Women's Soccer Team Experiencing A Youth Movement
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Sam Walker
It might be an understatement to say there is a youth movement going on within the Wake Forest women's soccer program. The Deacons welcomed 13 fresh faces to the team this summer, which under normal circumstances might lead some to believe that Wake Forest might be a little off their game in 2003. According to head coach Tony Da Luz, nothing could be further from the truth.
"We're not talking about a rebuilding year," da Luz said. "I think our team has a great core of players and perhaps the most disciplined senior class with the strongest character we've had - period. I'm not worried about leadership because it's like having five more assistant coaches on the field at practice. It's low maintenance as far as the leadership goes, and it's regimented and disciplined. They're (the seniors) doing a great job. We talked about needing that last spring because we knew what we were coming in with. But they're paying attention to the freshmen, and the freshmen seem to be buying into everything.
"We've got 13 freshmen out of 24 total players, so there is some significant youth. So what we're doing is starting from fundamentals. We've done tons of defending and teaching how to defend, and one on one and three on three. Really we've just done the basics to make sure these kids just get a good base. It's a review for everybody, but it's a real teaching approach. We just want to get this group off on the right track. Then the next year they'll know what's going on. It's not starting over, but you have to take the opportunity to do it right."
The seniors are definitely the heart and soul of the team, and da Luz gets different skills and strengths from each of them. Kenna Healy will be a senior goalkeeper who is coming off a solid spring, according to da Luz. She hasn't had a lot of game experience because she had played behind Erin Reagan, who now plays for the Washington Freedom of the WUSA. "We're hoping she can handle the level," da Luz said. "She has great work ethic and a great character, so it's just how she is going to react to the pressure of the games. We're going to wait and see."
Katherine Winstead is a great tackler, passer and solid player in the air. She possesses the skills it takes to be a versatile player, which da Luz likes. "She is just a super strong and physical player," da Luz said. "We played her up front and in the midfield most of her career, and this year we're thinking about moving her to the defensive midfield or moving her back to the back line as a defender."
AB Robbins has been a three-year defender who might move up to the midfield or to a forward position. "The last three years she's managed to score goals as a defender, da Luz said. "She has a knack for scoring, and is a big kid who can present some match-up problems for opposing teams. You may see her in more of an attacking role this year."
Alena Thom will probably switch positions as well this year. She was the team's second leading scorer last season according to da Luz but might end up at right back as an attacking defender. "She had a great spring in that position and we're trying to move more of our experience on the back line. She has an unbelievable work ethic, is super quick and tenacious... She pressures people like crazy all over the field and never stops."
Lindsey Griffin is a fifth-year senior who had ACL surgery after injuring her knee at the first preseason practice last year. She has rehabilitated her knee, and da Luz expects her to play as a forward or attacking midfielder. "She shoots the ball with either foot with great power and I think she's going to make an impact for us."
As far as the freshman class goes, Elizabeth Remy has stood out some in preseason two- a-day practices, according to da Luz. Her three sisters played collegiate soccer (at Duke and UNC), so she has been around the college game enough to pick up on routines and nuances. "She came in really fit, knew what the fitness tests were going to be about, and she just seems like she has a little bit of an edge on the rest of the freshmen," da Luz said. "But right now the class is very balanced. It may be the most balanced class we've ever had from top to bottom with the most quality we've ever had. We're going to wait and see who is going to make an impact for us."
Da Luz is very pleased that the team is coming together as well as it has considering the large number of freshmen. Team chemistry is the early focus, and da Luz feels its already there at some level and will stay there because of the senior leadership and respect the freshmen have shown toward the seniors. It's one intangible factor in determining tight games.
"We're going to have a few team-building days and talk about goals," da Luz said. "I would love to finish in the top three in the conference for seeding purposes. Every year we want to get in the NCAA Tournament and be in the upper half of the ACC. If we're in the upper half of the ACC, then there's a pretty good chance we're going to be in the NCAA Tournament. But if we're able to pull off four or five wins in the conference with this bunch, I would be ecstatic."
The Deacons face a tough schedule yearly simply because of the strength of the ACC, but the Deacons will "cut their teeth" on some top 20 opponents right off the bat. Wake Forest opens the year against the University of Connecticut and Notre Dame, two top 20 teams in the first weekend. "It's a trip where I'm really happy we're playing those guys early, and I'm going with a goal that if we split, one win out of the two on either day, it will be a significant win come NCAA time.
"Outside of the ACC we'll play Pepperdine and Cal-Berkeley. Pepperdine was the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year and Cal is a top 10 team. Then we've got Washington State and Oregon State. Washington State was an NCAA team last year."
Wake Forest finished eighth in the league a year ago but was just two games out of second place. This year will be just as tough, and one game could be the difference between finishing in the upper or lower tier.
"This may be the strongest top to bottom our conference has ever been," da Luz said. "It's really going to be hairy. It's good for us because any of those wins are great wins by NCAA standards. It doesn't matter if you get it in the regular season or in the ACC Tournament. Those wins put you in a good place come NCAA selection time. I really appreciate being in the conference because of that," da Luz said, adding that he feels the ACC could get as many as seven bids to the NCAA Tournament.
