Women’s Soccer Ready to Start 1999 Season. – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/3/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
August 3, 1999
Consistency. Hard Work. Intensity. These are the principles that head coach Lori Walker and her Buckeye charges will live by this season. In a year where parity is expected in NCAA womens soccer, 90 minutes of physical, intense play could lead to big things for Ohio State.%^$
%^$”There is an interesting mix within the NCAA this year,” said Walker. “On any given day, any team can prevail over another.”%^$
%^$OSU enters the 1999 season with a large portion of last years team returning. After posting nine wins in 1997, Ohio State busted out for 13 victories in 1998, including an amazing run in the Big Ten Championships, which saw the No. 7-seeded Buckeyes reach the championship game for the first time in school history. The team also recorded a first-ever victory in the conference tournament when they downed Wisconsin 1-0, the first time a Buckeye team had defeated the Badgers.%^$
%^$Other milestones from the 1998 season included the second-most wins in school history (13), most matches played (22) and fewest goals allowed (24). The 1998 squad also returns four seniors that will help guide a strong incoming class to reach new heights.%^$
%^$Seniors Lead the Way
%^$Seniors Katie Martorella and Melissa Fox are two players that should help the Buckeyes survive the loss to graduation of first-team all-Big Ten pick Becky Borchers. Martorella posted two goals and three assists for seven points in 1998 while Fox notched three points. Both are expected to take on a leadership role as they fill positions in the middle of the field.%^$
%^$”Katie is so fast and has incredible dedication,” said Walker. “Shes got qualities that you just cant teach. Her leadership will be critical to the teams success. Melissa is a different type of leader. She is strong-willed and quick on her feet. She balances out the others around her. She truly exemplifies the clich: Its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog.”%^$
%^$Maria Jimenez and Katy Traeger round out the senior class. Jimenez will anchor the defense in either the sweeper or center-back position and will make entering the Buckeye zone difficult for any opposing player. Traeger, a very upbeat, competitive player, will serve as the go to player when the team needs a surge of momentum. She earned that distinction having led Ohio State to victories over Minnesota, against which she scored the games lone goal, and Indiana in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, where she had two assists to lead OSU to victory.%^$
%^$”Katy is a very smooth, solid player,” said Walker. “She is always extremely fit and consistent in her play. Her positive attitude rubs off on others. And Maria has an ability to get the ball to people quickly. When she defends someone, she doesnt give them the goal. She forces them out of bounds.”%^$
%^$Major Contributors Return
%^$The seniors are not the only players who make this Buckeye squad as promising as it, however. Last years freshman sensation, forward Melanie Vierling, returns and should provide a big boost to the offense. She made an immediate impact in 1998, scoring seven goals and adding an assist for 15 points, second most on the team. In addition to Vierling, junior forward Mia Katzel will add punch from the forward position. She racked up six points a year ago and will be one of the teams more valuable forwards.%^$
%^$One Buckeye who made a name for herself down the stretch last year was sophomore forward Courtney Nein. She scored the lone goal against Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, propelling OSU to victory. That effort was followed up by a two-goal performance against Indiana in the semifinals. Neins efforts garnered her Big Ten Player of the Week honors for the week of Nov. 9. All told, she finished her freshman season with three goals and two assists for eight points.%^$
%^$Dictating Defense
%^$The foursome of junior Amanda Orr, sophomore Elisa Hamilton, sophomore Janel Hayes and Jimenez combine to make the Buckeye defense one of the best in the Big Ten. Orr, a mainstay in the Buckeye lineup for the last two years, is as strong as she is consistent. Hamilton is the most physical of the group, but she is able to combine her tenacious defense with brilliant technical ability, evidenced by her team-leading five assists in 1998. Hayes played in five games last year and should see an expanded role this year.%^$
%^$”They are a fantastic group,” said Walker. “Theyre strong both academically and athletically. Their strengths vary from player to player. They combine to make our defense very good.”%^$
%^$A Wall in Net
%^$One of the key returnees this year is junior goalkeeper Amber Barnes, who put together one of the most phenomenal seasons in Buckeye history last year. She broke numerous school records, including goals against average (1.07) and shutouts (9.0). In one remarkable five game stretch from Oct. 11 through Oct. 25, Barnes did not allow a goal, a streak that lasted nearly 495 minutes. And she proved to be tough down the stretch – her goals against average in the final 10 games of the season dropped to a paltry 0.70.%^$
%^$Barnes has proven herself to be one of the best goalkeepers in OSU history. Her impressive numbers rank her first in career goals against average (1.37) and second in career saves (206) and career shutouts (12.5).%^$
%^$”She is the centerpiece of stability,” said Walker. “Amber has the ability to remain incredibly confidence under pressure. That trait projects leadership across our entire field.”%^$
%^$The Newcomers
%^$This years freshmen class should prove to be one of the strongest in program history. The fresh faces are led by Lindsay Eckles, who has the adaptability to play as either a forward or midfielder. Described by Walker as a player that “has a knack of putting the ball in the net,” Eckles style should be a good complement to the play of Nein, Vierling and Fox.%^$
%^$Walker also points to Kiley Enmark as someone who could step in and make an impact. A smooth ballhandler, Enmark could push some upperclassmen for time in the midfield position. Other freshmen include forward Shelley Besson and defensemen Jen Miller and Lizzy Moore. Besson has the versatility to play either left or right while Miller and Moore will provide the defense with physical play.%^$
%^$”This class will provide us with a depth that this program has never had,” said Walker. “We have different players with different talents. Their strengths can only help us in game play.” %^$
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-GO BUCKS!-
