After finishing with a 1-9 conference record and seeing the retirement of 11 year head coach Bill Hempen, the Colorado women’s soccer team needed a change.
In steps Danny Sanchez.
Senior Kate Russell attacks the ball in the last home game of the 2011 season against USC. With a new coach and 13 new players the women’s soccer team hopes for a promising new year. (CU Indepentdent/Amy Leder)
With a career record of 268-60-24, Sanchez is just the man to turn this shambled program around.
His winning pedigree also includes two Division II national championships from Metro State University.
Two assistant coaches, Jason Green and Don Trentham, followed Sanchez from the University of Wyoming. California State University Fullerton grad Rebekah Patrick rounds out the coaching staff as volunteer assitant coach.
Senior Amy Barczuk has been named captain of the 2012 team by her teammates. She will be leading an experienced defense which includes fellow seniors Erin Bricker and Quinn Krier.
The Buffs will be experienced this year, returning nine starters and 14 overall. Barczuk, juniors Anne Stuller and Hayley Hughes and sophomore Darcy Jerman were four of the Buffs’ top five scorers last season and hope to continue their success this year.
Stuller, who was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for Aug. 20-27, led the team in goals a year ago and leads the Pac-12 in goals this season with six so far. The junior will need to score even more if the Buffs hope to take that next step. There will be added pressure on her to perform at a high level.
The Buffs will welcome 13 new players this year, 12 of them freshmen. They hail from all over the United States, including California, Chicago, New Jersey, Arizona and New Mexico as well as Colorado. This new blood should help excite the Buffs and push them forward.
The national polls aren’t picking Colorado to go very far this year, ranking them 11th in the preseason Pac-12 coaches’ poll. The University of Arizona was the only team ranked lower. The Stanford University Cardinal is the defending national champion, and the Buffs will play them on Oct. 7 in Boulder.
As they deal with a lot of change, this is an exciting year for the Buffs. Most see 2012-13 as a rebuilding season, but with all of the veteran talent, Colorado could sneak up on a few teams.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Scott Annis at Robert.annis@colorado.edu.
