USD Women's Soccer 2005

Expectations have always been set high for the University of San Diego women 's soccer program and the 2005 season could prove to be another banner year for the Toreros. After guiding USD to a sixth-consecutive berth into the NCAA College Cup Tournament last year, third-year head coach Ada Greenwood has reason to believe that his returning team has the combination of talent and drive to advance past the second round of postseason play for the first time in school history. Ranked No. 30 in the Soccer Buzz Preseason Top-30 Poll, San Diego welcomes back seven starters from a squad that finished with an overall record of 12-8-2, placed third in the West Coast Confer– ence (WCC) with a 5-1-1 mark, and recorded wins over four ranked programs, including No. 3 Washington and NCAA College Cup Final Four participant Santa Clara.

year of experience under her belt, the 5-6 forward should be even more dangerous up front. Vella established herself as one of the country's top young players after garnering a spot on Soccer Buzz's All-Far West Freshmen Team. The 5-5 defender reads the game extremely well and is able to anticipate the opposition , making her a tough match-up in the backfield . Cook broke numerous school records as the starting goalkeeper en route to earning AII-WCC Hon– orable Mention accolades in 2004. The 5-7 netminder established new USD single season marks in goalkeeping minutes (2,015:56), games started (22), and games played (22), in addition to placi ng second all-time in saves with 92 . "Experience means a lot and those three came in and had a major, major impact in their positions," remarked Greenwood. "They are good players who will continue to add to the program."

The fi rst order of the year, however, is to find a way to replace five graduated seniors, including defensive standouts,All-American Kaitlyn Pruett and Andrea Keesling, along with AII-WCC midfielders Marie-Claude Henry and Brooke Roby. Greenwood, who was honored as both the wee Coach of the Year and the Union Tribune San Diego Coach of the Year last season, notes the loss of key players will impact the team in a significant way, but has confidence that a talented collection of returning personnel will fill the void . Greenwood will turn to his only seniors, Michelle Rowe and Lee Klopschinski, to provide the necessary leadership that will be essential both on and off the field . Rowe has consistently been one of the top point scorers for the Toreros over her career. Her speed and strength up front wil l once again be an asset to the USD offense. Talented off the dribble, the 5-11 forward commu– nicates well with her teammates and can finish well with both feet in front of the goal. Klopschinski is a versatile player who has the skills and smarts to start in a number

In addition , the Torero coaching staff ex– pects that another sophomore, Leigh Ann Robinson, will continue to start in the back– field after having a good freshman year and a productive spring season. The team will also benefit from the experience of junior team captains Veronica Ambort and Brittany Young, along with juniors Shannon Sullivan and Joslyn Williams. The 2005 season will also feature one of San Diego's largest incoming classes in recent memory. A total of 11 freshmen will suit up for the Toreros this year and Greenwood believes that all of them have a chance to make a strong impact. The Class of 2009 will bring a blend of speed , athleticism, and skill into the mix, adding depth to all positions in the field. "If [the freshmen] perform to the standards that we saw when we recruited them, then I feel that all of them will be great additions to the program. They all bring different types of technical abilities and talents," revealed Greenwood . "We've added a goalkeeper, in addition to some good frontrunners,

Sophomore Vanessa Vella anchors the Torero defense.

of positions on the field . A goal scorer, the 5-8 forward/midfielder netted the game-decider in San Diego's 2-1 upset victory over the 3 rd -ranked Huskies last season . "They are both super dedicated and they bring a lot to the team , both on and off the field ," said Greenwood about his senior duo. "They have both been very valuable the three previous seasons and I think more than anything , they want to go out knowing they had the best possible season ." Aiding the seniors will be a trio of sophomores who made quite a splash in their first year of collegiate competition. Amy Epsten, Vanessa Vella, and Karen Cook made life easy on Greenwood and his staff, excelling in their respective positions as true freshmen . Epsten was voted the 2004 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year after recording a team-leading 10 goals and 22 points last season. Her ability to fi nd the back of the net is uncanny and with a

midfielders, and defenders."

With such a deep and experienced squad on his hands, Greenwood has constructed a very competitive schedule that is considered one of the most difficult in the nation. San Diego will face a total of nine teams that qualified for the NCAA College Cup Tournament in 2004 and a total of eight clubs that are listed in Soccer Buzz's Preseason Top-30 Poll, including No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Portland , No. 8 Santa Clara, and No. 9 Duke. Despite the challenges the Toreros will face this upcoming season , Greenwood is optimistic about their prospects and is confident that they will be able to overcome any hurdle that is thrown at them. "We have a team that is dedicated to being as good as they possibly can and if they stick to that game plan, I feel we'll be very successful as a team, " stated Greenwood . "If everyone trains hard on a daily basis, we can achieve anything we want. "

USD WOMEN'S SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES - 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1996