Spartans To Conclude Season on Sunday
10/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 28, 2008
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Upstate women's soccer team looks to close their 2008 season with two wins this weekend as they will compete against two Big South teams, Coastal Carolina and Radford. The young Spartan team has gained vast amounts of experience throughout the course of the season, losing eight games by a one-goal margin. Freshman Caitlin Robinson, who scored the only goal in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Stetson, now leads the Spartans with four goals.
History against opponents:
Coastal Carolina: The Spartans are 1-2 against the Chanticleers all-time. Last year on Halloween, the Upstate women's squad fell to Coastal Carolina, 2-0. Prior to the 2007 season, the Spartans had not competed against the Chanticleers since the 2001 season, when Upstate earned a 3-1 victory. Coastal Carolina is coming off a 1-0 overtime loss to Francis Marion on Monday. Their 6-2 Conference record puts them in first-place in the Big South Conference.
Radford: The USC Upstate women's soccer team is 0-1 all-time against the Highlanders, after last year's 5-2 loss at Radford. The Highlanders are coming off three consecutive ties, against Conference rivals Charleston Southern, High Point, and Gardner-Webb. They are currently in sixth-place in the Big South Conference. Coastal Carolina defeated Radford, 1-0, on October 13th. Sunday's game at Upstate will conclude the Highlander's season.
Upstate To Conclude Season On Sunday
The Spartans will play their final game of the 2008 season against Big South competitor, Radford University, this Sunday at 2 p.m at County University Soccer Stadium. Prior to Sunday's game, the Upstate women will travel to Coastal Carolina for a 6 p.m. start against the Chanticleers.
Upstate Drops Final Conference Games
The Spartans wrapped up Atlantic Sun Conference Play this weekend, dropping contests to FGCU, 4-0, and Stetson, 2-1. The Spartans conclude the season with a 1-9 record in Conference play, and currently stand with a 3-14 overall record with two games left to play.
Reyes One Win Shy Of 70 Career Wins
After starting the women's soccer at USC Upstate in 2000, head coach Kendall Reyes is one win shy of reaching 70 career wins at the University. As the only coach in the program's history, it would be a significant milestone for the women's soccer program, especially if the win came before the 2008 season concludes this weekend.
One and Done
The Spartans have lost eight games this season by one-goal. A different bounce here or there could have drastically changed the season for the Upstate women, having possibly led to more wins and less losses. However, the women were competitive and played with many of their Conference rivals. They look to continue to improve for the remaining two games of the season.
Spartans Are Improving Behind the Scenes
To most outsiders, a 3-14 overall record at this point in the season doesn't measure up to success, but for the Spartans, however, it's a strong improvement from where they have been. In only their second year of Division I play after transferring from the Peach Belt Conference in which they saw great amounts of success, the Upstate women have improved upon a 3-15 overall record from last year. Though the numbers aren't there, the talent level and overall level of confidence has drastically improved. The young Spartan squad has gained valuable Division I experience in the past two seasons. If they continue to do the smaller things in play and fix the kinks, that will eventually translate to wins in the long run, as Reyes believes. It's no easy process to handling the transition to a much more competitive level of soccer where patience is the key.
Breeding Young Talent
The Spartan team boasts eight freshman on this year's roster, many of which have made an immediate impact on the field. Caitlin Robinson leads the team with 4 goals and one assist, while Crystal Hackett leads the young team with 20 shots. Erin Vavro has started each game at defense, while Jordan Brown was named to the Carolinas Borders Classic All-Tournament Team. The freshmen class is sure to be a great foundation for the Upstate future.
Offensive Distribution
The Spartan offense hasn't just been led by one player. Numerous different players have made contributions on the field. Santana De Freitas, Caitlin Robinson, Crystal Hackett, Alyssa Roegner, Jaclyn Bishop, Catherine Nolff and Kay Knepp have all scored goals for the Upstate team, while Carmen Osorio, Caitlin Beale and Liz Pontillo have tallied assists.
Spartans To Look Out For:
Offensively:
Caitlin Robinson, Fr. - Robinson is also an offensive threat on the field for the Spartans. She leads the team with four goals and has earned one assist on the year. She has a strong first touch and can be very effective in the forward position. She is likely to be a rising star in the USC Upstate future.
Santana De Freitas, Jr.- De Freitas is one of the Spartan's leading scorers with three goals and one assist on the season. Don't be fooled by her sieze, the fiesty junior midfielder is both a tough defender and a talented offensive player that can sneak by opposing players.
Crystal Hackett, Fr.- The freshman native from Connecticut is one of the fastest players on the field. She has started 16 games for the Spartans and leads the team with 20 shots. She has tallied one goal and two assists.
Defensively:
Samantha Spradley, Sr.- The senior from Fayetteville, Ga., earned six saves against FGCU on Friday night and eight saves against Stetson on Sunday. Spradley was one of the strong points for the Spartans last weekend and looks to continue her recent success this weekend.
Catherine Nolff, So.- Nolff has been the backbone of the Spartan defense all year. She is a very skilled player and difficult to get past. She has a great right and left foot and is a vocal leader on the field as well. She has earned one goal on the season, but more importantly, has guided the Spartans in protecting their own net.
Alyssa Roegner, So.- The Michigan native has been a steady midfielder, playing in 16 games for the Spartans all season. She earned an assist in Sunday's game against Stetson and has also scored one goal this season.
