Spring Break
Soccer: Young players will have key role
Dennis Rizzo
Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Sports
New faces and injuries to key players are just a few of the challenges the Huskies (0 - 1) will have to overcome this season. One thing has not changed from last season however - expectations.
Last year the Huskies finished the season ranked ninth in the nation with an overall record of 14-6-2, a Big East record of 8-2-1 and qualified for both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.
In each tournament however, the Huskies suffered heartbreaking losses to Georgetown on penalty kicks in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals and to Florida State in double-overtime in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
Now, the Huskies' road to the Big East and NCAA crowns just got a little bit steeper.
In addition to losing their top scorer, Meghan Schnur, who graduated last spring, the Huskies also lost senior Brittany Taylor for the season due to injury.
Despite these obstacles, UConn head coach Len Tsantiris, who is entering his 28th season in the position, believes the Huskies can still achieve their main goals.
"We want to make the Big East and the NCAA Tournament," Tsantiris said. "But we need to be competitive in each game and take the season one game at a time."
Even though Schnur and Taylor will be absent from the playing field this season, the Huskies do welcome back seven of their starters from last season.
Key scorers returning this year are Annie Yi, Elizabeth Eng and Erin Clark. Last year, the three players were second, third and fourth in points, respectively. Yi also led the Huskies with seven goals on the season, while Eng was second on the team with six scores.
Also returning for her senior year at UConn will be goaltender Stephanie Labbe.
Last year, Labbe recorded over 2,000 minutes of game time, a .61 goals-against average and 11 shutouts on the season.
Tsantiris said that the team is going to need some of the younger players to step up and become leaders though.
"A couple young kids are going to have to step up," Tsantiris said. "Our sophomores and freshmen are doing well though and that will give our seniors time to get healthy."
Last Monday, the rise of those young Huskies was visible in UConn's first game of the season against Central Connecticut.
While the Huskies dropped the game 2-1 to the Blue Devils, freshman Karen Gurnon recorded her first assist in a UConn uniform while sophomore Elise Fugowski tallied the goal.
Next the Huskies will travel to compete in the Penn State Tournament, where they will take on Hofstra and the team that ended their run in the NCAA Tournament last year, Florida State.
"We are going to be playing two good teams at that tournament," Tsantiris said. "We will be playing away and it will give us a good idea to see where we are at."
While it may be tough for Tsantiris to see where the team is at now, it is impossible for him to say where the team may end up at the end of the schedule.
"I don't look at where the team could be at the end of the season," Tsantiris said. "The team is where they are right now and we just need to make sure we are on the same page, have a good understanding of one another and play the games one at a time."
Dennis.Rizzo@UConn.edu
Last year the Huskies finished the season ranked ninth in the nation with an overall record of 14-6-2, a Big East record of 8-2-1 and qualified for both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.
In each tournament however, the Huskies suffered heartbreaking losses to Georgetown on penalty kicks in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals and to Florida State in double-overtime in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
Now, the Huskies' road to the Big East and NCAA crowns just got a little bit steeper.
In addition to losing their top scorer, Meghan Schnur, who graduated last spring, the Huskies also lost senior Brittany Taylor for the season due to injury.
Despite these obstacles, UConn head coach Len Tsantiris, who is entering his 28th season in the position, believes the Huskies can still achieve their main goals.
"We want to make the Big East and the NCAA Tournament," Tsantiris said. "But we need to be competitive in each game and take the season one game at a time."
Even though Schnur and Taylor will be absent from the playing field this season, the Huskies do welcome back seven of their starters from last season.
Key scorers returning this year are Annie Yi, Elizabeth Eng and Erin Clark. Last year, the three players were second, third and fourth in points, respectively. Yi also led the Huskies with seven goals on the season, while Eng was second on the team with six scores.
Also returning for her senior year at UConn will be goaltender Stephanie Labbe.
Last year, Labbe recorded over 2,000 minutes of game time, a .61 goals-against average and 11 shutouts on the season.
Tsantiris said that the team is going to need some of the younger players to step up and become leaders though.
"A couple young kids are going to have to step up," Tsantiris said. "Our sophomores and freshmen are doing well though and that will give our seniors time to get healthy."
Last Monday, the rise of those young Huskies was visible in UConn's first game of the season against Central Connecticut.
While the Huskies dropped the game 2-1 to the Blue Devils, freshman Karen Gurnon recorded her first assist in a UConn uniform while sophomore Elise Fugowski tallied the goal.
Next the Huskies will travel to compete in the Penn State Tournament, where they will take on Hofstra and the team that ended their run in the NCAA Tournament last year, Florida State.
"We are going to be playing two good teams at that tournament," Tsantiris said. "We will be playing away and it will give us a good idea to see where we are at."
While it may be tough for Tsantiris to see where the team is at now, it is impossible for him to say where the team may end up at the end of the schedule.
"I don't look at where the team could be at the end of the season," Tsantiris said. "The team is where they are right now and we just need to make sure we are on the same page, have a good understanding of one another and play the games one at a time."
Dennis.Rizzo@UConn.edu
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