 |  |
2010 Canada West women's soccer preview
Alberta Pandas
2010 CW Rank: #4
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 7-5-2, 4th
2009 CW Tournament: 3rd
2009 CIS Tournament N/A
Last CW Title: 2001
Last CIS Title: 2001
Key returnees: defender Keisha Wallin, striker
Heather Lund, striker Amanda Black, striker Sarah Smyth
Key additions: Idana DeCecco, Danika Miller, Kelti
Biggs, Nicola Weber, Kayla Michaels
Key departures: Veronique Mayer, Jackie Smith,
Lindsay Stewart
EDMONTON – The University of Alberta Pandas soccer team enter the 2010-11 season looking for their fifth straight conference playoff appearance after finishing with a 7-5-2 record last season and Canada West bronze medals.
Head coach Liz Jepsen still has 12 active players returning from last year, including three-time conference all-star defender Keisha Wallin, and strikers Heather Lund (third in Canada West goals), Amanda Black (second in team goals), and Sarah Smyth. Looking to fill the role in central midfield will be third-year player Elise Emmot, who had six points last season and two game winning goals.
An impressive crop of recruits, including two-time ACAC all-star striker Danika Miller, former NCAA University of South Carolina Gamecock defender Idana DeCecco, and goaltender Keltie Biggs, should bolster the line-up as well.
UBC Thunderbirds
2010 CW Rank: #3
2010 CIS Rank: #3
2009 CW Record: 8-2-4, 3rd
2009 CW Tournament: 2nd
2009 CIS Tournament 3rd
Last CW Title: 2007
Last CIS Title: 2006
Key returnees: Caitlin Davie, Janine Frazao,
Jessica Briker
Key addition: Alisha Penev
Key departures: Jaclyn Dunnett, Chelsea Stang,
Kelly Isberg
VANCOUVER - New head coach Mark Rogers returns a number of key veterans from the T-Birds 2009 CIS bronze medal winning squad which should ease the transition.
A trio of fifth-years in Caitlin Davie, Carmen Lindsay, and Jessica Briker and fourth-years Natalie Hirayama, Lisa Furutani, and Diane Rizzardo provide stability, leadership, and talent across the pitch.
Up front, second-years Janine Frazao and Rachael Sawer return to lead the attack after pacing the ’Birds with 12 and six goals, respectively, during their rookie seasons.
On defence, UBC will look decidedly different with the graduation of All-Canadian keeper Jaclyn Dunnett and centre back Chelsea Stang in addition to all-star defender Kelly Isberg. Briker, a member of Canada's 2009 FISU Games team, and third-year Kelly Cook anchor the new-look back four.
Meghan Best and Leah Peric, who were both back-ups to Dunnett last season, will be relied upon to carry the load this year.
Calgary Dinos
2010 CW Rank: #5
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 5-6-3, 6th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 2005
Last CIS Title: 1998
Key returnees: forward Morena Ianniello,
forward Tessa Miller, midfielder Lindsay Burrowes
Key additions: midfielder Brittany Benson,
defender Caitlin Milne
Key departure: defender Annie Hayes
CALGARY – After a season in which the Dinos narrowly missed out on a Canada West playoff berth, the Calgary Dinos are hungry to break out of the middle of the pack and enter the top-tier of women’s soccer teams in Canada West. This year’s veteran-laden team could very well be the one to do it.
Forwards Morena Ianniello and Tessa Miller lead the offensive charge for the Dinos after combining for 19 points and just under half of the team’s total shots on goal in 2009. Both will be counted on to find similar success in 2010 and should be aided by an improved lineup behind them.
Team leader and fifth-year midfielder Lindsay Burrowes is the steady playmaker in the middle for the Dinos and will be reunited with Brittany Benson, who returns for her fifth year in the midfield after taking a sabbatical from the team in 2009. Fullback Caitlin Milne, a second team conference all-star in 2008, will help shore up a defensive effort that gave up 30 goals over 14 games last season. Milne also returns after being away in 2009, and enters her fourth year as a Dino.
Head coach Robin Slot brought in fourth-year Brock University transfer, midfielder Deanna Fidler, as well as some young local talent such as defenders Daniella Guidi and Jaclyn Hunter for 2010.
Fraser Valley Cascades
2010 CW Rank: #6
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 5-5-4, 7th
2009 CW Tournament N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnees: goalkeeper Chantelle Biagioni,
defender Lyndsay Munro, Ellen Kuyer
Key additions: striker Carly Neeson, Andrea
McLachlan, midfielder Danielle du Bruin
Key departures: Kristen Vanderpauw, Danica
Snook
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – University of the Fraser Valley’s newest head coach Rob Giesbrecht arrives after serving as Head Coach of Concordia University (Seward, Nebraska) the past five years. Giesbrecht has also spent time with the Cascades arch rivals Trinity Western University Spartans program, he served as assistant coach for six years in Langley.
Keys are veteran goalkeeper Chantelle Biagioni, Pitt Meadows, B.C., a third-year Arts Studies major and Lyndsay Munro, a fifth-year defender, from Maple Ridge, B.C. majoring in History. Recruits include Carly Neeson, a striker from Maple Ridge, B.C. who played for the Golden Ears United this past summer, Andrea McLachlan a fourth-year transfer from TWU, who hails from Maple Ridge, B.C. and Danielle du Bruin, a midfielder from Victoria.
Lethbridge Pronghorns
2010 CW Rank: #9
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 1-13-0, 10th
2009 CW Tournament: N
2009 CIS Tournament:
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnees: defender Amy Schweitzer,
midfielder Andrea Nippard, midfielder Janelle Groten, midfielder
Jaclyn Groten
Key additions: midfielder Taylor Sarchet, defender
Jenna Kleebaum, midfielder Kelsey Dempster, forward Kaitland
Couperus
Key departures: defender Kristen Dow, forward Sam
McMillian
LETHBRIDGE – Only two years removed from a post-season appearance, the Lethbridge Pronghorn went through a disappointing 2009 season which saw them surrender conference high 56 goals against and finish at the bottom of the conference.
With only six of 12 returning players in their fourth season and 10 new faces to the CIS, the Horns will be a young team that will rely on the strengths of a confident returning backline with Amy Schweitzer, Sarah Lajeunesse, Kathy Curtis and Andrea Nippard. Added to the focus on the backline, head coach Ilsa Wong added four defenders and three midfielders in an attempt to improve their defensive awareness.
College transfers Taylor Sarchet and Kaitland Couperus are expected to contribute immediately as are newcomers Jenna Kleebaum and Kelsey Dempster.
The Horns will not have any time to ease into the season and will learn where they stand in the conference immediately hosting the CIS top ranked Trinity Western Spartans and third ranked UBC Thunderbirds to open the season.
Manitoba Bisons
2010 CW Rank: #7
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 7-6-1, 5th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnees: Meagan Smith, Paula Fast, Alison
Kastner, Michelle Kliment, Gillian Sidon, Julie Lafreniere
Key additions: Rachel Lau, Laura Stewart, Robyn
Kastner, Alison Flintoft
Key departures: Desiree Scott, Caley Miskimmin,
Dana Baker, Stephanie Rurak, Jennifer Campbell, Ashley Forbes,
Kathryn Ateah, Lianna Bestvater, Walt McKee (head coach)
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba Bisons prepare for their sixth year of playing in the Canada West conference with numerous changes on and off the pitch.
With the start of the 2010 season, there are 21 players and a whopping eight rookies on the Bison roster. In addition, there are no fifth year senior players on this year’s edition and the team will have to replace the graduation of former Canada West All-Stars Desiree Scott (also CIS All-Canadian), Caley Miskimmin, Dana Baker and Stephanie Rurak. Off the field, there is also a new interim head coach with the arrival of Chris Lewis after the stepping down of inaugural head coach Walt McKee due to medical reasons. Lewis has an extensive background in soccer throughout his over 20 years experience as a soccer coach and educator at the national and international level plus was a former Bison student-athlete for the football and track and field from 1984-86.
This season, the Herd will have the return of last season’s third leading team scorer in third year forward Paula Fast along with goal scorers third year forward Alison Kastner and fourth year midfielder and team captain Meagan Smith. At the back, the Bisons will lean on third year defender and other team captain Julie Lafreniere, second year defender Gillian Sidon while fourth year midfielder Michelle Kliment will use her experience in the middle.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/kinrec/bsal/bisons/
Regina Cougars
2010 CW Rank: #10
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 2-12-0, 9th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returning players: midfielder Meagan
Cormier, goalkeeper Michelle Anderson, forward Tegan Koroluk
Key addition: Molly Glass
Key departures: midfielder Chelsie Dorosh,
midfielder Randi Schmeichel
REGINA - The University of Regina’s women’s soccer team returns a large majority of last year’s team and has some talented newcomers this season as the Cougars hope to ascend the Canada West standings.
“This is easily the best camp we’ve had since I arrived here,” fourth-year head coach Bob Maltman said. “The returning players have been very committed to off-field training and the improved fitness is evident. There’s a tremendous amount of competition within the team for positions and this has resulted in all of our players elevating their play.”
The Cougars put up a 1-3-1 record in non-conference games and will kick off their Canada West schedule this weekend against Fraser Valley and Victoria.
Saskatchewan Huskies
2010 CW Rank: #8
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 5-8-1, 8th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returning players: striker Elizabeth Hudon,
midfielder Jamie LeMay, midfielder Daniela Fuenzalida, defender
Maria Rogal
Key additions: Nakia Forsberg, Kasya Naidu
Key losses: midfielder Megan Rowan, striker
McKenzie Hodgins
SASKATOON – For the second straight season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies were in the playoff hunt until the very end. And now in 2010, the Huskies look to be one of the Canada West teams in the postseason.
Returning a core group of starting players including Canada West All-Stars Daniela Fuenzalida and Elizabeth Hudon, midfielder Jamie LeMay and defenders Maria Rogal and Courtney & Sarah Laverty, the Huskies will look for consistency from a group that knows each other and their opponents well.
The Huskies finished at 5-8-1, seven points out of the final playoff position. the Huskies were in the playoff race until a shutout sweep by the UBC Thunderbirds and TWU Spartans in B.C. in the second last week of the season knocked them too far out of contention. It is the second straight year in a row the Huskies have finished with the record and tied a program best for wins finishing with five in 2005 and 2008.
Trinity Western Spartans
2010 CW Rank: #1
2010 CIS Rank: #1
2009 CW Record: 11-2-1, 1st
2009 CW Tournament: 1st
2009 CIS Tournament: 1st
Last CW Title: 2009
Last CIS Title: 2009
Key returning players: Melissa Mobilio, ,
Julian Dietrich, Rebecca Ferguson, forward Nikki Wright
Key additions: midfielder Jennifer Castillo (North
Delta, B.C./Whitecaps Reserves), midfielder Jenna Di Nunzio
(Surrey, B.C./Whitecaps Reserves), Jessica King (Liverpool,
Eng/Liverpool FC).
Key departures: none
LANGLEY, B.C. – Where do the Spartans go from here: back-to-back national titles, Canada West gold medal, Canada West league title and back-to-back CIS rookies of the year? Anything but another national championship would seem to be an off year. But a third straight CIS title would be something that no other CIS women’s soccer team has ever accomplished, which means it is a very difficult task and to do so would put the Spartans in rarified air.
Trinity Western head coach Graham Roxburgh returns his entire starting lineup from last year’s championship squad and has had another strong recruiting class to bolster the No. 1 ranked team in the CIS as they head into the Canada West season.
Returning to lead the Spartans are former FISU members: Melissa Mobilio, Julian Dietrich and Rebecca Ferguson, 2008 Canada West Player of the Year, FISU member, Vancouver Whitecap and 2008 CIS Rookie of the Year forward Nikki Wright, FISU member and Vancouver Whitecap keeper Kristen Funk, Vancouver Whitecap midfielder Natalie Boyd, 2008 CIS tournament MVP forward Daniela Gerig, 2009 CIS tournament MVP midfielder Tessa Meyer and 2009 CIS Rookie of the Year forward Alicia Tesan.
Victoria Vikes
2010 CW Rank: #2
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 9-2-3, 2nd
2009 CW Tournament: 4th
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 2008
Last CIS Title: 2005
Key returnees: goalkeeper Stephanie Parker,
defender Shayla Behrens, defender Sarah Clark, defender Nellanna
Kurylo
Key additions: Jaclyn Sawicki, Kendra Williams,
Maryse Reichgeld
Key departures: Kendra Flock, Jackie Snell, Holly
Fiddick
VICTORIA – Last year the UVic Vikes had their run of five straight CIS Championship appearances broken after a frustrating postseason, but entering 2010 optimism abounds with a new-look offence installed to complement an acclaimed defensive unit.
In her ninth season at the helm of the Vikes, head coach Tracy David hit the recruiting trails hard this off-season in order fill the balance between her new-look offence and All-Star studded defensive nucleus.
The Vikes closed out the regular season with a series sweep over eventual national champs Trinity Western and posted a 9-2-3 record to clinch the no. 2 seed heading into the conference playoffs. Their hopes of securing a fifth straight CIS berth were dashed, however, when star striker Kendra Flock was plucked from their lineup for a Senior National team camp in Florida. A Flock-less Vikes were unable to produce offensively as the squad was bounced from the postseason with back-to-back losses. It was a tough exit for the no. 2 Vikes led by graduating CIS All-Canadians Jackie Snell and Holly Fiddick.
“I think everybody is really excited and we have a lot of new players that bring a lot of positive energy to the team,” Tracy David said. “When we have a team where we’ve lost some key players, we look to rely on our veterans. Key for us to anchor our backline is Shayla Behrens who we look to for her leadership as well as her technical abilities. Behind her stands Steph Parker… so when you have two of those sorts of players in the back, we’re hoping that they will stop a lot of goals.”
About Canada West Universities Athletic
Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four
conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at
least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of
14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
and British Columbia, the CWUAA produces numerous major award
winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with
many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues
or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.
For more information, visit www.canadawest.org; follow
“cwuaa” on Twitter.
