Different Goals Set Tone in 2003 

Pirate Ladies Looking for Elusive NCAA Bid; Men Starting Over

Men's Preview | Women's Preview

WEEKLY NOTEBOOKS

By Ron Cherubini
©2003 Bonesville.net

Last season was a bit of a disappointment for both the men and women. Despite a very successful campaign seeing the women post an 11-6-4 (5-2-3) mark and a third place finish in Conference-USA, coach Rob Donnenwirth and his women saw what could have been a fantastic season become just a good one. On the men’s side, high expectations gave way to major disappointment for Devin O’Neill and his charges. The men finished 6-10-2 (2-6-2) and among the bottom-feeders in C-USA.

Senior Brian Deutsch is one of C-USA's top scorers.

For both teams, the expectations are again high, but the realities are much different for each team. The ECU women are legitimate contenders for the league title, losing only two impact players from their roster a year ago. On the men’s side, the team has a rejuvenated outlook with the winds of change in the air following the departure of O’Neill and the elevation of former assistant coach Michael Benn, a 1995 star at Lehigh University, to the permanent head coaching position.

Benn, a players’ coach, has rekindled excitement among the Pirate players, but in a league as full of powerhouse squads as C-USA, enthusiasm can carry you only so far. The league is again looking up at the likes of Saint Louis – picked to win it this year – UAB, and Cincinnati and the Pirates find themselves trying to find out what mojo teams like Louisville and South Florida are using to make their climbs to the top of the league. And, with Texas Christian folding men’s soccer on the varsity level, another opportunity for a win for the Pirates in the league may have gone by the wayside.

"C-USA is one of the best conferences in the country," Benn remarked. "Saint Louis was the preseason pick and will be very good. Cincinnati returns 10 starters from last year's C-USA runner up. UAB is one of the best programs in the country year-in and year-out. South Florida, Louisville, and Charlotte are all teams that could win the championship. Our schedule is very tough. The top four teams in C-USA come to Greenville this year. We have tough in state matchups with UNC-Wilmington, Campbell, Elon, High Point, and UNC-Asheville. We have some new opponents this year in Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt, and Loyola-Chicago."

Still, the men have one key ingredient and that is dogged determination and Benn will have nothing less than that on his squad. Many a player from last season’s roster have found their way out of the program since Benn took over and those that remain are committed to working hard and excelling at soccer at ECU.

The only starter the squad lost was R.J. Marvinney, an excellent goalkeeper. The team has some potential scorers – one being Brian Deutsch (19 points in ’02) –  and a solid core of midfielders, including Reed Avren (who distributed eight assists in ’02). The bigger question is simply whether or not, at their best, the current host of Pirates can even match-up on a skill level with the rest of the players in the league. No slight to the effort given by the players, but the men have found it difficult to sign players that are of the caliber of the top-flight teams in C-USA.

On the women’s side, Donnenwirth has been building a strong team over the years and although they lose All-CUSA midfielder Amanda Duffy, the returning cast is as strong or stronger than last season. Plus, Duffy has stayed with the team as an assistant coach, giving another layer of continuity.

Cincinnati, Charlotte, Saint Louis, and Marquette are all picked to finish ahead of the Pirates, but the pack is so tight at the top of the league, the women have little interest in preseason prognostication. The team is every bit as talented as its peers and are ready to prove it.

Senior defender Penny Perrott was the only Pirate selected to the preseason all-league team, but the lineup is full of players who could be on that list at season’s end. The team has one of the more exciting finishers in the league in rising sophomore Meghan McCallion and captain Mindy Nixon is a veteran player in the league.

For this year’s installment of the women’s team, anything short of a trip to the C-USA tournament finals will be a disappointment. They have been within a sniff of that title already and it is time, according to the team, to aim higher. The team has circled both the C-USA tournament and an NCAA berth as priorities this season. They have the talent to do it…can they put it together and survive a powerhouse out of conference schedule that includes Miami, Texas, Wake Forest and Florida. Add to the mix Charlotte and Cincinnati in league, and the Pirates are boasting one of the toughest slates in the country this season.

The team is jacked up about the challenge as well they should be, given their expectation to make the big dance this season.

For Pirate soccer fans, 2003 has the potential for both boastful pride on the women’s side and, if things fall right, some surprising wonderment on the men’s side. Regardless, both the men’s and women’s programs have elevated their skill level of the past five seasons and good to great soccer is now being played over on Bunting Field.

WEEKLY NOTEBOOKS

East Carolina Men

This Week’s Slate:

Friday, August 29: ECU at Elon, 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 31: ECU at Highpoint, 7 p.m.

Last Week:

UNC-Pembroke 2, ECU 1 (exhibition)

On Saturday, UNC-Pembroke got a goal in the 66th minute to bust a 1-1 deadlock and take the exhibition contest 2-1. Forward Brian Deutsch tallied ECU's lone goal in the 59th minute. The game was not what first-year coach Michael Benn was expecting from his team as the opener approaches. "Our effort was nearly not at the level it needed to be tonight," ECU head coach Michael Benn said. "We're going to correct our mistakes. We're going to go back to work Monday and get ready for Elon."

Duke 5, ECU 2 (exhibition)

In exhibition action on Monday, ACC stalwart Duke held off the Pirates 5-2. The game did show some tenacity from the Pirates who trailed 2-0 before getting goals from freshman forward Adam Combs and senior midfielder Michael Logan. Logan tallied in the 49th minute and Combs found twine in the 71st minute to tie the game at 2. In the battle for goalie, Brian Pope allowed two Duke goals while Chris Hicks gave up three goals. 

Coach Benn says:

"We have a great group of guys. As coaches, we hope to build a program where our work ethic and competitiveness are cornerstones of our program as we continue to improve. We want passionate, energetic, competitive and motivated players to fill our roster. If we can bring a high work rate, work smartly, and defend well, I think we will be a very solid soccer team. These are the qualities we need to build upon to make us a C-USA contender."

Looking Ahead:

What to look for this week goes here.

Around C-USA:

On Friday, Cincinnati dropped its exhibition match at home to IUPUI, 1-0, despite racking up 13 shots to just 2 to their opponents...On Wednesday, Charlotte routed Wingate 8-3 in exhibition action. Junior Mira Mupier tallied a hat trick for the 49ers. John Nabers, Juan Munoz-Airey, Chris Arnold, and David Costa each added goals for Charlotte...In other exhibition action on Tuesday, Saint Louis used a tally by sophomore midfielder Cooper McKee in the 82nd minute to salvage a tie with Southwest Missouri State...UAB, touring the United Kingdom, notched its third win against zero losses in taking on the Brits. Jose Rayo scored the game-winner in the 48th minute to down Chester City F.C. 3-1. Angelo Thompson and Rogerio Oliviera also tallied for the Blazers...Charlotte fell 2-0 to 4th-ranked Wake Forest in its exhibition opener.

The Tally Sheet:

The following table lists the top-returning scorers in 2003 with their stats from last season:

East Carolina Women

This Week’s Slate:

Friday, August 29, 2003: ECU vs. Texas, at Raleigh, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 31, 2003: Liberty at ECU, 2:00 p.m.

Last Week:

ECU 5, Old Dominion 0 (exhibition)

The Pirates dominated former Colonial Athletic Association foe Old Dominion in ECU's first exhibition contest, blasting ODU 5-0. Five different Pirates tallied in the contest, the first preseason match for both squads. Krystal Pabey found twine on a finish from a service from newcomer Carmen Caplo in the 13th minute. Scoring sensation Meghan McCallion followed that goal up with a quick net after stealing a pass from an ODU defender at the 13:38 mark. Also scoring for ECU were freshman Kate Lowe who tallied on a service from junior transfer Rennice Sherard and veteran Rachelle Cabeceiras who converted a corner kick from sophomore Tracy Fitzgerald. Calpo finished the scoring in the 58th minute connecting on a pass from Allison Howell. "I think overall we did well as a team," said coach Rob Donnenwirth of his team's performance. "We capitalized on (ODU's) mistakes early and it kind of took the wind out of their sails. In the second half, even though we didn't score any goals I thought we produced some good chances."

Around C-USA:

On Friday night, Alabama-Birmingham and star Tara Kidwell made some preseason noise, demolishing No. 13 Tennessee, 4-0. Kidwell did not disappoint, tallying twice on the night and Jill Knottek and Jenny Meyer added goals. Keeper Julie McFarlane turned back five shots to collect the shutout...Southern Miss blanked Birmingham Southern 3-0 in exhibition play. Junior Lauren Prewitt tallied twice and redshirt sophomore Laura James added the final goal. Goalie Anna Snyder recorded the shutout...Illinois shutout Marquette 4-0 in exhibition play, leaving the Golden Eagles rethinking their preparedness for the upcoming season. The teams played two regulation periods plus an overtime for situationals...Saint Louis edged Southeast Missouri State 3-2 in exhibition soccer. Freshman midfielder Courtney Hulcer tallied once and added an assist for the Billikens. Christie Cigno tallied for SLU in the 13th minute from Hulcer and freshman forward Anna Schuch also tallied, her's coming in the 40th minute...Memphis won its final exhibition 1-0 over Western Kentucky on the strength of a Nicky McLeod overtime tally...Louisville freshman Lindsay Sheer assisted once and tallied the game winner to lead the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the St. Xavier High School boys junior varsity club in exhibition action...A Christian Brothers University goal in the 90th minute stole the show to down the Memphis Tigers 1-0 in exhibition soccer on Wednesday night. 

Coach Donnenwirth says:

“We had our best spring ever. We have a committed group of returners and the seniors are part of my first recruiting class. I feel they are a very special group. Mindy has been a great captain and Penny Perrot and Tina Rivera have always been key players. All three start in the back, giving us a lot of stability. Our other senior, Cristin Bowman, has not seen a lot of time on the field, but she is a great person and is great for team chemistry.”

Looking Ahead:

What to look for this week goes here.

The Tally Sheet:

The following table lists the top-returning scorers in 2003 with their stats from last season: