LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD
KUED • SPORTS
AUGUST, 1996 PAGE 51E
KU had growing pains in inaugural year
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KU soccer on the rise
BY EVAN BLACKWELL
JOURNAL-WORLD SPORTS WRITER
Kansas women's soccer team learned plenty about itself in its first season as a varsity program a year ago.
Coach Lori Walker plans on the growing to continue this season, her second at KU after working three years as an assistant at Maryland.
Walker and the rest of the Jayhawks enter their second season of competition with one new challenge they didn't face last year —the Big 12 Conference.
Walker said the addition of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor without question makes the Jayhawks' road much tougher.
"Just by bringing those teams in, we've automatically upgraded our schedule dramatically," said Walker, a former standout goalkeeper at national powerhouse North Carolina.
Kansas went through some growing pains in its inaugural
- SOCCER
season, finishing with a 6-12 overall record. While the record may indicate a disappointing year, Walker was pleased with the progress the team made.
"We were able to concentrate on some technical things that we really needed to work on," Walker said.
After a year of fine tuning the fundamentals, Walker hopes it translates into success on the field this year.
"I generally like to hold off my goal-setting until after we start scrimmaging and I see the players play together,"Walker said. "But going into the Big 12, I want to be in the top five in the conference."
The biggest changes for the Jayhawks this season should be at goalkeeper, where Walker said two freshman should battle for the starting job.
Jen Stuckey and Betsy Pollard are the leading candidates to take over in the nets.
Kansas will be welcoming in several freshman to blend with the returning players.
"I think it's going to make a nice blend of young players and more experienced players," Walker said.
Among the more expereicned players, Walker said the biggest change to the lineup should be moving Millersville, Md., sophomore Erin Hon back to the field, after starting her out of position at goalkeeper for most of last season.
"Being able to move her back to the field should help us. She was one of our best players on the field last year, but we had to use her in the back," Walker said.
The Jayhawks will also welcome back sophomores Denise Cooke, Jackie Dowell and Sarah Korpi to key the offensive attack. Cooke, a native of Tacoma, Wash., led the team in goals last spring with six. Dowell is a native of Germantown, Md., and Korpi a native of Maple Grove, Minn.
FILE PHOTO
Mary Jones helped KU to a 6-12 record last season.
Two convenient locations; Kansas Union 913-864-4640 Burge Union 913-864-5697 http://www.rock-chalk.com/kubookstores/