Sepetember 19, 2007

Anteater turnaround
Big West notebook: The UCI women's soccer team is playing at a different level.
By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register

UC Irvine women’s soccer team has won four games this season. The Anteaters have outscored their past five opponents, 13-0. They have allowed just three goals on 61 combined shots on goal.

For most teams, that’s not a big deal. For most teams, numbers like that are ho-hum.

For the Anteaters (4-1-1), though, those numbers represent 180-degree turnaround.

Last season, Irvine could barely find the goal and winning was a reason to celebrate. The Anteaters finished 3-31-1, were shut out 12 times and outscored, 41-6 overall.

So what changed?

For starters, the coach did. Scott Juniper, as assistant last season, took over the program when April Heinrichs, the former U.S. women’s national team coach who decided one college season was enough.

Plus, much of the team is new, with 19 underclassmen on the 31-player roster, including goalkeeper Danielle de Seriere, a freshman from Mayfair High in Lakewood. She has not allowed a goal in 472 minutes and will be in goal Friday when the Anteaters take on No. 25 University of San Diego.

“We’re not doing too many different things,” Juniper said. “We are building on the same principles that we introduced a year ago.”

Juniper said a key difference, though, is the way the Anteaters play defense. He said their attack is more spread out rather than keying in on individuals, which they tried last season.

“They have gotten over the threshold of implementing a new system,” Juniper said. “Last season, I think during games, if we got behind, the team would resort to old habits and many times we would find ourselves caught between the two (defensive) systems.

“You can be successful either way, but not one-half of one and one-half of the other.”

Juniper credited de Seriere, but said central defenders Makenzie Beahm and Kathleen Lemieux and outside defenders Rachel Flemming and freshman Caty Cope are also keys to the Anteaters’ early success.

“The goalie and the back four are fundamental in this system,” he said.

Sophomore Kate Berrini leads the offense with four goals and three assists, while Frankee Kelly has added three goals.

GIBBENS PACES FULLERTON

Cal State Fullerton junior defender Jenae Gibbens was one of 18 players nationwide honored this week by Soccer Buzz as a top performer.

Gibbens led the Titans to victories against then-No. 14 Cal and Oklahoma to extend their winning streak to three. Fullerton held previously unbeaten Cal to a season-low nine shots in a 2-1 double-overtime defeat and then limited Oklahoma to a season-low tying five shots.

Fullerton returns to action at 7 tonight as the Titans close out a three-match home stand against Loyola Marymount.

CRIMES ON TOP AGAIN

Long Beach State’s Alexis Crimes totaled 57 kills in three matches last week, including tying a career-high 27 kills in a five-game victory against No. 17 Ohio State to earn Big West Player of the Week.

Again.

Crimes, who hit over .350 in the three matches, has been honored six times in her career with the weekly honor, tying Misty May, another 49ers star. Only Danielle Scott (nine) and Cheryl Weaver and Tara Cross (both with seven) have more.

UCI OPENS BIG WEST PLAY

Irvine’s women’s volleyball team, led by Lauren Kellerman, opens Big West Conference play against UC Riverside at UCI Thursday.

Kellerman, a returning first-team all-conference outside hitter, leads the Anteaters (10-3) with 162 kills, while freshman Kari Pestolesi has 155.