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August 12, 2002 | Women's Soccer
2002 Season Outlook
If, as Shakespeare wrote in King Henry IV that "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," then there has been a lot of uneasiness surrounding the Terrier women's soccer program during this millennium. However, lest anyone thinketh that head coach Nancy Feldman dost protest, she would be quick to point out that "if the crown fits, we will wear it." And, wear it proudly.
For the crown refers not to what King Henry IV wore. Rather, it is the crown that symbolizes the America East regular-season and post-season championships and the Terriers have dominated both the past two seasons.
In the year 2000, behind All-American Deidre Enos, the Terriers went undefeated in nine regular-season conference games and then disposed of Towson and Hartford in the post-season tournament to earn their first trip ever to the NCAA Tournament.
Then, last year, with three-time All-Conference back Megan Cross helping to lead the way, the Terriers were 10-0-1 in regular-season league action. Then, in the post-season tournament, they blanked both Delaware and Hartford to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Dating back to October 17, 1999, when they rolled to a 4-1 win over Vermont, the Terriers enter this season with a 24-0-1 record in their last 25 America East regular-season games, while they are 29-1-1 in their last 31 games against league rivals including post-season action. The only loss was a 2-1 decision to Hartford on November 6, 1999 in the conference tournament title game.
"We have established a consistency over the last two years against our conference opponents that is hard to do in any sport," said Feldman, who has been voted the America East Coach of the Year the last two years. "But, it's not as much a focus on the (winning) streak. It's about our performance and our approach, and we have made consistency our goal."
To reach that goal, the Terriers will be looking to the return of 17 lettermen, headed by tri-captains Allison Merkle, Suzanne Hudak, and Rebecca Beyer. Of the returning veterans, eight were starters a year ago.
To this group goes the challenge of maintaining the level of excellence that has been achieved by its Terrier predecessors. Less than a decade ago, women's varsity soccer at Boston University was just a dream. Now, B.U. is considered the team to beat in the America East. In their seven years of intercollegiate play, the Terriers have averaged almost 13 wins a season. They have won back-to-back conference regular-season and post-season tournament titles and have played in the last two NCAA Tournaments.
Here is a closer look at this year's players whose heads hope to remain uneasy.
| GOAL |
For the first time in my eight years here, we are going into the season with a legitimate number one keeper," said Feldman. "If Jessica Clinton is not the number one keeper in the conference, then she is certainly among the leaders."
She more than proved that last year as she started all 21 of the Terriers' games and set school single-season records for wins with 14 and saves with 98, while her 8.8 shutouts were the third-highest single-season total ever at B.U. In 11 regular-season league games, she yielded just four goals, and then, in the two tournament games, she blanked both Delaware and Hartford. She was named First Team All-Conference, was on the conference's All-Tournament Team, and was a Third Team NSCAA All-Northeast Region selection.
"Jess will be a junior this year so she should be really coming into her own," predicted Feldman. "She is mentally strong, is a very good technical player, and is a good shot stopper. She showed last year that she is capable of making the big save. In fact, we wouldn't have beaten Hofstra or Hartford during the season if she didn't come up with some big saves."
The Terriers also have a strong backup in Tiffany Baalman, who began her collegiate career at Colorado College. She saw action in just one game two years ago, and did not play at all last year. Despite Baalman's lack of playing time, Feldman feels "very comfortable with Tiffany as a backup. In fact, I think she could start for a lot of teams in our conference. She had a lot of good playing time this past spring, and I think she is going to push Jess."
Freshman Rebekah Conway, who tore an ACL in the spring, is not likely to be ready to train until October and will likely redshirt this season.
However, with both Clinton and Baalman ready for action, "goal will be one of our strengths this year," said Feldman.
| BACK |
As solid and sure as the Terriers are in goal, the outlook in the back is a little more uncertain. Most of the concern is over the losses through graduation.
Megan Cross will be sorely missed as she had the ability to control a game. A four-year letterman, she was named First Team All-Conference three straight years. Last season, she was selected to the First Team NSCAA All-Northeast Region and Second Team Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America teams. She was also voted the University's Female Athlete of the Year, an incredible accomplishment as she was a defensive player and, as a result, did not amass impressive offensive statistics. Graduation also claimed Amy Coccaro, who also lettered for four years and "was a very physical player," according to Feldman. "She put her physical stamp on the game." A third loss is Erin O'Brien, who succumbed to three major knee surgeries in three years, and is therefore medically unable to play.
Returning in the back for the Terriers will be junior Lesley Garvey. Although she missed the entire spring season, it is hoped the time off will allow her to be ready for the fall. During her first two years, she started 42 of the Terriers' 44 games. Her freshman year she was on the America East All-Rookie Team as well as being named Second Team All-Conference.
"There is no question that we will be deeper and more experienced at back if Lesley can play at the top of her game again," said Feldman. "She will be a real key for us."
With Garvey sidelined in the spring, it gave both Emily Dionne and Suzanne Hudak a chance to shine. A junior, Dionne played in 19 games as a freshman and 17 last year so she does bring experience. What she showed in the spring, though, was a leadership quality that she had not shown in the past.
"Emily had a great spring for us," said Feldman. "Last year, she was on the outside, but we moved her to center back in the spring, and she did an excellent job leading and communicating."
Hudak, in the meantime, was moved from midfield to back in the spring, and her versatility shone forth.
"She can really play any position on the field," Feldman said of Hudak, a tri-captain who has played midfield her first three collegiate seasons. Offensively, she will enter this season tied for 10th on the Terriers' all-time scoring list with 26 points on 8 goals and 10 assists. Last year, she finished second on the team in assists with five. "We played her at outside back in the spring, and she showed the physical style of play as well as the speed we want at that position."
Junior Tiffany Chag, who bounced back last year to play in 10 games after missing all of 2000 following knee surgery, as well as freshman Brittany McDonald could see action at back.
"We think that Brittany could be an impact player," said Feldman. "She played for one of the top club team's in the East (HBC Fury), and with the playing experience she had with them, we don't think she'll play like a rookie for us. She is a composed, calm player, and she has a lot of confidence in her ability."
| MIDFIELD |
While Cross was a mainstay of the Terrier defense for four years, Teresa Petruccelli provided the same stability in the midfield. Hampered by back problems that forced her to miss the 1999 season, Petruccelli overcame her physical ailments to be one of the conference's premier players. In 1997, she was voted the conference's Rookie of the Year and followed that with First Team All-League honors for four straight years. Offensively, she finished her career with 39 points, which ranks seventh on the Terriers' all-time scoring list, while her 19 assists ties her for second all-time at B.U.
"She was like our point guard," Feldman said of Petruccelli. "She was a wonderful schemer…a playmaker…a connector."
With Petruccelli gone, perhaps it will bring more attention to senior tri-captain Allison Merkle. She will enter this season with 31 career points, which ranks ninth on the Terriers' list, while she is tied for ninth in career goals with 10.
"Merk is one of the most underrated players in the conference," said Feldman. "She does everything well but hasn't garnered the attention or accolades. One of the reasons is that she does all the dirty work. She provides a great defensive presence in the midfield, and she is a threat in the attacking zone. She is a complete player, and this year, with Petruccelli gone, she is going to have to expand her role. She will have to take over matches."
Junior tri-captain Rebecca Beyer will also be called upon to play a bigger role at midfield. As a sophomore last year, she showed she is a real offensive threat as she led the team in scoring with 22 points, which was the eighth highest single-season total in school history. She tied for the team lead in goals with nine and was second in game-winning goals with three. These totals came after a freshman season in which she had just 2 goals in 23 games.
"Rebo had a breakout year statistically," Feldman said. "This year, though, we need her to be more multi-dimensional. We need her to be more involved defensively and as a playmaker. We need her to combine more with the forwards. She showed a lot of this in the spring, and we need her to continue in the fall."
Sophomore Chelsea Heffernan, who played in 16 games last year, and freshman Brooke Bingham are expected to push for playing time in the fall.
"Bingham may very well fill the playmaking void left by the loss of Petruccelli, but she is also capable of creating her own shots," said Feldman.
"We are hoping to get as many goals from our midfielders as we will from our forwards," the coach continued. "We will look for more of an offensive punch from our midfield, as we need to be more balanced in our attack."
| FORWARD |
Cross is gone at back. Petruccelli leaves a hole at midfield. A similar loss is felt at forward where Nicole Soules has graduated. A four-year starter, Soules finished her Terrier career with 23 goals and 13 assists for 59 points. She ranks fourth in career goals, tied for sixth in assists, and fifth in total points. Last year, she tied Beyer for the team lead in goals with 9, while she was second in scoring with 19 points. She was voted First Team All-Conference and Second Team NEWISA All-New England.
The top returnee is sophomore Melissa Shulman, who was third on the team in both goals with 6 and in points with 13, while she led the team with 4 game-winning goals. All her scoring came in conference games as she was named to the America East All-Rookie Team as well as First Team All-Conference.
"She is a prototypical goal scorer," said Feldman. "She has a nose for the goal and is one of the toughest players in the box that I have ever coached. She has a blistering shot and a quick release, and with a year's experience and training, she should be better this year."
Three other returning veterans, along with freshman Meghann Cook, combine to "make us as deep as we have ever been at forward," said Feldman.
The veterans include junior Katie Smurthwaite, the most experienced of the group who played back as a freshman and midfield as a sophomore. "Her comfort level seems to be in the attacking third of the field," Feldman said of the decision to move Smurthwaite to forward. Sophomore Lauren Ciccone also played in 18 games last year and had one goal. "Lauren showed signs of brilliance last year," said Feldman. "She has the potential to run by people. She is very athletic and has improved her understanding of the game." Also expected to make a contribution is junior Katie Chen, an excellent all-around athlete, who set the Terriers' women's track record in the javelin last spring. Last fall, she played in 16 soccer games but did not figure in any of the team's scoring. "Katie is a strong, powerful player who has all the tools. She is just young technically and tactically, but possesses such a strong physical dimension that she will contribute in the attack."
As was the case with Shulman last year, Cook could emerge as an offensive threat in just her first season.
"She is a lot like Nicole (Soules)," Feldman said of Cook. "She is feisty, can hold on to the ball, and is a strong technical player. She could be an excellent assist person and should complement Melissa. She played at a very high level before coming to B.U., and I think she can make a contribution right away."
Overall, offensively, "we need to score more goals," said Feldman, whose team tallied just 34 goals last year, which were 11 shy of the previous year. "We need to put more pressure on our opponents' defenses."
| THE SCHEDULE |
"We have the toughest non-conference schedule we have ever had," said Feldman pointing to competition that includes seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year. The list includes Kansas, Rutgers, Princeton, Boston College, Harvard, Dartmouth, and Hartford. What's more, UMass and Colorado College, which appear on this year's schedule, were bubble teams for last year's NCAA's.
"I am proud that we have developed our program to the level where these teams want to play us," said Feldman. "But, we need to develop more consistency against these non-conference teams. We are not quite where I would like us to be against these teams.
"This schedule does help us prepare for our conference games," the coach continued. "It will be a tough challenge for us to three-peat this year. Hartford is as strong as they have ever been, and we have developed a huge rivalry with them. As has been the case over the years, I think the championship will go through B.U. and Hartford. Maine gave us one of our toughest games last year and they should be better this year. Plus, Northeastern and Stony Brook should be stronger. This will also be the first year that Binghamton is eligible for the conference title, and they will be a challenge after being ranked in their region last year."
