Aug. 21, 2001
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Following the inaugural season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the University of Denver women's soccer team will take the field this fall, aiming for the 2001 Sun Belt Conference title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach Jeff Hooker led the Pioneers to an 11-6-3 record in 2000, which marked the 15th consecutive non-losing season at Denver, ninth under the direction of Hooker, and seventh straight season with nine or more wins. The Pioneers also battled to the semifinal in the first Sun Belt Conference Tournament before falling to eventual champion Florida International in double overtime.
The Pioneers are a new team in 2001 and have their sights set on new goals--to win the SBC Championship and earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament. With those goals intact, Hooker welcomes back all 10 of his starters from last season and a total of 18 letterwinners that will join a talented recruiting class that includes three transfers and nine incoming freshman. The accumulation of talent that Hooker has assembled will make Denver a team to be reckoned with.
"Overall we have added impact players and depth to the forward, midfield and defense positions without losing any starters from the last half of the 2000 season," Hooker said. "There will be a battle for starting positions and playing time all across the board this year."
Departing from the 2000 season were senior defenders Kimberly Kriege and Jen Cole, both of whom suffered injuries during the regular season and finished the season on the sideline.
Hooker will look to his talented group of sophomores to pick up where they left off last fall to provide a balanced scoring attack, and to his junior and senior group to supply leadership throughout the midfield and defensive end. Hooker will need all of his players to contribute as the Pioneers prepare to battle another tough schedule that begins with a five-game road trip. Denver will square off against Cal State-Fullerton in the season-opener before facing No. 2 UCLA. The Pioneers will play their home opener on September 15 against Long Island and then host Maryland, ranked ninth in the Mid-Atlantic region, that same weekend.
FORWARD
The offensive rotation will be led by junior Kerri Weaver (Littleton, Colo.) who adds experience and skill up front for the Pioneers. Weaver, who managed two goals and an assist last fall despite a nagging injury for most of the season, will be joined up front by junior transfer Katie Antongiovanni (Bakersfield, Calif.), who joins the Pioneers after a stint with Iowa State. Antongiovanni, the Big-12 freshman of the Year in 1999 as a Cyclone will be looked upon to add breadth to Denver's offensive assault.
Fourth-year junior Molly George (Santa Fe, N.M.) returns to the roster after missing the entire 2000 campaign because of injury. George contributed nine goals and five assists during her first two seasons at Denver and will be looked upon to complement Weaver and Antongiovanni at the forward position.
Joining an already solid front line will be the sophomore duo of Jenni Harris (Littleton, Colo.) and Julia Allen (Santa Fe, N.M.). Harris played in 18 games last year and collected 13 points for the Pioneers with five goals and three helpers, while Allen saw limited action during her first season. Both players will be looked upon to add depth and experience to the forward position and should challenge the starters for playing time.
Incoming freshmen Diana Brunkhardt (Redondo Beach, Calif), Liesl Becker (Littleton, Colo.) and Jessica Gift (Bentleyville, Ohio) will be welcomed to add skill and versatility to the forward line.
MIDFIELD
The most talented and physical position for Denver in 2001 will be at midfield. The Pioneers return their top two scorers from a year ago with junior Kristin Warren (Littleton, Colo.) and sophomore Mychael Movius (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) at the helm.
Warren, selected First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference, ended the 2000 campaign with 12 points and was second on the team in goals with six, including two game winners. She played in all 20 contests for the Pioneers and provided leadership on the field with her physical play by winning nearly every ball in the air. Her efforts were rewarded with a selection to the third-team all-central region soccer team, and she became the first Pioneer to earn Division I all-region honors.
Movius led the Pioneers last season with 22 points that included eight goals and six assists, and joined Warren as a member of the First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference. During her first campaign with Denver, Movius tallied four game-winning goals including the lone goal that propelled the Pioneers to a win over Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.
Joining Warren and Movius in the middle will be senior Leslie Montgomery, who started all 20 games and tallied four goals for the Pioneers last season. Junior transfer Camile Flenniken (Northglenn, Colo.), returns to Colorado after two years at the University of Wisconsin. Flenniken started 24 games and was the third-leading scorer for the Badgers. She will add an additional dimension to Denver's formidable midfield line.
Senior Brooke Remington (Albuquerque, N.M.) along with the sophomore pair of Melissa Behrent (Westminster, Colo.) and Tiffany Steinmark (Arnold, Md.) will provide vigor off the bench. Last season, Remington saw action in 16 games for Denver but was used primarily on the defensive end. Behrent tallied two goals and an assist from the outside position during her freshman campaign, and Steinmark added an assist while only seeing action in eight contests.
The supply of talent at the midfield position will afford Hooker the ability to create numerous lineup combinations on the field. Denver's depth in skill and experience is one that will make the Pioneers a difficult team to defend in 2001.
DEFENSE
Sophomores Jamie Norwood (Littleton, Colo.) and Lauren Sutton (Littleton, Colo.) will team with junior transfer Angie Portincaso (Littleton, Colo.) and freshman Maggie Kirchhoft (Torrance, Calif.) to anchor the defensive corps for the Pioneers. Norwood's physical presence provides strength on the defensive end of the field and her explosiveness offers an offensive threat to Denver's arsenal. From the backfield last season, Norwood was the team's second-leading scorer with 16 points on four goals and eight assists. Sutton played in 19 games for Denver last season as a midfielder, but will move back to defense this season because of her ability to anticipate the opposition and react accordingly. Portincaso joins the Pioneers after spending two years at Iowa State where she started 35 games. Kirchhoft was a standout at Bishop Montgomery High School, and will be looked upon to contribute immediately to Denver's defensive unit. Newcomer Leah Becherer (California) will contend for playing time and should reinforce the defense with her talent and strength.
GOALKEEPERS
The Pioneers boast the league's top keeper with junior Erica Izard (Fort Collins, Colo.) between the pipes. During her first two years at Denver, Izard has climbed the ranks in the record books and currently stands fifth all-time in wins (18), fifth all-time in saves percentage (.823) and third all-time in goals against average (1.24). Izard started 19 games for the Pioneers in 2000 and posted a career-high eight shutouts. Her league-best 0.99 goals against average and .830 saves percentage earned her all-Sun Belt second-team plaudits. Supporting Izard in goal will be junior Pam Clark (Durango, Colo.) and sophomore Katherine Wrenn (Portland, Ore.). Clark saw limited action last season but made the most of her time on the field by earning wins in both games that she started with two saves, allowing one goal. Wrenn, despite not seeing any playing time, spent her freshman season on the practice field perfecting her game and supported her teammates on and off the field.
"We were a young team last year that has really matured during the offseason. Our experience from within, together with the experience and maturity of our transfers, should make us a true contender this season," said Hooker.
