Bison Set for Inaugural Season in United Soccer Conference
8/15/2006 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
With each passing year for the North Dakota State women's soccer team, drastic improvements and alterations can be found. Four years ago, head coach Pete Cuadrado was hired to direct the Bison into the land of Division I athletics.
Three seasons ago, NDSU played through its last hurrah of Division II while looking forward to the rocky journey of being a reclassifying school.
Two seasons ago, a schedule entirely comprised of road matches veiled any progress en route to a 5-11-1 record.
In 2005, the Herd took full advantage of seven home contests by responding with an 11-5-1 record and an undefeated record at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo while competing as an independent.
For 2006, the 20 members of the soccer team and the coaching staff will finally have a new Division I home: the United Soccer Conference.
"There are a lot of things we can look forward to this year. We can win a conference tournament. That's our goal." Cuadrado said. "No one at this school has won a Division I conference title yet, it would be nice to see our program make that push and I think that is something our team is grasping."
Along with NDSU, the West Division of the USC will be comprised of South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and IPFW. The East Division will see Delaware State shift from the West to join Howard, Longwood and South Carolina State. IPFW won the inaugural conference championship last season with a 2-1 win over Utah Valley State.
Hoping to keep the momentum going from last year, the Bison will have a few challenges to contend with.
"We snuck up on a lot of people. I think people underestimated us and that won't happen as much this year." Cuadrado said.
"But that is where the true test is. The challenge is to continue in that success and sustain that performance instead of having up and down seasons. And I think our team wants to prove that it wasn't a fluke."
As far as the roster goes, NDSU will look to replace the leadership of the six departing seniors from the 2005 season.
"Last year our seniors did a wonderful job of providing leadership on and off the field. They brought a certain work ethic and mental toughness and showed the current players what it takes to be successful," Cuadrado said.
Erin Ellsworth, Sarah Panzer, and Danielle Thompson will share the workload of mentoring an incoming class of seven talented freshmen.
"My goal in recruiting is to have freshmen come in and compete. I prefer to keep a smaller roster which means freshmen will be playing," Cuadrado said.
"Some will come in and earn their spots right away, some will take longer and some will take a few years, but we rely on them due to having a smaller roster. And that helps the overall team because everyone on the squad is contributing."
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ForwardsAccording to Cuadrado, the group of forwards is an aggressive group that knows how to finish around the net.
Two-time leading scorer Michelle Martinez returns for her junior season to highlight the group.
Martinez tallied 14 goals in leading the Bison attack the two previous years.
"Michelle dedicated her summer to the game and I think she will pick up right where she left off. She has the potential to go down as having one of the best careers of all-time at NDSU if she continues to do what she's doing," Cuadrado said.
Chelsea Body will look to return to form after sitting out last season due to a knee injury. The 5 foot, 11 inch Calgary native will give the Bison a good target in the middle of the field.
Jestina Orlando parlayed her freshman campaign into a successful season with starting assignments in all 17 matches. The ultra-quick Orlando turned in a team leading four assists and tied for second on the team with 10 points.
"Jestina has the ability to be a standout player," Cuadrado said.
Thompson, one of the three captains selected by the team, will switch between forward and midfield as will the left-footed freshman Ashley Dement.
The only other dedicated forward on the roster, incoming freshman Alison Feders, will be counted on to return to the pitch in 2007 after sustaining an injury during the summer.
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MidfieldersMidfielders typically have the most ground to cover in any given soccer match, requiring them to have a variety of skills and an abundance of endurance.
As many as 11 players on the roster list midfielder as either a primary or a secondary position, giving NDSU plenty of options and experience to turn to when rotating in fresh players.
Patty Romeo and Kelsey Hohol return for their third season after starting every match as sophomores.
Romeo displays good ball control while patrolling the middle of the field and has the ability to win balls with her crafty play.
Known for her relentless conditioning, Hohol turned her late-game energy into a pair of game-winning goals in 2005.
Nicole Rand and Becky Iwanicki each had at least one starting nod last season in the midfield for the Herd. Iwanicki first appeared in the opening lineup versus UC Irvine, a match where she found the net for a then game-tying goal.
"Becky grew as the season progressed and started to take over at her spot," Cuadrado said.
Rand added a score and an assist while making showings in every match. A versatile athlete in technique and ability, Rand can play on either side of the field.
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DefendersWith the departure of seniors Carly Christensen and Becky Skrypek the defense, which notched ten shutouts, will be visibly different.
"We started taking pride in the shutouts as a team and as a defender that is something you want: a clean slate." Cuadrado said.
The one constant in the defense, however, will be Panzer acting as a conductor orchestrating the play of the back lines.
Panzer, who has started all 50 matches of her career, will once again be asked to hold down the center back position.
"I look at Sarah as a coach on the field." Cuadrado said. "She's the one that cleans up all the messes in front of the net."
As for the wing positions, Cuadrado said there are a number of candidates to fill those roles.
Ashley Chandler will be a top contender for time after sitting out 2005. Chandler returns to the field after starting every match as a freshman and a sophomore.
Jami Rozell and Ellsworth combined for 14 starts in 2005 and will provide quality depth at the position.
Newcomers to the program, Lorraine Thompson, Ali Ramaeker, Tab Daschle and Laura Murphy will all fight for spots at either midfielder or defender.
Daschle and Ramaeker have the ability to play in a variety of positions while possessing a big upside for their careers.
Thompson strikes the ball with force, but also carries a wealth of technical skills.
Rand might also be asked to see action in the back.
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GoalkeepersThere will be a major question mark in goal for NDSU in 2006 with the absence of 2005 Division I independent Defensive Player of the Year Karli Kopietz.
Following the season, Kopietz reinjured an ACL and decided to retire from collegiate athletics with a year of eligibility remaining.
Junior Jessica Nei returns for the Bison in the net after making a pair of appearances in 2005.
Nei stopped two shots while holding the opponent without a goal in a little more than 60 minutes of play. Nei, however, gained valuable experience while tallying a 9-1-1 record with four shutouts during the 2003 before suffering from a knee injury of her own the following year.
Freshman keeper Monica Morgan will enter the program looking to compete for playing time after a successful prep career in Duncan, British Columbia.
"It will be a good battle at this position," Cuadrado said.
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The ScheduleNDSU will open the regular season at home versus the University of Mary on Friday, Aug. 25. The Bison hold a 5-0 all-time record against the Marauders after a 6-0 win in the 2005 home opener.
The team will then travel to Minneapolis for its second ever meeting with the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers held on for a 3-1 win in the only other meeting between the schools during the 2004 season.
Immediately after a home match against Division II Minnesota State-Mankato, NDSU will host the Bison Invitational on Sept. 8-10. South Dakota State, Weber State and IUPUI will all travel to Fargo for a pair of contests. The Bison Invitational will mark the first regular season home tournament for NDSU since 2000 when they hosted the FILA Dakota Cup. NDSU is 6-2 all-time in home tournament appearances.
The 2006 schedule features two more tournaments before heading into conference play. The Bison travel to familiar Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium for the Creighton Tournament in Omaha, Neb., where they will play UNLV (Sept. 22) and Grambling State (Sept. 24). The University of Montana Tournament closes tournament play for the Bison with matches versus the host Grizzlies (Sept. 29) and former North Central Conference foe Northern Colorado (Oct. 1).
The seventh ever meeting with border rival South Dakota State will bring something new to it in 2006, as the two teams meet for the first time as Division I conference members. The match opens the USC season for both squads.
NDSU's second conference match will be held in Orem, Utah, against Utah Valley State on Oct. 7, before an IPFW clash at the Ellig Sports Complex on Oct. 15 to close out the USC regular season.
The final game on the 2006 docket features a match at one of Cuadrado's old coaching grounds, Normal, Ill, on Oct. 20.
Under current Illinois State head coach Pete Kowall, Cuadrado was an assistant from 2001-2002.
The schedule concludes with the USC Tournament hosted by Howard University in Washington, D.C. All eight teams from the conference will qualify with quarterfinals held on Nov. 2, semifinals on Nov. 3 and the championship match on Nov. 5.
The No. 1 seeds will square off against the No. 4 seeds of the opposite division, while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams will face each other. All quarter-final matches will be played at RFK Stadium. The final two rounds will be played on the campus of Howard University.
Three opponents in the schedule participated in the 2005 NCAA Women's College Cup. UNLV and Iowa State each lost in the opening round while Weber State defeated Brigham Young 4-3 before falling to Arizona 1-0.
"I think it is a very good competitive schedule, with three 2005 College Cup qualifiers and also competing against teams from the Big 10 and Big 12," Cuadrado said.
