Teams Deal with Unexpected Setbacks
After lopsided losses, teams are
taking stock of where they are heading
By
Ron Cherubini
©2002 Bonesville.net
It was a week of setbacks for both the men’s and women’s soccer
teams this past week. The disappointments came in the form of 4 –
that is, 4-0 and 4-1 losses. Both clubs were expecting anything but
lop-sided losses as the women were on cruise control and unbeaten
and them men were coming off a competitive performance up in Big Ten
country.
The women headed into their clash with the University of South
Carolina riding a 2-0-1 unbeaten streak and coming off a strong
finish against Virginia Tech in the opening round of the Charlotte
Classic. After battling to a 1-1 tie midway through the second half,
the Gamecocks broke open the contest and ripped off three unanswered
scores leaving the Pirates scratching their heads in the wake of a
the 4-1 loss.
“Obviously our team is disappointed with the results this
weekend,” women’s coach Rob Donnenwirth said. “I felt our current
lack of depth at center-mid was going to be an issue. It really
showed in our second game versus South Carolina. I felt we worked
very hard defensively but didn’t do a good job in transition to
offense. We need to possess the ball better and make other teams do
the chasing.”
The week was not all negative for the women, as Donnenwirth focused
on the positives.
“The positive was how we came back from a 2-0 deficit versus
Virginia Tech,” he said. “2-0 is hard to come back from and I felt
our team showed they will never give up. This is a sign of maturity
from our upperclassmen. We also had chances to win the game in
overtime.
“South Carolina was an excellent team. Their depth was the deciding
factor. We battled from being down 1-0 at half-time and scored a
great goal off a corner kick to tie it 1-1.”
Penny Perrott showed that she is going to be a large part of the ECU
attack. It was Perrott who pushed up the field on a set piece – a
corner kick – and went to the air to head home a perfectly placed
Amanda Duffy service.
“We were hoping momentum would shift at this point but South
Carolina took another lead,” Donnenwirth recalled. “At this point we
pushed players forward to try and get the equalizer. This exposed us
in the back and USC scored two goals in the last five minutes.”
The depth in the midfield for the women’s team is being addressed.
Sophomore midfielder Krystel Pabey was not able to play in the
Charlotte tourney due to a paperwork screw-up but all has been
resolved and she will bring more needed midfield support to the
team.
With Campbell and Virginia Commonwealth, Donnenwirth will be
expecting to see his team pick up again and refocus. With the
offensive weapons his team possesses, he knows that the 4-1 setback
to USC should be more anomaly than norm.
“Meghan (McCallion) and (Amanda) Duffy are legit forwards for any
team,” he said of his forwards. “As good as they have been, they are
still learning about each other. At times they are pulled too far
apart from each other, which makes it difficult for them to use each
other for combinations. Our second goal against Virginia Tech is
more of what we are looking for (from the combination). It was a
perfect three-way combination starting with Rachelle Cabeceiras
passing to McCallion. McCallions’ one-touch pass to a streaking
Duffy found her on a breakaway and finished in a goal.”
Both Duffy and McCallion are among the early points leaders in
C-USA.
For the men, the 4-0 loss at South Florida was probably as confusing
as it was disappointing to a team with high expectations this
season. The excitement still exists for the club and this team does
love a challenge, but to back step after a competitive weekend
against Big Ten stalwarts was not expected.
With Elon up next and a huge conference match looming with
Charlotte, the men need to find a way to find the twine. Through
three games, the Pirates have only tallied twice while giving up 10
goals. The firepower exists for ECU, which has a number of scorers
in the lineup, but the finish is still lacking.
Today's match with the Phoenix serves as the best opportunity for
Coach O'Neill and his charges to right the soccer ship and put it
all together for the remainder of the league slate.
NOTEBOOKS:
East Carolina Men
This Week’s Slate:
Today, Sept. 11: Elon at ECU, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 15: Charlotte at ECU, 2:00 p.m.
Last Week:
South Florida 4, East Carolina 0 in Tampa, FL
Coach O’Neill says:
Coach O'Neill was not available to comment by presstime.
Looking Ahead:
ECU is desperately seeking a victory when it jumps out of conference
today to take on Elon, a team expected to compete for the Big
South Conference title this season. Elon returns 13 lettermen
including all-leaguer defender Devin McCanon and offensive threat
Paul Bellacqua who tallied seven times in 2001. The Phoenix (1-2-0)
is coming off its first win, a 3-1 victory over Long Island. On
Friday, the Pirates host Conference-USA rival Charlotte, which sits
among the league leaders as the out of conference slate progresses.
Charlotte has a bevy of scorers including Tim Flavin, Shane Carew,
and Mira Mupier. The 49ers are looking like contenders this season.
The Pirates will be looking to break into the win column this week,
preferably notching a pair and bagging their first C-USA victory of
the season.
Rewind:
After a solid, albeit unsuccessful, appearance at the Ohio State
NIKE Classic to open the season, the Pirates took a clear step
backwards in getting blanked by South Florida in both teams’
Conference USA Opener. Had it not been for an incredible performance
in the net by R.J. Marvinney (15 saves), it could have even
uglier than the 4-0 score. Marvinney was staunch between the pipes
until he finally cracked at the 66-minute mark. Lack of offensive
opportunities was glaring as the Pirates were outshot 25-4 on the
day.
On the Pitch:
The offense has been severely lacking thus far. Forwards Joe
Ellington and Brian Deutsch and midfielders Clyde
Simms and Brian Bostian must pick up the effort if ECU is
going to contend this season. Marvinney is a battle-tested,
tough-minded goalie, but he will not last long this season if he
continues to get hammered between the pipes.
Sidelined:
Currently, no Pirates are sidelined.
Around C-USA:
Saint Louis, ranked 13th nationally, are still trying to
figure it out this season. Expected to be a national contender, the
Billikens are still seeking a first win. In fact, at 0-2-1, the
Billikens are now behind in the league, falling earlier in the week
to Marquette, 1-0, in the C-USA opener for both clubs…In blasting
Birmingham Southern 4-0, Charlotte convincingly captured the NIKE
Classic Championship hosted by UAB and held in Birmingham, Alabama.
UAB’s Mikey Spitzer and Flavio Monteiro earned all-tournament
recognition for their club at the same NIKE Classic Championship.
The Blazers – ranked 23rd nationally – won their first game and then
lost a heart-breaker to Rhode Island, 3-2 in double-overtime… TCU
couldn’t stand up to the relentless pressure put on by 18th ranked
Bradley, falling 2-1 in a tough match at the finals of the Tulsa
Golden Hurricane Kickoff Classic. Junior forward Aaron Miranda,
senior midfielders Carrington Brown and Jon Meyers, and soph goalie
Justin Durst were named to the all-tournament team…Memphis overcame
two redcards within a five minute span and held off Northeastern 2-1
to capture the Memphis-Diadora Tournament. Defender Graham Gibbs was
the tourney MVP for the Tigers…Louisville thumped UNC-Asheville 3-1
to get a win in their Seelbach Classic tournament. Adrian Cann and
Matt Neely made all tournament…DePaul posted its first win – a 3-1
victory over UW-Green Bay at the Coca-Cola Panther Invitational.
Luke Rojo and Adam Hermsen both scored in the win and were named to
the all-tourney team…Charlotte midfielder Shane Carew was named the
Conference-USA Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named the
MVP for the UAB NIKE tournament, which the 49ers captured over the
weekend.
The Tally Sheet:
The following table lists the Conference-USA leading scorers as of
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002:
Player |
Team |
Goals |
Assists |
Total
Points |
GRANT, Jelani |
Louisville |
3 |
1 |
7 |
MONTEIRO, Flavio |
UAB |
3 |
0 |
6 |
TOLOMELLI, Fernando |
Louisville |
2 |
2 |
6 |
WEST, Hunter |
South Florida |
3 |
0 |
6 |
PATRICK, Wiremu |
Cincinnati |
2 |
1 |
5 |
O'BRIEN, Dayton |
Memphis |
2 |
1 |
5 |
FLAVIN, Tim |
Charlotte |
2 |
0 |
4 |
GUTIERREZ, Derek |
Marquette |
2 |
0 |
4 |
REILLY, John |
Memphis |
2 |
0 |
4 |
ROJO, Luke |
DePaul |
2 |
0 |
4 |
ROSE, Matt |
Louisville |
1 |
2 |
4 |
THWAITES, Jeff |
South Florida |
1 |
2 |
4 |
CAREW, Shane |
Charlotte |
1 |
1 |
3 |
MUPIER, Mira |
Charlotte |
1 |
1 |
3 |
RAYO, Jose |
UAB |
1 |
1 |
3 |
SUGAR, Steven |
UAB |
1 |
1 |
3 |
East Carolina Women
This Week’s Slate:
Friday, Sept. 13: ECU at Campbell, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 15: ECU at Virginia Commonwealth, 6:00 p.m.
Last Week:
East Carolina 2, Virginia Tech 2 at Charlotte Classic
South Carolina 4, East Carolina 1at Charlotte Classic
Coach Donnenwirth says:
“This week of practice is important for us. This
is the time of year when teams start to get worn down. We need to
keep focused. We will have Pabey back for this weekend. These will
be two tough games. We handed Campbell their worst loss last year
(6-0) and I know they are foaming at the mouth to get us in Buies
Creek. VCU has had good results beating Seton Hall and losing 2-1 to
Maryland in a close game.”
Looking Ahead:
This week has the Pirate women on the road for a pair of games. On
Friday, the team takes the short jaunt to Buies Creek to take on a
Campbell team that is currently 1-1-1 on the season. The Camels have
a solid offensive capability as demonstrated in a dominating 4-0 win
over UNC-W in the team’s opener. However, UNC-Asheville exploited
the Campbell defense to the tune of 4 tallies in a 4-2 win last
week. The Camels return 10 starters from last season’s 13-6 team and
is talented throughout the lineup.
Up front, talented All-South selection Sara Davis returns.
Davis tallied 11 of Campbell’s 30 goals last season. But the team
strength is in the midfield where all four starters return,
including captain Becky Moghaddam, a stalwart in the attack.
Sophomore Erin Switalski returns after a 2001 campaign where she
carried a 0.92 goals against average in 14 contests. She was 10-4 as
a keeper for Campbell and recorded the second best season in the net
in program history. Against VCU, the Pirates pay a visit to an old
Colonial Athletic Association foe with whom they are intimately
familiar. The Rams (3-1-0) are coming off their first loss of the
season, having fell to Maryland in a 2-1 slugfest. Just two years
ago, VCU was a cellar-dweller in the powerful CAA, but now the Rams
are truly contenders in the league. This match will be a solid
barometer for the Pirates. VCU’s strength is clearly its backline
and goalkeeping. The Rams registered a stingy 1.44 gaa as a team
last season and are anchored by 2001 CAA Defensive Player of the
Year Prue Cormie. Cormie runs the show in the back. Chrissie Lloyde
returns in the net and has a flare for the magnificent save.
Sophomore Jen Parsons returns in the attack after setting the league
afire in her rookie season, leading the CAA in goals 13 and points
29. If VCU tallies first, they are a tough team to come back on.
Rewind:
The Pirates started off well this past week in the Charlotte Classic
Tournament where they were joined by conference rival Charlotte, Big
East power Virginia Tech and SEC contender South Carolina. The
Pirates tied Virginia Tech in the opener 2-2 to remain unbeaten on
the season, but then succumbed to South Carolina 4-1. The loss to
the Gamecocks will undoubtedly have the Pirates back to the drawing
board this week. It was not so much the loss as much as the fact
that this Pirate team, with all of its weapons, couldn’t muster only
one tally on the day. Penny Perrott found the net on a
service from corner by senior forward Amanda Duffy. Against
the Hokies, the Pirates fell behind 2-0 early but regrouped quickly
as freshman Meghan McCallion tallied on a breakaway in the
18th minute. McCallion then served up an assist to Duffy in the 53rd
minute for the equalizer. The teams went to double-overtime, but the
match ended in a draw.
On the Pitch:
Coming out of the
Charlotte tournament, the Pirates are now sure that freshmen forward
Meghan McCallion is a legitimate scoring threat for the
Pirates. The Long Island New Yorker earned all-tournament honors in
Charlotte and is currently among the league leaders in scoring,
which bodes well for the Pirates, who already have one of the most
dangerous offensive weapons in the league in Duffy…Penny Perrott
also garnered all-tournament honors at the Charlotte Classic
Tournament…Rachelle Cabeceiras was
cleared to play 15 minutes per half this past weekend and showed
very well in the midfield, an area where depth is sorely lacking for
the Pirates…With senior back Unicity Dittmer, junior
midfielder Faith Innis, and freshman goalie Michelle
Kmiotek all out for extensive time with injuries, Coach
Donnenwirth will have to make some red-shirt decisions for these
players in the near future…Perrot has been the most consistent
player on the field thus far this season and at 5-11 her size has
made her a real force in the air…Back Mindy Nixon has shown
great speed on the outside, to help kick start transition
opportunities…Donnenwirth cited the toughness this season of Tina
Rivera and Meghan Schwanke recently, saying that they
embody the grit and determination he requires of his team.
Sidelined:
Michelle Kmiotek, Fr, GK, torn ligament in right
thumb – 6 weeks
Unicity Dittmer, Sr., D, knee, week to week
Faith Innis, Jr., MF/F – October
Around C-USA:
Charlotte swept the Conference-USA Player of the Week honors this
past week on the strength of senior goalie Jenn Howell’s tournament
performance this past weekend. Howell was the defensive player of a
the week. Teammate, freshman Courtney Crandell garnered Offensive
Player of the Week honors. The Iowa Gatorade State Player of the
Year last season as a prepster, Crandell scored a game-winner
against South Carolina and also tallied in a win over Virginia Tech
en route to the Charlotte Classic Tournament title victory…The
Tulane Green Wave lost its last two games by a combined total of 7-1
to a pair of former Pirate CAA foes in Richmond and James
Madison…UAB was brought back down to reality after a first week
undefeated. The Blazers took a pair of losses this week, the worst
being a loss to rival Auburn in UAB’s own tournament. The Tigers
smacked UAB 3-0…After a torrid start to the season, the Cincinnati
Bearcats got a reality check this week in the form of a 3-0 loss to
Illinois… Marquette captured the Flyer Classic championship over the
weekend with a 1-0 defeat of tourney host Dayton. The win was a
showcase of domination for Marquette as the Golden Eagles held a
decisive 24-6 shots on goal advantage…The Houston Cougars are
finding it hard to find the twine lately and on the defensive end,
it has been a scorefest for the opponents. The team is coming off of
back-to-back, badly-played shoutout losses at the hands of UTEP
(6-0) and New Mexico (4-0)…South Florida had an mood swinging week
as the team opened the week with a 4-0 blanking of Stetson, only to
come back and suffer a 2-0 loss at the hands of rival
Jacksonville…Southern Miss, riding the goal-scoring of Katie Adams,
have righted themselves after dropping their first two games. The
Golden Eagles swept their two games last week, downing Middle
Tennessee State 2-1 and routed Alabama A&M 7-1...It took Memphis a
span of little more than five minutes to tally a trio of goals and
notch another victory this season, besting Northeastern
3-0…20th-ranked Pepperdine was just too powerful for TCU this week,
blanking the Horned Frogs 2-0 over the weekend. The California trip
took its tool on TCU as the team dropped an early week game to
UC-Santa Barbara 3-1 as well…Lisa Martin tallied a pair of goals for
Louisville as the Cardinals cruised to a 4-1 win over Youngstown
State and posted the team’s first win of the 2002 campaign…The
Military school gauntlet produced mixed results for Saint Louis this
past week. The Billikens took on Army and Navy back-to-back and
split the two contests. Saint Louis downed the U.S. Military Academy
2-1 on a pair of Christie Cigno tallies. The Naval Academy exacted
revenge, however, downing SL 1-0 and ending a three-game winning
streak for the Billikens.
The Tally Sheet:
The following table lists the Conference-USA leading scorers as of
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002:
Player |
Team |
Goals |
Assists |
Total
Points |
ADAMS, Katie |
Southern Miss |
5 |
1 |
11 |
MCCALLION, Meghan |
ECU |
3 |
3 |
9 |
GORDON, Kate |
Marquette |
3 |
2 |
8 |
CARMAN, Nicole |
TCU |
3 |
1 |
7 |
CRANDELL, Courtney |
Charlotte |
3 |
1 |
7 |
WAGNER, Tasha |
Cincinnati |
2 |
3 |
7 |
CANHAM, Lindsay |
Southern Miss |
2 |
2 |
6 |
DUFFY, Amanda |
ECU |
2 |
2 |
6 |
MORRIS, Lindsay |
Tulane |
3 |
0 |
6 |
PERRY, Jamie |
Saint Louis |
3 |
0 |
6 |
SIMONSON, Amy |
Cincinnati |
3 |
0 |
6 |
BAKER, Alison |
Memphis |
2 |
1 |
5 |
HAYES, Jill |
Charlotte |
2 |
1 |
5 |
MARTIN, Lisa |
Louisville |
2 |
1 |
5 |
SITCH, Julianne |
DePaul |
2 |
1 |
5 |
WILES, Tricia |
Southern Miss |
2 |
1 |
5 |
|