MONMOUTH WOMEN’S SOCCER 1998 SEASON PREVIEW
"KEEP THE BALL ROLLING"
After three years of struggling to find an identity, the Monmouth College women’s soccer program found team success last fall and enters 1998 with much optimism and excitement. The Fighting Scots posted the first winning season (8-7-0) since the sport entered intercollegiate action in 1994. Simon Cordery, who has coached the team from its foundation, has skillfully developed the talents of his squad and has recruited a group of dedicated and enthusiastic soccer players to build a program which now has its sights firmly set on a berth in the Midwest Conference tournament.
Monmouth finished its 1997 MWC schedule with a record of 5-4 and missed the tournament by one game. This year the Scots have made a postseason trip a major goal and Cordery believes his squad will be a solid contender by the time the league schedule opens at home on September 23rd against South Division rival Grinnell.
"We will have the most experienced group of returning players in the brief history of the team," says Cordery, who expects 10 starters and several key reserves to report for team practice on August 24th. "An exciting class of first-year players should immediately strengthen an already talented team. Integrating these new players into the program and giving them a taste of collegiate soccer during the first five matches of the season — all non-conference contests — could give us the bench strength needed to compete in every match this season."
The soccer team will be captained by two proven veterans. Senior Tisha Kimoto (Pittsford,NY/Waubonsie Valley), a three-time All-Midwest Conference South Division selection, scored a single-season team record 11 goals and 23 points last fall and is the college’s all-time career leading scorer (20 goals). Two-time All-Conference midfielder Jill Heneghan (Godfrey,IL/Alton), who led the team in points as a freshman, followed with two goals and a team-high 8 assists in her sophomore season. The pair will be counted on to direct the Monmouth offense and will be joined in the attack by sophomore forward Jessica Adams (Harvard,IL/HS), who was the Scots’ third All-Conference player in 1998 after scoring 10 goals and tying Kimoto for the points lead. The presence of Adams took the pressure off Kimoto as the primary scorer and opened up the Monmouth offense, which outscored their opponents by a 33-30 margin.
Cordery has lost a valuable on-field leader but has gained an assistant coach this fall as four-year letterwinner Valeria Orozco moves from her midfield position to a spot on the sidelines. Orozco’s departure will allow several women the chance to challenge for playing time, including senior Malinda Springer (Woodstock,IL/ HS) and sophomores Kimberly Morris (Crystal Lake, IL/CL Central), Bethany Bresley (Mundelein,IL/HS) and Keri Kling (Harvard, IL/HS). All four women contributed to the Monmouth scoring last season and have proven to work well together on the field.
The impact of the freshman class will not likely be felt until the team has a chance to play a few matches and Cordery has the opportunity to see the new players in person under game conditions. Even so, the Monmouth coach points to first-year athletes Jennifer Roth (East Peoria,IL/HS) and Meghan Corkill (Park Ridge,IL/Maine South) and out-of-state recruits Dana Stunkard (Madison,WI/ James Madison) and Jennifer Northway (St. Louis, MO/McCluer) as perhaps the best of the incoming recruit class.
"We plan to build on the foundation of our first winning season," added Cordery. "Having finished in fifth place last fall [one spot out of the playoffs], this year’s squad aims to improve by at least one place and qualify for the tournament. To do so, however, will require consistent play to beat those teams which finished ahead of us in the final rankings. Though the team enters the season optimistically, there is a sense of realism because there is much hard work ahead to accomplish our goals."
St. Norbert won their sixth MWC women’s soccer championship last year, defeating Lake Forest in the title game. Carroll and Grinnell also advanced to the tournament round and Cordery expects the same four teams to be the favorites again in 1998. In addition to the home opener with Grinnell, the Scots will travel to both Lake Forest and St. Norbert on consecutive weekends in mid-October in what appear to be critical matches for the team’s postseason hopes. Senior Recognition Day is set for October 24th, when Monmouth hosts Knox on Bobby Woll Field.