Women's Soccer Aims For Seventh Consecutive Win

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Oct. 19, 2001

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MEET THE COACH: Steve Swanson is in his second season as the head coach of the Virginia women’s soccer team. He took over the position from current United States National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs in the spring of 2000. In his second season, Swanson holds a 21-10-2 (.657) record at the helm of the Cavaliers. Swanson finished the 2000 campaign, his first in Charlottesville, with a 11-8-1 overall record and led the Cavaliers to their second consecutive appearance in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. before falling to eventual champion North Carolina, 2-1. Three Virginia players received postseason accolades, including midfielder Lori Lindsey, who was named Virginia’s first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Swanson came to Virginia after two highly successful stops at Stanford and Dartmouth. At Dartmouth, Swanson guided the Big Green in to national prominence. He did an equally impressive job at Stanford, helping to maintain the Cardinal’s standing as one of the premier teams in the country. Swanson left after four years at Stanford. During his four seasons with the Cardinal, Swanson guided his team to a record of 48-27-4, two Pac-10 championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. His 1999 squad finished with an impressive 14-4-1 record, captured a Pac-10 title and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Three of Swanson’s players were named to the 1998 All-Pac-10 team and four earned Pac-10 All-Academic recognition. Swanson also coached the 1998 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year.

LAST WEEK: The Cavaliers went 3-0, increasing their winning streak to five by week’s end. It all started with a 1-0 victory at George Mason, thanks to a goal by Laura Gaworecki, her second of the season. Lindsay Gusick added a second half goal to down Maryland, 1-0, in Virginia’s first conference home game of the season, as they increased their overall record against Maryland to 20-1-2. They then closed with a 4-1 victory at James Madison, sparked by two more goals from Gaworecki, a three-point night from Lori Lindsey and another goal from Gusick.

THIS WEEK: The Cavaliers played the first of two road games this week, and will now travel to Duke on Saturday evening, looking to add to their 8-6-5 record against the Blue Devils.

IN THE ACC: The Cavaliers are currently in fourth place in the ACC with a 1-1 conference record, behind Florida State who is 3-0, followed by North Carolina and Wake Forest at 2-0, and Clemson at 2-1. The Cavaliers look to go 2-1 in the conference with first conference game on Oct. 10 against Maryland.

ACC STANDINGS (as of Oct. 19) Team (Overall, Conference For Against North Carolina (12-0, 4-0) 45 5 Florida State (29-23, 3-1) 29 23 UVA (9-2-1, 2-1) 25 10 Wake Forest (6-4-1, 2-1) 22 8 Clemson (7-4, 2-2) 26 7 Maryland (6-4-1, 2-3) 13 7 NC State (6-5, 0-3) 14 15 Duke (5-7, 0-4) 18 24

ALSO NOTEWORTHY: Virginia is the only ACC school with two players in the top five in scoring and in overall goals. Lori Lindsey (8 G, 3 A) and Lindsay Gusick (9 G, 1 A) are both in the top five, tied with 19 points

LINDSEY ADDED TO HERMANN AWARD LIST: Senior Lori Lindsey was added this past week to the finalist list for the Hermann Award, given annually to the nation’s top player. Named ACC Player of the Year for 2000, she currently ranks fourth in the ACC with 18 points, three points shy of her total of 21 a year ago. She’s also tied for second in the conference with eight goals scored. Other accolades she has earned this season, include Soccer America’s “Team of the Week” on Sept. 4, and was also named to Soccer Buzz’ “Elite Eight” on Oct. 10.

GAWOREAT NEWS FOR GAWORECKI: Senior midfielder Laura Gaworecki was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday, the first Cavalier to achieve the distinction this season. Last week, Gaworecki netted a game-winner against George Mason and added a two-goal outing, sparking a 4-1 win at James Madison.

THE FAB FIRST-YEARS: The Class of 2001 is one of the finest recruiting classes in the history of the program. Soccerbuzz.com ranked the class number one in the nation. At first, it appeared they would add depth, but after helping the team to a 9-2-1 record, with five games remaining, they’ve done more than add depth.

Lindsay Gusick – a serious contender for ACC freshman of the year honors. Was third on the team with 11 shots through the first five games. In the last eight games, all games she has started, she has nine goals and one assist on 41 shots. Included in that span are game-winners against Liberty, William &Mary and Maryland, along with a hat trick against Liberty. She has scored a goal in seven of the last eight games, a span where the Cavaliers have gone 7-1. She added another two at Richmond on Wednesday, and was third in the ACC at the start of the week.

The trio of Gillian Hatch, Jamie Fabrizio and Katie Bunch on defense, is among the nation’s best. In the eight games the trio has started together on defense, four of those games have been shutouts, with the opponents having less than 10 shots in three of those games. The Cavaliers are 7-1 with Hatch, Fabrizio and Bunch in the same starting lineup.

Jessica Trainor added her first point, an assist, in a 3-2 overtime victory over Brigham Young. It is the first of many points to come, but Trainor has been on the field virtually every minute of the season (985, second on the team), but starting in every game this season, keeping the ball in play and being athletic is where Trainor has made her biggest mark.

Taylor Wood saw her first action in the fourth game of the season, and since then, has made a nice transition to the collegiate level. Wood got her first assist in a 7-0 victory over Liberty on Sept. 26, and assisted on Gusick’s game-winner against Maryland. She has appeared in nine games this season in a reserve role, but has definitely been efficient and made the most of her time on the field.

The only first-year not to participate this season is Erin Lycan, at goalkeeper. Second-years Jodi Clugston and Anne Abernethy have been stellar in the net this season, while Lycan has been given a great opportunity to learn from two of the best as she waits for her turn.

MOVIN’ ON UP: Seniors Darci Borski and Lori Lindsey look to move up on the all-time lists. Borski, who is patiently awaiting her return to the Virginia lineup after a stress fracture in her right leg during the preseason, has 52 career points, and needs seven points this season to crack the top 10. Lori Lindsey, with her eight goals this season, just one shy of equalling her previous career high of nine set in both her first and third years, has now moved into eighth place on the career goal list. With 19 points this season, she has 69 for her career.

CAREER GOAL SCORERS Player Goals 1. Angela Hucles, 1996-99 59 2. Andrea Rubio, 1989-92 36 3. A. Cromwell, 1988-91 35 Janet Caswell, 1984-87 35 5. Gayle Smith, 1986-89 34 6. Lori Lindsey, 1998-present 30 Kim Smith, 1991-94 30 8. Tracy DiMillio, 1988-91 29 9. Liz Kelley, 1993-96 25 Kristen DiMillio, 1992-95 25

CAREER POINTSPlayer Years Points 1. Angela Hucles, 1996-99 138 2. Andrea Rubio, 1989-92 102 3. Gayle Smith , 1986-89 90 4. Janet Caswell, 1984-87 85 5. Amanda Cromwell, 1988-91 84 6. Kim Smith, 1991-94 75 Tracy DiMillio, 1988-91 75 8. Lori Lindsey, 1998-present 69 Liz Kelley, 1993-96 69 10. Kristen DiMillio, 1992-95 63 11. Dina Padula, 1994-96 59 12. Darci Borski, 1998-present 52

AMERICA SALUTES YOU: On September 4th, Lori Lindsey was named to Soccer America’s Team of the Week, following her two-goal performance in a 3-0 win in the opening game of the season over Mississippi. Three weeks later, Ashley Meeker was called upon, following her five point scoring barrage in a victory over N.C. State (2-0), which she scored both Cavalier goals and an assist which helped the Cavaliers to a tie with No. 10 Florida. On Oct. 10, Lindsay Gusick was selected to the team of the week for her goals against Brigham Young and a game-winner against William & Mary. Lindsey earned her second accolade of the season, as she was named to Soccer Buzz’ “Elite Eight” for her performance during the week of Oct. 1. Virginia’s three honorees for “Team of the Week” is more than any other ACC team.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The 2001 captains are seniors Laura Gaworecki, Lori Lindsey and Tammy Westinghouse. Lindsey enjoyed a true breakout year, leading the team in scoring Other seniors include Borski, Lindsey Grubbs, Megan Leo, Ashley Meeker, Ashley Mowery and Heather Terry. Meeker was a valuable asset to the team last year, starting and playing in 18 games last season after being forced to the defender spot after injuries. She still came through with seven points, while playing out of position. Leo has played in two games this season, and will also provide leadership to thie year’s team. Mowery will provide depth to the goalkeeping corps while Grubbs and Terry are coming off injuries. Gaworecki started all 20 games a year ago, adding one goal and four assists. Gaworecki has already surpassed her point production from last year, tallying four goals and two assists this year, including a game-winner against George Mason. Westinghouse is back after missing last season with a knee injury, and is one of the more versatile athletes on the tea, and is tied for second on the team with Erin Engelhardt.

PROTECTING THE NAME: The Cavaliers have scheduled five games with opponents from around the state, playing their first in-state opponent, Liberty, on Sept. 26. So far, they’re 4-0 against in-state opponents, with one road game with Richmond (10/17). In thefour meetings this season with in-state opponents, the Cavaliers have outscored their in-state opponnts by a score of 13-1. Here is a look at how the Cavaliers have fared against other schools from the state.

George Mason 8-8-3 James Madison 15-1-2 Liberty 1-0-0 Old Dominion 3-0-0 Radford 7-2-1 Randolph-Macon 2-0-0 Richmond 3-1-0 Roanoke 1-0-0 VCU 1-0-1 Virginia Tech 3-0-0 William & Mary 9-9-1 Totals 53-21-8 (.646)

SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORES: The Cavaliers have a solid class of five sophomores who got valuable experience as first-years and definitely played a role in last year’s success. With one year under their belt, thesophomore class looks to have an even bigger role on how far the 2001 team goes. Two of them, Sarah Lane and Erin Engelhardt, are tied for fourth on the team with six points. Lane, who scored three goals and one assist through two exhibition games, and was a member of the ACC All-Freshman team last season while playing in all 20 games and starting 17. Lane has started 12 games this season and has two goals and two assists this year. She had arguably the finest game of her young career this past week at Richmond, netting the game-winner and assisting on another. Opposite Lane on the Cavalier midfield is Erin Engelhardt, who played in all 20 games and started in 19 of them. This year, Engelhardt has started in nine games and holds the team lead in assists with four. Melissa Somadelis also started in 17 games a year ago, playing in 20 last season. Somadelis continues to be a valuable defender, and has played in all 13 games, starting in four, and contributing one goal and one assist thus far.

LIKE A ROCK: Jodi Clugston, another talented sophomore, in just her second season has become one of the top goaltenders in the country. She made her return to the net last Wednesday, shutting out Maryland in her first start since September 1. She also shut out James Madison on Oct. 13, in her third start of the year, playing 70 minutes. In her four starts this season, she has three shutout and has not allowed a goal in 339 minutes. For her career, she has appeared in 19 games, starting in 15 of those. Of those 15 starts, seven of them have been shutouts, including the season opener against Mississippi. Her seven career shutouts already ranks fifth in school history. Currently with a 0.21 goals against average this season, Clugston has also contributed to a shutout victory over William & Mary and a 3-2 overtime win over BYU.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT ANNE: Sophomore Anne Abernethy, playing in her first collegiate experience these last three games, has done a remarkable job filling in for Jodi Clugston. She picked up a win in her first start, over West Virginia, made six saves in a losing effort against Auburn, and in just her third collegiate game, shutout N.C. State in the Cavaliers’ ACC opener. She made a career-high four saves agains Florida, and has made 33 saves in ten games played games and has three shutouts already this season, with a goals against average of 1.12.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: In just ten games this season, UVa already has five multiple-goal games by four different players. Lori Lindsey scored two goals in the first game of the season, a 3-0 win over Mississippi. Fellow senior Ashley Meeker, who had scored two goals in her previous three years, scored two unassisted goals in a 2-0 win at N.C. State. Lindsay Gusick broke onto the scene two games after Meeker with a hat trick, sparking a 7-0 whitewashing of Liberty. Lindsey came out with another two-goal performance, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 victory over BYU. Laura Gaworecki, en route to her player of the week honors, scored two goals in a win over James Madison this past Saturday. Continuing with the tradition, Gusick scored her second multi-goal game of the season at Richmond on Oct. 17.