THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2004
4.
Soccer team plans to meet, score goals this season
Courtnev Kuhlen/KANSAN
BY KELLI ROBINNET
krobinet@kansan.com
KROBINET SPORTSWITER
Stacy Leeper dribbled the ball yesterday during practice at Ray Evans Field in Anschutz Sports Pavillion.
Expectations are higher than ever for the Kansas women's soccer team as it begins the regular season tomorrow at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
The future looks bright for the soccer squad. The team is ranked 11th in the nation and will look to improve on last year's 42-20-3 season, the best in school history.
last year Kansas qualified for the NCAA Tournament for only the second time and posted a record of 18-6-1 in the tournament. The team won its first tournament game against Illinois State and then advanced to its first-ever Sweet 16 by defeating rival Missouri 2-0.
Missouri 24.
The Jayhawks return nine of last year's starters and 16 letter winners overall. Big 12 coaches named two players, Holly Gault and Caroline Smith, to the preseason all Big 12 team. Smith is also a nominee for national soccer player of the year. Smith returns as the teams leading scorer, and will be the focal point on offense. Senior defender Stacy Leeper and senior goalie Meghan Miller will join Gault to anchor the defense.
New freshmen and transfers also join the team. Coach Mark Francis said every new player would compete with the returning players for playing time. Even with experienced talent returning and high expectations, the Big 12 coaches picked Kansas to finish fifth in the conference. But that doesn't bother Francis.
"I don't pay much attention to those polls," Francis said. "Last year they picked us to finish seventh, and we came in third."
It will not be easy for Kansas to improve on last year's finish. The Big 12 is difficult this year. Four other conference teams — Texas, Texas A&M, Colorado and Nebraska — also enter the year ranked in the preseason top 25. Three of those teams — Texas,
Texas A&M and Colorado — are on the team's schedule.
"I think everyone in the Big 12 will be better this year," said Francis. "Every game is going to be tough."
Edited by Anna Clovis
2004 SOCCER SCHEDULE
Date
Aug. 28 vs. UNLV
Aug. 3 vs. BYU
Sept. 3-5 KU Invitational Tournament
Sept. 3 vs. Mississippi St.
Sept. 3 vs. UW-Milwaukee
Sept. 5 vs. St Louis
Sept. 9-11 Furman Tournament
Sept. 9 vs. Furman
Sept. 11 vs. Clemson
2004-2005 WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM
Sept. 14 vs. Illinois
Sept. 17 vs. Mississippi
Sept. 19 vs. Auburn
Sept. 24 vs. Nebraska
Sept. 26 vs. Colorado
Oct. 1 vs. Texas Tech
Oct. 3 vs. Baylor
Oct. 8 vs. Missouri
Oct. 15 vs. Oklahoma State
Oct. 17 vs. Oklahoma
Oct. 22 vs. Texas A&M
Oct. 24 vs. Texas
Oct. 29 vs. Iowa State
Location Time
Las Vegas 9 p.m.
Provo, Utah 3 p.m.
Nov. 3-7 Big 12 Tournament
Lawrence
Lawrence 2:30 p.m.
Lawrence 5 p.m.
Lawrence 2:30 p.m.
Greenville, S.C.
Greenville, S.C. 6 p.m.
Greenville, S.C. 11 a.m.
Champaign, Ill. Noon
Lawrence 5 p.m.
Auburn, Ala. 2 p.m.
Lawrence 5 p.m.
Lawrence 1 p.m.
Lawrence 4 p.m.
Lawrence 1 p.m.
Columbia, Mo. 7 p.m.
Stillwater, Okla. 7 p.m.
Norman, Okla. 1 p.m.
College Station, Texas 7 p.m.
Austin, Texas 1 p.m.
Lawrence 3 p.m.
San Antonio, Texas
Monica Brothers
TBA
Source: www.kuathletics.com
Brothers is a senior forward for the Jayhawks. Brothers has 39 career points with 15 career goals.Big 12 coaches named her
BROTHERS
to the 2003 Academic All-Big 12 First Team. She is one of nine returning starters from last year's Sweet 16 team.
Amy Geha
Geha is a senior midfielder.
She has 12 career assists and is 7 assists behind the career record at Kansas.
She is one of the nine returners from
GEHA
Rachel Gilfillan
returners from a year ago
dillifan is a senior forward. She has 48 career points, one shy of second on the KU all-time list. Her 18 career goals tie her for second
GILFILLAN
all-time. Lest year she was on the Academic Big-12 12 First Team. Gillifan will play the role of top reserve on this year's team after starting in all 25 games played last year.
Stacy Leeper
Leeper is a senior defender. She has 8 career points, with 4 career assists. She was named to last year's Academic All-Big 12
First Team. Leeper is one of two returning defenders and
LEEPER
big leadership role in the backfield.
She has the career high in shutouts with 19 and goals against
Meghan Miller Miller is a senior goalkeeper.
average with 1.13. She is 11 starts away from becoming the team's all-time leader in games started at 75. Her 42-20-3 career record is the best by any Jayhawk goalkeeper. Last season she allowed only 19 goals, the lowest by a KU goalkeeper in a season. She was on the 2003 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team. She will look to build on last year's stellar performance.
Lauren Williams
Williams is a senior midfielder.
She has 13 career points with 7 assists.
She was on last year's Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
WILLIAMS
First team She started in all 25 matches last season, and her 6 assists tied for first on the team.
Smith is a junior forward. Smith is the team's all-time leader in points (68), goals (31), game winning goals (11) and shots.
Caroline Smith
C. SMITH
MILLER
and shoes (143). She is one of 25 players on the
preseason watch list for Missouri Athletic Club's Herman Award. Last year she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, All-Big 12 First Team, All-Big 12 All-Tournament Team, and SoccerBuzz All-American First Team. Most teams will try to focus on Smith this year which will make it difficult for her to capitalize on last year's success.
Jessica Smith
Smith is a junior forward. She has 20 career points with 8 goals. She started only 4 matches last season and will look to make more
of an impact this year.
Danika Erickson
Erickson is a sophomore defender. She started in 8 matches her freshman year. Erickson
ERICKSON
will look to join Leeper and Holly Gault on defense in front of Miller.
Holly Gault
Gault is a sophomore defender.
She started 23 matches last year.
She was on the SoccerBuzz Freshman All-America Third.
GAULT
J. SMITH
Third Team. Last year she was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team. Big 12 coaches named her to this year's Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
Nicole Cauzillo
Cauzillo is a sophomore midfielder. She is a transfer from West Virginia where she started 22 games. Over the
CAUZILLO
summer she won the Golden Boot Award for most goals scored on her club soccer team. Cauzillo ought to get a lot of chances to attack the goal with the possibility of added pressure on Caroline Smith
Afton Sauer
Sauer is a freshman defender from Highlands Ranch, Colo. She was Conference Player of the Year in 2004. Her club soccer
SAUER
team won the state championship in 2002 and 2004.
BACKS: Green optimistic about returning to position
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
thus far through spring practices and training camp. Last season, Cornish saw playing time on special teams, but only had one carry for three yards the entire season on offense. He will likely see some more time this season. The starting
job is clearly his, Green said, and the backup role is Randle's.
"Jon Cornish has been an improved player for us and really started to be a guy we can trust and get some playing time," Mangino said.
Antonio, may be a redshirt candidate, even though he has impressed the coaching staff. Gary Green recently came down with an illness that required him to miss a few practices.
Gary Green, who dominated his high school competitors in San
At the fullback position the 'Hawks return senior Austine Nwabuki. Nwabuki rushed five
times last season for 20 yards and had a rushing and receiving touchdown against Wyoming. Nwabuusi is challenged by redshirt freshman Brandon McAnderson. Both are powerful backs at 6-foot, 235 pounds.
Edited by Ashley Doyle
JAYHAWKS' BACKFIELD DEPTH CHART
POS. No. NAME HT. WT. CLASS
RB 30 Clark Green 5-11 220 Jr.
RB 1 John Randle 6-0 185 So.
FB 33 Austine Nwabuisi 6-0 235 Sr
FB 35 Brandon McAnderson 6-0 235 Fr.- RS.
Source: 2004 Kansas Football Media Guide
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