| Top
25 and NCAA Tournament Wannabees |
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North
Texas
The
always overlooked Big Green has 10 starters back and would easily be an
NCAA qualifier if the tournament was held today. Krista Davey
and Christy Johnson are two premier players while freshmen Turner,
Kveton and Costanzo stepped in and contributed
immediately in '98. Coach Hedlund has a well balanced team that
will be hard to overlook this time around as on field talent will
produce big wins with few losses.
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Boston
College
Nine
returning starters including five rising juniors get the Eagles close to
a national ranking. Schaeffer is a sure bet in goal but Coach
Alison Foley will need to shore up the defense as starters McKeon
and Cofran depart. Moore, Page and Jansen
are a trio of key freshmen from '98, but the rest of the lineup is
experienced and ready for a Big East push that should propel them into
the national rankings.
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Wake
Forest
A
very young team here with four current freshmen and only 7 starters
returning but Coach da Luz has enough talent to get the Deacs in
the Tourney. The departure of Suddes, Mathewes and Snyder
is big but the Deacs have ACC Rookie of the Year, Emily Taggart,
along with Lewis, Regan, Shropshire and Roeck--enough
talent to possibly move back into the national rankings if key reserves
Parri, Schilling, Scott and Hook can
handle starting roles.
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Ohio
State
The
Buckeyes could be the most underrated team here. 10 starters with a nice
mix of freshmen, sophs and juniors could make this a Top 25 team. Becky
Borchers is a huge loss for Coach Lori Walker, but freshmen
stepped up big in '98. Vierling, Hamilton, Ghorpe
and Blackwell all were regular starters while Nein and
Minteer also got significant playing time. The defense will be
stingy with Jimenez and Orr joining two of the backs
playing in front of keeper Barnes. The Buckeyes were talented
but spotty in '98, but this season will produce a much more consistent
squad.
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Indiana
Five
seniors join three other starters to make the Hoosiers another NCAA
Tourney contender. The defense may need to be rebuilt but Davis
is capable in goal and Etzkorn could help solidify the back
along with Cole. Strikers could be Grose, Watts
or Ryan. Fosdick is a great loss, but the rest of the
Hossiers offense returns for Coach Joe Kelley. This team would
struggle to capture a Big 10 title but could play well enough to crack
the Top 25 and earn a tourney berth.
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Tennessee
A
young Tennessee team with 8 returning starters has Coach McCabe
looking at an NCAA berth after a bad snub in '98. The Vols lose Kees
and Balasch so Beeler and Redecker will have to
improve on defense. Campbell was a great surprise at striker in
'98 and will have to avoid the soph jinx as competitors now know her
skills. Yet, Tennessee has a deep roster that has seen plenty of playing
time in the ever improving SEC. Minnax, Tipton, Dean,
Laughridge and Michner should lead the Vols to a
possible national ranking while gaining that mythical NCAA berth in a
mythical Spring Season.
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Kentucky
Kentucky
has enough talent to get back to the NCAAs but probably not enough to
move into the national rankings. Goalie Kuhnell and striker Staber
will be crucial losses for Coach Warren Lipka. The
backline should be solid with Buemi, Deutschle and Peppers
holding down the starting spots. McMasters will need to have a
standout offensive campaign while Ledzianowski will need another
great year.
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Northwestern
A
young team of 7 returning starters keeps the Wildcats' NCAA hopes alive
after a nice Top 20 run in '98. Coach McDermott has All America
Erica Westrich to rebuild the midfield as Zimmerman and
Latimer depart. The possible return of Cathleen Cooke
will be crucial for the Wildcats chances at earning a ranking. Brooke
Bell is a standout at striker while the defense will call for McCoy
or Rosa to step into the lineup to replace Palmer and
Joehl. Northwestern will be a notch or two below the '98 version
but could still be among the best in the NCAA.
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Minnesota
The
Gophers have 8 returning starters with several top players returning.
Could easily duplicate last year's feat of becoming a Top 25 staple.
High scorers Lee, Seidl and Rackley all return
to keep the offense on a roll. Touset and Wyfeels will
be key defensive losses. The Gophers will look to Koehler, Brodie,
Kruse or FitzGerald to step into the lineup and keep its
NCAA string alive. Dana Larson performs well in goal and leads a
lineup of four rising seniors.
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Alabama
One
of the hardest teams to predict as only two regular starters are gone.
Still a young team, the Tide would be an easy choice for Top 25 if
others step up offensively to replace Miller and Formby.
Pappalardo will also need to be replace on defense but Smith,
Timmerman, Lewis and Reddin all have their eyes
sent on a starting role after being key reserves in '98. Coach
Staley has slowly risen to the ranks of the elite and this team
could be a Cinderella of sorts-there is plenty of talent to crack the
Top 25 and the Tide would easily make the NCAAs in a Spring tourney.
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Maryland
A
disappointing '98 campaign might cause some to overlook the Terps in a
hypothetical spring season as only 7 starters are back along with a new
coach. But the Terps strong schedule presents a misleading '98 record
and this group still has enough talent to be among the nation's best.
The Terps lose three of their top four scorers including All Americas
Emmy Harbo and Kerri Sarver. Basuman and McCullough
are tough losses in midfield. Serrins and Wolff will
give new Head Coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski some defense to
count on. The offense woes will be hard to overcome as the leading
returning scorer is defender Julie Mynarski. Freshmen Beirne
and Klotz will have to play much bigger roles for a very thin
team to get back to the NCAAs.
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Evansville
Top
players return across the field for the Purple Aces who have 8 starters
back. Not highly considered in the past, the field players in this
spring season are legitimate foes for any team on this list. Players to
watch are McKendree and Watkins, both freshmen, and one
of the nation's premier midfielders, Krissy Meek. Lembeck
will carry more offensive load this spring while Kearns will
need a big season in goal with the departure of Sunderhaus. Coach
Mick Lyon always fields a competitive team but in a Spring Season
with teams stripped of departing seniors and unable to use freshmen
recruits, the Purple Aces would stand an excellent chance of making the
NCAA field and possibly cracking the Top 25.
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| Next
Week: Which teams are falling fast out of the national spotlight due
to player departures or a thin roster?... Find out on Thursday, February
4 in Part 6 of Soccer Buzz' Spring '99 Series. |
| Top
| Part 1 | Part
2 | Part 3
| Part 4
| Part 5 |
Part 6 |
Part 7 |
