIAC Tae Ruppe, SR, Forest Lake, Goalkeeper (54 saves, 0.818 save percentage), All-Conference Honorable Mention Megan McVoy, JR, Omaha, NE, Forward (6 goals, 7 assists), All-Region Third Team, All-MIAC Patti Clintsman, SO, Maplewood, Defender Anna Turbes, JR, Burnsville, Defender Mel Attema, SR, Greenwood, Forward (2 goals, 5 assists) Season Preview: CSB will be returning 15 players from last year’s MIAC Co-Championship team. Junior All-Region selection Megan McVoy and senior All-Region selection Taylor Hilker return to the Blazers. Hilker, who had five goals and one assist last year, is a creative central player that can attack well from the central position. Teammate McVoy will be back to beat any player 1 vs. 1. Senior goalkeeper Tae Ruppe, in combination with junior Anna Turbes and sophomore Patti Clintsman, will anchor the defense. The Blazers have tremendous depth and some promising first-year players that are ready to come in and contribute right away. The Blazers have also added a new coach for the 2003 season. Kate Hand comes from Cretin Derham Hall where her teams went to the state tournament three of her six years in the program. Hand feels her team is ready to take the next step, “The players have worked hard in the off season and have come to preseason in great shape. They are ready for the challenge of winning the conference and returning to NCAA tournament.” College of St. Catherine    Head Coach: Jeremy Driver (1st season / 0-0-0 overall) 2002 Record: 7-9-1 (3-7-1 MIAC / 8th) Key Returners: Katie Knodel, SO, Bismarck, ND. Goalkeeper Erika Scheller, JR, Lewis Center, OH. Midfielder Season Preview: First year head coach Jeremy Driver looks to continue building on the Wildcat’s movement up in the MIAC standings. He will have a tough time replacing the three players the Wildcats lost to graduation last season. Mindy Daugherty led the team in scoring for four straight years and Coach Driver will have the challenge of finding a way to fill the offensive void left by her graduation. Driver brings a strong work ethic and will create a discipline style of soccer that should serve the team well. Coach Driver will be looking for his first NCAA victory against Beuna Vista College at the home opener on September 3rd. The Wildcats open their conference schedule at home against St. Benedict on September 16th. Saint Mary's University    Head Coach: Dan Blank (22nd season / 236-124-25 overall) 2002 Record: 1-17-0 (0-11-0 MIAC / 12th) Key Returners: Dianna Kyllo (Sr., GK, Kasson, Minn. / 15 GP, 33 GA, 4.20 GAA, 115 saves, 1-10-0) Beth Zubrzycki (Sr., Def., So. St. Paul, Minn.) Laurel Danielson (Sr., Mid., Caledonia, Minn.) Season Preview: There have been plenty of memorable seasons during Dan Blanik's 21 years as the head coach of the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team. Seven Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and seven NCAA national tournament berths conjure up fond memories for the Cardinals' veteran head caoch. Last season, however, is not one of those. Forget forgetting about the 2002 season, Blank would like nothing better than to wipe it completely out of his memory bank. Two goals scored and one win will do that to a person. And to make matters worse, neither of last year's goal scorers is back this season, making Blank's and the Cardinals' job that much tougher. Defense will be the key for the Cardinals, who return both goalkeepers from last season — senior Dianna Kyllo (15 GP, 33 GA, 4.20 GAA, 115 saves, 1-10-0) and junior Emily Strom (10 GP, 33 GA, 5.22 GAA, 84 saves) — as well as four year starting defender Beth Zubrzycki. Complete SMU women's soccer preview: http://sports.smumn.edu/w_soccer/2003/newsletter/wspreview.html St. Olaf College    Head Coach: Kurt Anderson (3rd season as women's coach / ) 2002 Record: 10-4-4 (6-2-3 MIAC / 4th) Key Returners: Erin Albers Emily Klamm Brie Messick Maiken Overton Kristi Parks Season Preview: The 2002 Ole women’s soccer team finished fourth and are looking forward to another top finish in the tough MIAC conference. The Oles lost a total of six players to graduation in the spring, and lost five starters including all-time leading scorer Carolyn Detjen. The Ole women will look to captain Brie Messick (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) to lead the scoring charge along with all-conference and second all-time scoring leader Kristi Parks (Sr., Wayzata, Minn.). Rounding out the forward line is Emily Klamm (Sr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) The Midfield will be led by captain Erin Albers (Sr., Orono, Minn.) and juniors Sarah Cornell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) and Ashley Mark, a junior transfer student who is new to soccer. Completing the midfield is Liz Tanner (FY, Columbia, Mo.). In the backfield, the Oles will look to three year starter Maiken Overton (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn.), Brandy Fouts (Jr. Fairbanks, Alaska) and Erica Gruner (So., Appleton, Wis.) to contribute defensively. In the net for the Oles, will be two year starter goalie Kara Olson (So., Oconomowoc, Wis.) returning for a second season. The Oles have the added talent of Anna Rehder (Sr., Andover, Ill.) and first year students Kaia Knutson (So., Fargo, ND.), Kelsey Watt (FY, Apple Valley, Minn.) and Katie Bierlein (FY, Apple Valley, Minn.). With the anticipation of the fall season, the Oles plan to work hard to finish in the top of the conference once again. University of St. Thomas    Head Coach: Colleen Carey (5th season / 51-17-8 overall) 2002 Record: 14-4-2 (9-0-2 MIAC / 1st-tie) Key Returners: Jessica Christopherson, SR, Coon Rapids, Minn., Keeper - Career: 3X All-MIAC, 30 shutouts Jenny Murray, SR, Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert HS, Forward - Career: 2X All-MIAC, 21 goals, 18 assists Maggie Curran, SR, Apple Valley, Minn.,, Forward - Career: 16goals, 3 assists) Mary Dienhart, JR, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall, Defense - Career: 2 goals, 4 assists Elizabeth Sullivan, JR, Wauwatosa, Wis.,/DS Holy Angels HS, Defense - Career: 1 goal, 6 assists Sarah Bird, JR, West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling HS, Midfield - 2001: 2 goals, 1 assist Season Preview: St. Thomas is ranked No. 22 in the 2003 Division III preseason poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Coach Colleen Carey's 2002 team (14-4-3) shared the conference championship for the second year in a row and reached the NCAA playoff quarterfinals, where it lost on the road to eventual NCAA champion Ohio Wesleyan. The teams tied 0-0 through two overtimes and the game went to a shootout, where No. 1-ranked OWU converted more shots and advanced. St. Thomas closed No. 10 in the final Division III poll. After a 1-3 start, 2002 Toms outscored their next 15 foes by a 49-4 margin in building a 15-game unbeaten streak (13-0-2) halted by the shootout loss. They won three NCAA games in six days, including a 3-0 upset of No. 2-ranked UW-Stevens Point on the Pointers' home field. They had lost 5-1 earlier in the season to Ohio Wesleyan but played the Bishops to a scoreless tie for 120 minutes in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Tommies graduated several top players, including conference MVP and two-time All-American Tessie Thompson (Career: 84 points/35 goals, 14 assists). Leading the 2003 returners are senior All-Region honorees Jessica Christopherson (GK) and Jenny Murray (forward). Murray has 60 career points and needs 14 to move into sixth on the Tommies' career list. Other top returning players are senior Maggie Curran; juniors Mary Dienhart, Elizabeth Sullivan and Sarah Bird; and sophomores Christine Williams and Jessica Magnuson. Carey's teams are 26-2-2 in conference play since the 2000 season. St. Thomas is 43-11-2 in its last 56 home women's soccer games. The Tommies face another tough schedule. They open with home non-conference games vs. No. 11-ranked UW-Stevens Point Aug 29 and University of Mary (N.D.) (Aug. 31), and also have non-conference games vs. UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, Illinois Wesleyan, Elmhurst and Washington (Mo.). Their first conference game is Sept. 17 at Carleton. 2002 MIAC Women's Soccer Links - Standings, Results, Awards, Final Stats, Players of the Week, Season Preview 2001 MIAC Women's Soccer Links - Standings, Results, Awards, Final Stats, Players of the Week, Season Preview