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Unfinished Business as Soccer Opens 8/8/2006
Vanderbilt’s women’s soccer team, coming off its finest season in nearly a decade, gets its 2006 season underway with the start of fall practice Wednesday. The team reports to campus today. The Commodores return 17 letter-winners and the 2005 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year as they aim to earn a repeat trip to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Ronnie Coveleskie says despite last year’s 17-3-3 season (8-2-1 in SEC play), the team was left with an unsatisfied feeling. “We took a good step toward establishing a strong program of winning last year,” Coveleskie says, “but when we lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament we knew we were capable of much more. That left us in the off-season thinking of the unfinished business of last fall and that has driven us harder in preparing for this year.” Coveleskie has identified team unity and senior class leadership along with implementing a more attacking offensive style of play as focal points during the off-season workouts. “We are typically considered a strong defensive team,” Coveleskie notes, “but we need to become a more potent offensive threat and I think we will. We anticipate scoring more this year. We think we will have more team speed with Lea Lafield, Amy Bauman and Sarah Dennis up front.” While generating more offense is important, Vanderbilt will still have a formidable defensive presence led by keeper Tyler Griffin, the record-setter who not only earned SEC and All-America accolades but was the school’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2005-06. “It is reassuring to have someone of Tyler’s talent and experience in your goal,” Coveleskie says, “and we will rely on her considerably. But with Monica Buff and Kari Boersman we have seasoned veterans to provide organization and composure defensively and expect big things from Brett Burns and Audrey Nonemaker. We have plenty of reasons to be optimistic on the defensive side of the game.” The Commodores also welcome to campus a five-member freshman class that is expected to contribute as the year progresses. Two-a-day practices begin Wednesday and are permitted by rules as late as August 19. Coveleskie said she and her staff will determine if two-a-days are curtailed sooner than that with the team’s overall conditioning being the prime consideration. The season gets underway with an exhibition game at home August 18 against Missouri, followed by the regular season opener August 25 on the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex against Colorado. |
