2008 USC Upstate Women's Soccer Preview
8/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 22, 2008
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Head women soccer coach, Kendall Reyes, now enters his ninth season at the helm of the USC Upstate program and the program's second year playing on the NCAA Division I level as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. He will do so with an experienced but, young team with an influx of newcomers brought in to help propel the Spartans up the ladder of the A-Sun standings.
Reyes' Spartans finished the 2007 campaign with a 3-15-0 record, not the typical result of a Reyes coached team. However, injuries decimated the squad last year, making the transition into DI and the A-Sun that much more difficult. Still, Upstate battled throughout the season, dropping five games by just one goal and nine contests by two goals or less. A bounce here and there could have been the difference between a better result and the three-win season the Spartans had in 2007.
Reyes has reason to believe that 2008 could be the turnaround the program needs. He returns a strong core of players who have significant experience on the field. He also brought in a talented group of newcomers to bolster the squad. If healthy, Reyes believes there is talent enough to succeed on the Division I level and in the A-Sun.This year's team has more athleticism, stronger play in the midfield and scoring prowess over last year's team. He did this both in recruiting and impressing upon the returning players the importance of being fit, working hard and being leaders. It has paid off.
Upstate will once again face a challenging schedule in and out of the A-Sun. In addition to a tough slate of conference games, the Spartans will face a bevy of regional teams with solid soccer reputations and which have battled for postseason play. To the Spartans advantage, the majority of their schedule takes place on their home field, County University Soccer Stadium. Upstate is 34-17-6 all-time at County University Soccer Stadium, boasting an impressive winning percentage of .673. Upstate will host conference games at home against Belmont, Lipscomb, East Tennessee State, Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson, while traveling to North Florida, Jacksonville, Campbell, Mercer and Kennesaw State. Upstate will also host numerous non-conference games, including Charleston Southern, the College of Charleston, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, the Citadel, Furman and Radford. The Spartans will travel for non-conference games against High Point and Coastal Carolina. Kennesaw State won the Atlantic Sun Conference last year with a 10-1 record.
Goalkeeper
The last line of defense will be in the capable hands of either junior Brittany Daughtry or senior Samantha Spradley. Both are experienced keepers and the battle for the starting position throughout the season should help elevate the play of both players.
Daughtry (Jr., 5-7, Smithfield, N.C.) is a talented keeper who had a tremendous spring in the net. She sat behind the top goalkeeper in the history of the program, Diana Wabnitz, as a freshman and gained valuable experience last year. She is primed to make her mark between the pipes. Spradley (Sr., 5-4, Fayetteville, Ga.) saw the majority of time in goal last season and turned in several strong performances. She tied the single-game school record with 14 saves and posted one of the top five season save totals in program history. Her experience is expected to be a strong point this season.
Defender
Perhaps the most solid unit on the field will be the defense as the unit returns three starters from a year ago. Replacing the graduated Caroline Verna in the center of the defense will be tough to do and will fall upon a number of individuals. One of the team's two captains this season is junior Liz Pontillo (Jr., 5-7, Erie, Pa.), who will control one of the central defender positions. As the expected leader of the unit, she is a tough player with solid technical and tactical skills. The leadership and experience she has gained in her first two seasons, her heady play and skill is a perfect combination for the position.
Also returning as starters are Meg Korpita and Brandi Manley, both of whom played the marking back positions last year. Experience and talent makes the defensive unit the most solid on the field. Korpita (So., 5-4, Irmo, S.C.) had a tremendous freshman season a year ago for the Spartans and is expected to be a strong contender for the left marking back position. However, she had arthroscopic surgery over the summer to clean up some cartilage damage in one of her knees. She is expected to return at full strength early in the season. She has the ability to attack from the back. Manley (So., 5-3, Tacoma, Wash.) also had an outstanding year as a freshman in 2007, playing in and starting every game for the Spartans. She is a technically sound player and a very good athlete. She can attack from the back while being able to recover quickly to mark her opponent.
Additionally, several players will battle for the fourth starting spot in the defense, while also battling for playing time. Expect to see Caitlin Beale (Fr., 5-2, Fayettville, Ga.), Jaclyn Bishop (Fr., 5-5, Delran, N.J.), Jordan Brown (Fr., 5-6, Fayettville, Ga.) and Catherine Nolff (So., 5-6, Columbia, S.C.) to battle for playing time.
Midfield
The midfield is one of the areas Reyes looks to strengthen this season. The unit needs to be able to hold the ball better, push up on the attack and distribute. The position could have a variety of looks based on whether Reyes decides to use a three-forward, three-midfield formation, or the typical four-midfield, two-forward formation. Regardless, one player, Carmen Osorio (Jr., 5-8, Spartanburg, S.C.), is expected to be the leader of the unit while the other positions are up for grabs. Osorio has worked hard on her fitness to put the final piece in the puzzle for being a strong player. She has a tremendous feel for the game and is one of the most fundamentally sound players on the team. She defends well from the midfield, while being able to distribute the ball on the attack. She will be a key player this season.
Many returning players will also be battling for playing time and starting positions on the flanks. Kay Knepp (So., 5-7, Severna Park, Md.), Alyssa Roegner (So., 5-4, Shelby Township, Mich.) and Santana De Freitas (Jr., 5-2, Boiling Srings, S.C.) all played in the midfield last year. Leigh Ward (So., 5-9, Summerville, S.C.) is also expected to play either the attacking or defensive center midfield positions.
Additionally, developing newcomers such as Erin Vavro (Fr., 5-4, Lenox, Mich.), Tiffany Frank (Fr., 5-4, Lakeland, Fla.), and Crystal Ann Hackett (Fr., 5-3, Waterbury, Conn.) are expected to battle for playing time on the field, all who can add depth to the team.
Forward
Reyes set out to drastically improve and upgrade the scoring production from the forwards last season. He will call on four players, primarily, to do the job. He will have experience and fresh talent to call upon as the season progresses.
Caitlin Robinson (Fr., 5-7, Anderson, S.C.) is expected to step into a starting role after scoring more than 130 goals in her high school career. Oleva Durant (So., 5-5, Chapin, S.C.) will compete for playing time pending on how well she returns from the season-ending knee injury she suffered in 2007. Newcomers Casey Cash (Sr., 5-7, Woodruff, S.C.), who transferred from Erksine College, and Alyssa Gibbs (Fr., 5-4, Lilburn, Ga.) are also projected to earn some playing time.
