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New Mexico Women's Soccer Outlook
Lobos primed for success in 2001.
Aug. 29, 2001 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - As it enters the new millennium, the University of New Mexico women's soccer program is brimming with energy and excitement. Since leaving national power Southern California to direct the UNM women's soccer program, first-year head coach Kit Vela and her husband, assistant coach Jorge Vela, have created a wave of enthusiasm that has swept everyone from players to fans. The new coaching staff's fresh attitude, determination and commitment to excellence has New Mexico primed for success in 2001 and a bright future in the years to come. This season nine starters and 13 letterwinners return to give the team a solid nucleus of experienced players. The veterans combined with one of the largest and most talented freshman classes in the program1s history give UNM a squad filled with enormous potential. According to coach Vela, New Mexico1s potential will soon translate into an exciting, successful team on the field. "One of the things we wanted to do was change the dynamics of the team and make it an exciting team to watch," she said. "I think if the crowds get excited, the players are going to be excited and that translates into an entertaining game." However, Vela is quick to point out that entertaining soccer is synonymous with winning soccer. "I don't mean entertaining as in a recreational situation, but entertaining because we're playing well and winning. We want to be very competitive every year in the Mountain West, in the western region and soon we want to be competitive nationally. I think we're going to be able to do that sooner rather than later." FORWARDS After going through a bit of a scoring drought in 2000, the Lobo attack has been revamped for the 2001 season. During spring training, the coaching staff adjusted the personnel up front in order to add strength and give the offense a more dynamic quality. One of the first moves was to bring senior Julie Shepko out of the midfield and make her a full-time striker again. Prior to transferring to UNM, Shepko scored nine goals and tallied 14 assists en route to earning 1999 All-American honors at NAIA Berry College in Atlanta, Ga. She also led the team with 14 goals as a freshman in 1998. Last season however, Shepko1s scoring opportunities diminished as she adjusted to playing in the midfield. This year, Vela said she1ll be looking for Shepko to resume her scoring role and spark the Lobo attack. "Julie Shepko was known as a goal scorer at the NAIA level and we're just trying to get her back to being known as a goal scoring threat,2 said Vela. 3She was before, there1s no reason why she can1t be again, it's just a matter of giving her the ball and giving her chances." After entering last season as an unheralded walk-on, sophomore Camille Bremer has established herself as a key element of the UNM attack. Bremer played sparingly last year, but made the most of her time on the field by scoring a pair of goals on just nine shots. Her progress accelerated during spring training, where Vela said she displayed outstanding strength and power at forward. A talented trio of newcomers, junior Marte Dolva (Geilo, Norway) and freshmen Laura Hafner (Katy, Texas) and Coco D1Angelo (Mission Viejo, Calif.), will join Shepko and Bremer up front. Dolva, an All-American Alpine skier on the UNM ski team, was an accomplished goal scorer in her native Norway, but had not played regularly since July of 2000. She spent this summer competing in a top amateur league in Norway to refine her skills and should be ready to contribute immediately this fall. Both Hafner and D1Angelo were outstanding high school players who will see plenty of time at forward this season. Hafner is a hard worker with size and strength, while D1Angelo brings tenacity, speed and playmaking ability to the forward rotation. Despite the general inexperience of her forwards, Vela said she has high expectations for the group this season. "One of the good things about having young players is that they don't always know their own weaknesses," Vela said. "They think they're strong in everything, they think they're invincible. We are going to have a more dynamic group up front. I think we're going to have to be patient with them, but they1re going to be good." MIDFIELDERS Like the forwards, there will be several new faces in the midfield this season. As many as 13 players could see time at midfielder this season, which gives Vela the luxury of a deep rotation at the position. "It's well known that the midfielders are the hardest working," she said. "They cover the most ground offensively and defensively. If you don't have good transition, you don't have a good game. We1ve got hard-working kids and a good rotation. Instead of having one player playing 90 minutes and having to save themselves, we1ve got several players we can rotate who will be able to go 20 to 30 minutes all out.2 Returning in the midfield for UNM this season are juniors Michelle Longmire and Linda Melendres and sophomore Erchen Theys. Longmire, a tenacious wide midfielder, started 14 games, recorded 21 shots and an assist last season. Meanwhile, the speedy Theys led all Lobo freshmen in 2000 with 11 starts and notched 22 shots, one goal and two assists. Though she played sparingly last fall, Vela said Melendres improved dramatically over the spring and is poised for a breakout season in 2001. While New Mexico's midfielders were solid last year, Vela said she wants the group to have a greater offensive role this season. Seeking to ignite the Lobo attack and better utilize the players1 strengths, she moved junior forwards Tara Alarid, Michelle Nowfel and Casie Deegan back into the midfield. "Part of the dynamic of the offense is getting the midfield involved," Vela said. "(Alarid, Nowfel and Deegan) have that attacking mentality and we1ve trained them to become attacking midfielders, to come out of the midfield into the attack so that we have more numbers in the box. We're asking them to combine with the forwards and actually become a forward when we're in the attacking third of the field. They1re more than capable of doing it and it has been working well." A large group of incoming midfielders will also join the rotation this year. Rachael Addison (Tyler, Texas), an outstanding offensive catalyst in high school, leads a group of incoming freshmen that includes Kelly Campbell (Greely, Colo.) and local Albuquerque United club stand-outs LeAnne Hendren (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Olga Vargas (Albuquerque, N.M.). DEFENDERS Despite notching five shutouts, the second-highest total in the Mountain West, and performing admirably under pressure last season, Vela said she believes the UNM defense can be even better in 2001. With a corps of talented, experienced defenders anchoring the back, Vela said the group simply needs to improve its fundamentals and adjust to the coaching staff1s new defensive techniques. "We're looking to tighten it up and play better defense," she said. "It's not from a lack of ability, because these kids are good. We just have to get them a little more experience in learning our defensive philosophies." Seniors Jamie Minkler and Danielle Pecastaing will be instrumental in the Lobos' defensive success. Minkler, a three-year starter, earned second team all-conference honors last season while playing 1,764 minutes. Her athletic ability, composure and leadership will be counted on again this year. Meanwhile, Pecastaing, a converted forward, had a breakout season in 2000 at defender. She quickly established herself as one of the team's most active and aggressive defenders while recording a career-high 19 starts and 1,744 minutes. Sophomore Clare Pollock also proved herself to be a very capable defender as a true freshman last year. Pollock steadily improved throughout the season and is primed to take her game to the next level this year. The defense will be strengthened by a stellar group of incoming freshmen. Deidre Devault (Lakewood, Colo.), who originally signed a letter of intent with UNM in 2000, trained with the team all spring and should make an immediate impact this fall. Nicole McCarty (Mission Viejo, Calif.) should be another impact player this season. A converted high school goalkeeper loaded with speed and raw talent, Vela said McCarty can stand with anybody. Alicia Waltz, a former all-state forward at Taos (N.M.) High School, and Rebekah Gingras (Albuquerque, N.M.) will also gain valuable experience playing in New Mexico's talented defensive backfield. GOALKEEPERS One of New Mexico's greatest strengths is its goalkeeping corps, led by senior Shelly Hammock. Jorge Vela said he feels fortunate to have inherited such an outstanding group of keepers who have not nearly reached their potential. Hammock has established herself over the last three years as one of the finest goalkeepers ever to play at UNM, ranking second in career saves and third in career shutouts and goals against average. In addition to her career-high 19 starts and 1,752 minutes last season, Hammock established career-highs and finished second in the MWC in both shutouts (5) and saves (104). Vela said he believes few goalkeepers in the country can match Hammock1s talent. Other coaches apparently agree as Hammock was recently chosen for the USA National 3B2 Team Pool while playing at the U.S. Sports Festival. "We have one of the best keepers in the nation playing for us," he said. "Her experience and maturity in the goal are tremendous. Our work with her in the spring wasn1t so much to improve her skills, but to sharpen them and improve her confidence, making her believe, "Hey, I'm actually a pretty good goalkeeper." Vela also said he feels confident that sophomore Kathy Graf could step in and handle the goalkeeping duties if needed. Last year, Graf saw action in just two games and notched a save on her only shot faced. "We're very happy with how far Kathy came from where she was at the beginning of the spring to the way she finished at the end," he said. "She improved tremendously and also got a lot stronger mentally." The final piece of the UNM goalkeeping puzzle is redshirt freshman Kristin Winters. Winters, an outstanding high school and club keeper, was sidelined all of 2000 with a broken leg. Now after months of grueling rehab, Vela said Winters is healthy and ready to compete. 2001 and BEYOND While immediate success is the goal in 2001, the Vela1s have put a premium on recruiting the finest athletes in the nation to ensure New Mexico's success year in and year out. "Recruiting is a big thing for us," said Vela. "We want to keep New Mexico's best kids at home and we need to continue to get kids interested in New Mexico, interested in Albuquerque and interested in the university for all the great things that it has to offer: the academics, the athletics and the social life." This fall the Lobos' talent will be on display throughout the nation as the schedule takes them from coast to coast. Five 2000 NCAA Tournament teams and eight nationally and regionally ranked squads are featured on the schedule. The new-look Lobos will be tested early with a challenging road slate that includes matches at Colgate, Syracuse, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Furman, Kentucky and Colorado College. Back in Albuquerque, the fans will be treated to a tremendous home schedule as New Mexico hosts seven marquee matches on the brand new, lush grass field at the UNM Soccer Complex. Beginning with games against regional rivals Texas Tech and UTEP, the 2001 home schedule intensifies with matches against Southeast Conference squad Alabama and Pac-10 power Washington State before concluding with a trio of pivotal Mountain West Conference contests against Wyoming, UNLV and San Diego State. "We have a great schedule this year and we're strengthening it every year," said Vela. "We play three Pac-10 teams, including Washington State, which was the only team to beat (sixth-ranked) Washington in the Pac-10 last year. It says a lot about our program to have them come down and play us."
Truly, the energy and excitement of women's soccer is back at the
University of New Mexico. With Kit and Jorge Vela leading a talented and
rejuvenated group of athletes against some of the nation1s finest teams,
the up-and-coming New Mexico Lobos will be worth watching in 2001.
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