Aug. 3, 2004

2004 GEORGE MASON WOMEN'S SOCCER OUTLOOK Over the past 22 seasons, two people have been at the helm of the George Mason women's soccer program, patrolling the sidelines - Hank Leung and Jac Cicala. During that span, the two head coaches combined to lead the Patriots to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking in the top 10 among all Division I schools in all-time NCAA Tournament showings. Under their tutelage, Mason boasted an impressive 56.3 winning percentage in the national tournament, won the national championship in 1985, earned two runner-up crowns in 1983 and 1993 and owned a third place finish in 1986 - joining only four other teams to place first, second and third overall nationally. Mason was a dominant fixture among the nation's elite in the 1980's and `90's and much of that credit can be attributed to the mentors that started the program from scratch 22 years ago. But, times have changed over the years. With NCAA Division I soccer expanding to almost 300 programs from only 60 in the early 90's, it's been much more difficult to remain among the best teams in the nation. And for the Patriots, entering their 23rd campaign in 2004, the team has struggled the past six seasons to regain the swagger that led them to national prominence. Mason has had only three seasons of 10 or more wins since 1997 and has won at least nine games in the other three campaigns. Competitive records on the whole, but not enough to lift the program back to the national scene. That responsibility is now in the hands of a new teacher as the Patriots turn the program over to Diane Drake, who spent the last five years at the helm of Georgetown, and becomes only the third head coach in Mason's storied history. "The number one reason I decided to take over the Mason women's soccer program was the opportunity to succeed," explained Drake, who owns a 45-44-6 overall record in five years as a head coach. "Clearly, the Mason soccer program is given the resources it needs to succeed. There are only a handful of schools to have such a rich history, and to have won a national championship and to have gone to the Final Four on several occasions. "It's great that this university has the ability to bring in that sort of talent and accomplish those things. It's that type of tradition that I want to bring back to Mason. The tradition of consistently making the NCAA Tournament and competing to perhaps win the national championship." Drake inherits a talented lineup of eight returning starters and 15 letterwinners that helped lead the team to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament semifinals, and set a new school record for ties in a season with a 9-6-6 overall record (3-3-3 CAA). Along with a solid incoming class of seven players, Drake is confident that she and her coaching staff will be able to mold this group into a cohesive unit that will challenge for the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association championship, and send the Patriots to the NCAAs for the first time in six seasons. "This team has a lot of heart, passion and willingness to be successful," said Drake in reference to what she observed during spring practice. "These athletes were able to persevere in light of adversity and they showed a lot of confidence. It will be nice to finally get the whole team together with the incoming class and see what everyone has to offer." Drake knows the high expectations she sets for herself and for the program must first begin with getting to understand her players and to have them understand her. Although there are several new faces on the team as well as on the coaching staff, Drake doesn't see the changes as a hindrance, but as a small obstacle that will be overcome early in the season. What's important to her is that the team comes in ready for practices and ready for games as Mason looks to earn its second CAA championship crown. "Probably the biggest challenge as a new group will be to get the players, myself and the coaching on the same page," expressed Drake. "The first thing the team needs to understand is that they need to be more fit than they've ever been. The only thing they can control in soccer is thier fitness level. For this team to succeed, these athletes have to be in great shape. The players have to be disciplined and be able to take care of the little things like showing up to practice early, doing extra training in areas they need to work on, making sure the equipment is ready to go when needed and to understand what is expected of them from the coaching staff. "This team also needs to have the ultimate goal of winning the conference tournament, and at the same time, to be able to respect every single opponent that we face and to not look past anyone. By taking care of the opponent each game day, we put ourselves in better position to get into the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection in case we don't win the conference tournament." Drake's philosophy has steadily rubbed off on the players. Having been away from the NCAAs since 1997, the team is responding well to how she handles things in hopes that it will pay big dividends in the future. "The players seem to be receptive to my style and type of coaching," explained Drake. "I'm adding more technical training to their regimen to go along with the tactical instruction they've received in the past. I'd like to find a good balance between the two types of teaching. Knowing that I have to play the style that's suitable to the type of athletes that I have, I need to respect what a player can bring to the team and try to tweak those abilities to greater benefit us throughout the season." One area that may not need a lot of tweaking in Drake's 4-4-2 system is the goalkeeper position as she returns one of the top netminders in the CAA, as well as the Mid Atlantic Region and in the country, in senior co-captain Sarah Coughlin. An All-CAA selection in each of her first three seasons and a first-team All-Region honoree in 2003, Coughlin's presence in front of the cage "is like having an assistant coach on the field." She started all 21 games last season, allowing only 23 goals with 109 saves, and owned a 1.04 goals-against average. Her leadership and knowledge of the game will go a long way in helping the Patriots return to the NCAA elite. Challenging Coughlin will be sophomore returnee Olivia Brown, who appeared in two games in 2003 and earned a 2.81 GAA, and sophomore newcomer Kasey Davenport, a transfer from Christopher Newport University. "Our goalkeeper position is solid," stated Drake. "Sarah has several years of experience and keeping her healthy so that she can perform is a high priority. It's also a priority to get Olivia involved in more matches than she was last year. She's very athletic and will be a gifted player. We don't want her lacking experience next year so we'll have to get her out on the field more. The addition of Kasey to our goalkeeping core will definitely help challenge the our top two goalkeepers." Another area that may not need a lot of improvement is the forward line as Drake comments, "we have tremendous depth and talent up front." Senior Sarah Wilkinson returns to lead Mason's attack and she will most likely team up with senior teammate Dianna Russini. Wilkinson, who started 16 of 21 games, led the Patriots in points last season with 13, scoring five goals and adding three assists. Russini was third on the squad in scoring with nine points off four goals and one assist, earning 11 starts in 20 contests. She paced the team with three game-winning goals. Also expected to see time along the forward line is redshirt freshman Rachel Wiggins. Wiggins, who saw action in three games in 2003 with one start, scored one goal and had two assists before being sidelined with an injury. "Sarah and Dianna have very different styles," explained Drake. "Sarah is a technician. She plays well with her back to the opponent, she sets plays and she can create. Dianna is fearless, fast and runs all over the field. They are a great mix because one can hold the ball and the other can move around and get in position to score. "Rachel is an impressive player. She's a goal scorer with the ability to find the net. She could make a statement this year if she remains healthy." The midfield line is also solid as four players return after seeing significant playing time last season. Along the outside will be juniors Danielle MacDonald and Amy Alecci. MacDonald started 15 games with 21 appearances, scoring one goal and adding two assists. Alecci finished second on the team in scoring with 12 points on five goals and two assists. She saw action in 21 games, earning four starts. Veteran junior Amy Sorenson and sophomore L.J. Williams will likely occupy the center midfield slots. Sorenson, who was one of four players last season to start every game, logged two goals for the Patriots, while Williams started four of 20 contests and dished out one assist. "Danielle and Amy [Alecci] are both very athletic and have great service ability and strength," expressed Drake. "The two of them can make the difference between Mason being just a good team or a great team; one that makes the NCAA Tournament. Amy [Sorenson] distributes the ball well and will quarterback the team. L.J. is more of a dribbler, but she can also set plays and is a very creative player." The second midfield unit includes several players who will also see playing time at the forward positions. The most experienced individual of the group is senior Franmarie Gregg who posted two assists in 12 appearances last season. Returning sophomores Neda Keshani and Jaime Daulton will be pushed for playing time in the midfield from freshmen Sarah Fack, Ali Pancotti and Sarah Look. "We have a steady midfield with our first four and plenty of depth with our reserves," said Drake. "Franmarie will probably play wide midfield because we need more help there, but will likely see some time up front as well. "I envision Neda seeing some minutes in the attacking midfield role because of her creativity. Jaime could also see some time at wide midfield or at wide back, depending on what our needs are. Sarah [Fack] will float between center midfield and forward depending upon how quickly she adjusts to the college game and what combinations work for us. Ali has a similar style to Alecci so she could also earn playing time at wide midfield. Sarah [Look] is an incredible and coachable athlete. She should see some minutes at midfield or on defense." The Patriot back line will have the most change from last season after graduating three players who each played at least 20 games. Returning junior Kristin Portell will help anchor the defense along with senior co-captain Allison Cowan who moves from the center midfield slot to the center back position. Portell scored one goal and one assist in 19 starts with 21 appearances last season, while Cowan finished fourth in scoring following three assists and one goal after starting 20 of 21 contests. "Making sure our back line is communicating and organized will be our biggest adjustment in the beginning," commented Drake. "So, we're moving Allison to the back to solidify our central defense with Kristin. Allison is everything a coach would ever want in a player, so we need her to stay healthy. Kristin is an organizer and a phenomenal defender who will need to increase her vocal presence this year. Our team is inexperienced in its wide backs, but that's something that we will sort out quickly during practice." Challenging for a starting role on defense are three freshmen: Jessica Paris, Alison Feldman, and Laura Salichs, and two sophomores: Amanda Schmidt and Kristine Gray. Schmidt returns to the Patriots with a year of experience after practicing with the team throughout the 2003-04 season, while Gray tallied one goal in 15 appearances with two starts. She shifts from playing forward to defense this season. "Jessica is capable of starting for us," stated Drake. "Where she plays will depend a lot on how the chemistry fits together. I also envision Alison or Amanda playing at one of the wide back slots. Jessica is skillful, aggressive and athletic. Alison is a technical and aggressive player. Amanda has an extra year of experience and played well for us in the spring. Laura could also challenge for minutes on defense. "Our back line is not as experienced having graduated so many players from last year. But, I don't think that we'll be any more vulnerable than we were a year ago. We just need to sort out the talent that we have." Sorting out the Patriots talent begins in earnest in late August as Mason opens its 2004 season at George Mason Stadium against a tough Miami squad - one of nine games as part of the team's home slate. Among others visiting the Fairfax campus are CAA opponents James Madison, Towson and Delaware along with Harvard and Georgetown, with the latter two as competition in the George Mason Invitational on Sept. 9 and 11. The Patriots will face four teams that participated in the 2003 NCAA College Cup, including a home contest against regional foe Navy and on the road versus top 20 opponent Virginia, defending CAA champion William & Mary and at Boston University. "We have a really strong out-of-conference schedule," explained Drake. "It's deliberately set up to put us in position to get an at-large NCAA bid. We're playing teams that are usually ranked in their respective regions and beating those teams become significant wins for us. "The most important thing is that our out-of-conference schedule will be a great spring board into our conference slate. I look forward to playing all of our games, but we must take each contest one game at a time. We can't look past any opponent. Mason hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1997 and our goal this year is to get back to the `Big Dance'. Back to where this school belongs."