This is the third installment of White & Blue Review’s preview for the 2009 Creighton women’s soccer team. Join us every day this week as we take a look at a different part of Bruce Erickson’s club, leading up to his team’s exhibition game Sunday, August 16, versus Minnesota State.
The Midfield
As most soccer fans know, the key ingredient to a successful side is a strong midfield. The good news for the Jays is that while they lost some contributors to graduation, two of their top three points performers return to the midfield this season.
Graduated seniors Nicole DeLue, Lindsay Vaught, and Shawn Mangrum all saw minutes in the midfield. Those three combined for 11 goals and 6 assists. They were clutch performers; all three of Mangrum’s goals were game winners, as were 2 of Vaught’s 4 scores, according to GoCreighton.com’s 2008 season statistics.
And as hard as it is to replace seniors with the accrued experience shared by these three, Bruce Erickson and his coaches have developed a core midfield for 2009 that brings into the season some sparkling players.
Leading the way in the middle are seniors Mary Zapapas and Kyla Hoskins. Zapapas led the 2008 squad with 5 assists and tallied 13 points (good for second on the squad behind Marcy Gans) in 13 starts, good enough to earn her honorable mention All-MVC consideration. Hoskins recorded the third highest total of minutes played by non-keepers last season (1429) and started 17 matches.
The junior class will be instrumental in establishing the midfield for Erickson’s squad in 2009. The 2007 MVC Freshman of the Year, 2008 second team All-Valley representative, and now preseason All-MVC midfielder Emily Orbell will pace this pack of Bluejays. She started 14 matches last year as a sophomore and will look to build on her 4 goals and 4 assists from 2008.
Joining her are fellow juniors Claire Zach and Grace Kwon. Zach, a local product from Omaha Marian High School, started a couple of games last season and looks to increase her playing time this year. Kwon appeared in 9 matches last season for the second consecutive campaign.
All told, the junior midfielders tallied a combined total of 1,789 minutes of action and bring extensive experience to this year’s squad.
Sophomores Beth Fyles and Carey Dahlquist will also try to earn more minutes in the midfield this season. Fyles started 9 matches and played in 11 as a freshman, dishing 3 assists and firing a couple of shots on goal. Dahlquist saw action in just 3 matches and will look to expand her role.
The Bluejays welcome three freshmen as primarily midfielders in 2009. Sarah Kendall (California), Alexa Lind (Omaha Skutt High School), and Laura Nasseri (California) join the program this year and will try to assert themselves into the rotation in the middle.
Tomorrow we will look at the defense for the Jays. Stay tuned!.