The 2015-2016 women’s soccer season has, in a way, snuck up on some University of Colorado players. Seniors such as midfielder Olivia Pappalardo and goalkeeper Kate Scheele have realized that this may be the beginning of the end, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t time to leave a legacy at Prentup Field. This year the Buffaloes have the opportunity to make their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance thanks to a reloaded squad and a desire to contend for the Pac-12 title. Here is your 2015-2016 University of Colorado soccer season preview.
Attack:
Losses: Storie Ledger
Additions: Danica Evans
What to look for: Forward is easily the most loaded position on CU’s team this year. In addition to returning Brittney Stark, Nikki Machalek and Ashley Love, the Buffs return Brie Hooks (8 goals, 7 assists in 2014) and Madison Krauser (3 goals, 4 assists) in 2015. The latter two have been some of Colorado’s best attacking options the past two seasons, combining for 23 goals since 2013. The added boost in the front will come from Stark, who scored three goals as a freshman in 2014, Evans, who is a transfer from the University of Portland and junior Emily Paxton, who was one of CU’s more consistent offensive players last season (2 goals, 2 assists). An All-WCC Honorable Mention, Evans started 18 matches with the Pilots, where she scored seven goals and added three assists. The attacking power should make for some entertaining offense at Prentup this season, and will also alleviate some of the Buffaloes finishing problems.
“We learned (after losing to the University of North Carolina in the NCAA tournament) that we need to figure out a way to score in tough games when it’s close and be able to finish when we only get one or two opportunities to beat high-level teams,” says Hooks. “The forwards are already clicking really well so it’s about knowing where everyone will be and finishing those opportunities.”
Last season, Colorado was fourth in the Pac-12 in goals per game (1.27 gpg) but the top two teams in the conference, Stanford and UCLA, nearly doubled that average at 2.45 and 2.82 respectively. If Colorado wants to be in contention with both of those teams, then finishing is paramount this year. But with all the attacking talent up front, the Buffaloes appear to be in good hands.
Midfield:
Losses: Carly Bolyard, Darcy Jerman
Additions: Amy Alexander, Brooklyn Varnadore, Nancy Best, Erin Greening, Sarah Kinzner, Stephanie Zuniga-Herrera
What to look for: Losing a captain is always tough for a team, and CU has lost both in Darcy Jerman and Bianca Jones. Jerman and Bolyard were both integral parts of the midfield, combining for 8 goals and 6 assists, but head coach Danny Sanchez and his staff have done an excellent job complementing returning players such as Olivia Pappalardo, 2015 captain Mikaela Kraus and Morgan Stanton with new talent. One of the biggest new acquisitions was Sarah Kinzner, a freshman from Calgary, who is fresh off of a Pan-American Games stint with the Canadian National team. For Pappalardo, who is now one of the leaders of the team, the task is to show new players like Kinzner, Erin Greening and Amy Alexander, how to be successful at the collegiate level.
“Just seeing it in preseason, the collegiate level is different than any other level of soccer,” Pappalardo explains. “Losing (Jones and Jerman) is pretty big but this is my fourth year so I know what Danny expect and I know how he wants us to play. I just have to step up and lead the freshmen because we have some really good freshmen midfielders.”
Despite losing their best two midfielders from 2014, Sanchez isn’t worried about who will replace them, instead citing that the midfield has “good depth” and “a lot of options” thanks to the versatility of players such as Alexander and Zuniga, whom Sanchez praised for her technical ability.
Defense/Goalkeeper:
Losses: Tori Cooper, Brooke Rice, Bianca Jones
Additions: Alex Vidger, Scout Watson, JJ Tompkins
What to look for: In addition to 2014 co-captain Bianca Jones, CU lost defenders Tori Cooper (2014 All-Pac 12 second team) and Brooke Rice to graduation. With three of the starting back four gone, it would appear that it would take some time to find a new group that can make an immediate impact. But the selection problem in 2014 (CU didn’t have a set back four until about the 15th game of last season) might prove to be a blessing this season. Players such as Heather Ward, Kahlia Hogg, Joss Orejel, Jenna Reeves, Alex Huynh and Courtney Fedor all saw playing time in multiple games last year. Goalkeeper Kate Scheele, who appears to be the starter going into the season, embraces the change, as it has worked for them in the past.
“There has been a lot of change but I think whoever is back there will make a very solid unit and with one or two changes it’ll still stay the same (as last year),” says Scheele. “It’s basically about getting the communication aspect onto the same page with everyone so new players know the terminology we use and returning players can incorporate them (new players) into our style.”
Sanchez believes that the team overall has depth, but believes that not having a back four set this season attests to the amount of players that have the ability to step into the role at a moment’s notice.
“It’d be great to have a starting back four from day one but I think it’s a good problem that we have a lot of players there,” Sanchez says. “We play every game to win and we’ll get the best personnel out there to try and find those players.”
While the defense is coming into its’ own, there might even be a looming position battle at goalkeeper. Both Scheele and redshirt frehsmen Scout Watson have impressed in practice, and it will be interesting to how many minutes both players get throughout the season. While Sanchez does say it is the deepest position and the “least of our worries”, he is always quick to mention that both players are ready for the grind of Pac-12 competiton.
Outlook: The preseason rankings had Colorado in the middle of the Pac-12 at sixth, but Scheele, Hooks and Pappalardo believe that they were under-ranked and are ready to prove doubters wrong this season. After two straight trips to the NCAA’s, the Buffaloes look ready to make the next step and compete with Stanford and UCLA, two perennial conference powerhouses. While the situation in the back four will no doubt be a main storyline throughout the year, the attack, midfield, and goalkeeping positions have essentially reloaded for 2015. But, like basketball, football, and seemingly every other sport in the Pac-12, it all depends on who shows up to play that day, and Hooks, along with her teammates is ready for the challenge.
“We’ve had a chip on our shoulder every year that I’ve been here,” Hooks says. “They never really expect much from us and every year we’ve gone to the tournament and proved people wrong so it’s going into games and beating people that were supposed to be ahead of us.”
In her last season with the Colorado soccer team, Pappalardo echoes that sentiment.
“People don’t really seem to give us the respect that we’ve earned these past few years but that does make us go into every game wanting to prove a point. It makes us that much more hungry to earn that respect.”
