USD Women's Soccer 1998

1998 ToRERO PREVIEW 1 Toreros Poised For Success in 1998

Experienced Youth Movement When the University of San Diego women's soccer team takes the field this season, many of the faces will be the same in head coach John Cossaboon's line-up, just with an added year of experience. The Toreros look to build off last season's 4-3 West Coast Conference mark and re-assert themselves as a force in the conference. USO returns nine starters from the 1997 squad including All– WCC First Team member Heather Swanson (Irvine, CA) and second team selection Sherice Bartling (San Diego, CA) . The Toreros also welcome back a talented group of sophomores headed by WCC Honor– able Mention Claire Currie (Downey, CA) and Gina Poltl (San Diego, CA) who scored five goals in her freshman campaign and ranked second on the team in scori ng (13 points). Offensively San Diego returns its top goal-scoring threats in Bartling (seven goals, seven assists), Poltl (5,3) and Currie (5,2) . Bartling and Poltl each exploded for a hat-trick against Portland State and UC Santa Barbara respectively.

Defensively USO returns a veteran lineup led by Swanson, and WCC Honorable

Torero Seniors (clockwise): Nicole Gorton (9) , Aimee Wagstaff. Sherice Bartling, Katie Eichhorst

Mention Vanessa Thiele (West Hills, CA). Goalkeeping is something of a question mark with returning senior Katie Eichhorst (El Cajon, CA) battling talented newcomers Leila Duren (Branson, CA) and Caley Cook (Redmond, CA) for playing time in the USO nets. Another boost to the Torero assault should come from Alison Benoit (Cedar Hill, TX), a junior center midfielder transfer from the University of Florida. Benoit scored two goals and added three assists for the Gators in 1997. One of the biggest challenges for USO in 1998 could be the rugged non-conference schedule, which includes showdowns with four PAC-10 schools (Stanford (#22),UCLA (#19), Cal and Oregon). Once the non-conference schedule is completed, the road gets

USD Head Coach John Cossaboon tougher. Competition in the West Coast Conference should be intense again in 1998. Santa Clara and Portland both advanced deep into the NCAA Playoffs in 1997. Santa Clara, enters 1998 ranked #3 in the Soccer America Pre-Season poll,while Portland appears at #7 . ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1997 WEST COAST CONFERENCE HONORS & STANDINGS

wee Records

WCC Player of the Year - Freshman of the Year -

Mandy Clemens, Santa Clara Megan Horvath, Santa Clara

Final 1997 Standings

w

L

T

PCT.

Coach of the Year -

Jerry Smith, Santa Clara

Portland (14-5-0) Santa Clara (20-3-1) San Francisco (11-8-0) San Diego (7-12-1) Pepperdine (7-12-1)

.857 .857 .714 .571 .429 286 .143 .143

6 6 5 4 3 2

1 1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

All wee

First Team

Ashley Albrecht, Santa Clara Justi Baumgardt, Portland Mandy Clemens, Santa Clara Michelle French, Portland Angela Harrison, Portland Jacqui Little, Santa Clara

Wynne McIntosh, Portland Jennifer Peterson, Pepperdine Heather Swanson, San Diego Val Williams, Saint Mary's Amy Yamamoto, San Francisco

2 3 4 5 6 6

Loyola Marymount (11-8-0)

AH-wee Second Team Toreros

Gonzaga (8-12-0)

1 1

Saint Mary's (4-15-0)

Sherice Bartling