Spartan Girls 2004 Season Preview
Germantown, OH (August 24, 2004) As the Lady Spartans soccer team opens their season tonight against Fenwick, coach Jeff Stiver is hoping for one thing, healthy girls.
Over the summer his team experience injuries of different sorts and one thing Stiver knows for sure are that injuries could really put a damper on a successful season.
"So far I have been really pleased as far as the preseason went. We have some kids out with nagging injuries and that's what could really hurt us," Stiver said.
"We have four games in a week sometimes and you wonder if your girls are going to be able to heal up their injuries before the next game. They have been working really hard, but injuries are always a concern," Stiver added.
Stepping away from bruised bodies and sprained bones, the ladies have a promising season ahead of them. The 2004 season marks a new beginning, as every year does, but the majority of the players who are playing on varsity have already had experience there.
"We have four new kids to the varsity team and that's our three or four less experienced girls," Stiver commented.
And that's where Stiver gets a little concerned, because if any of his older more experience girls get injured and can't play, there will be just a little more inexperience trampling down the field.
"The ability tapers off once we lose someone to an injury. It's about inexperience. Like, if Sam Buehner gets injured I'm just not sure if someone will be able to step in there and do what she has been doing," Stiver noted.
Hopefully the season will be nicer to the girls than the preseason was, so the experience can be on the field rather than with Trainer Nikki Barnhart on the sidelines.
Stiver thinks that right now the team has all they need to get things done, but they need to fine tune those things and provide some uniformity.
"We need to find some consistency both scoring and on defense because when you play good teams, like Bellbrook and Oakwood, you can't afford to go 60 good minutes and 20 so-so minutes because those teams will be ready for the kill during the so-so minutes. I think we have the potential but we will have to play our best and do so without injuries," Stiver mentioned.
The opening of the season for the Spartans will be a tough one, as the girls take on five of the areas top competitors in just the first eight games.
"We need to get things rolling in the first half of the season. I think we should do well in the second part of our season if we can maintain and well in the opening. It's really important for us to get a good start this year," said Stiver.
The fighting Lady Spartans have been pushing there way up the ladder through the years and recorded an outstanding 13-5-1 record last year, almost identical to the 2002 season. Now the question is can they continue on with that transition after losing six seniors to graduation?
The graduated seniors included Katharine Newell, Shalen Boyer, Stacey Strayer, Angie Pummill, Erika Hensely and Cadie Blevins. Stiver knows the graduates will be missed, but he also thinks the players he has now are ready to step up to the same level as his departing seniors. But there is one position that is still up for sale, Strayer's.
"It seemed like we tried to go Stacey's way a lot last year, so that's been a position we haven't solidified with anyone. We like our makeup, offensively, but we haven't found that spot," Stiver stated.
"We have struggled making goals against good teams, but whenever we practice, we gear everything to playing good teams. I think we will do well and match last years effort," Stiver noted.
Stiver's only two seniors this year are Allison Markus and Deanna Nixon. Markus will be a varsity captain along with Sam Buehner, Laura Tipton, Kayla Kerns and Abby Burns.
Tipton really took a big step up for her team after Karlee Blosser was injured during the State pole-vaulting event.
"She has worked so hard. She's probably made as big as sacrifice as anyone, as she went from playing on the field and having nice field play to being our goalie. She's been working really hard and becoming more comfortable each day. There are drills you can do, but it's totally different than when you're in a game and someone comes barreling at you. You just can't simulate that during practice," commented Stiver.
Lauren Clay (outside mid-fielder), who scored 14 goals for the Spartans last season, returns and Stiver is looking for Alexis Pal to open some eyes this season.
"Lauren was our leading scorer last year, but other teams know that now and that's going to make the game a lot more difficult for her. We are also counting on Alexis to score some goals for us this year," Stiver said.
Also returning is Kayla Kerns at central mid-fielder and forward along with Christie Jones at mid-field. Also on varsity are: Sarah Burris, Kelly Bussard, Linley Clark, Casie Cockerham, Rachael Day, Holly Karn, Erin Kroger, Brittany Kramer, Michelle Nixon, Audra Stiver and Casey Whitaker.
Stiver is excited to get his season started and thinks that the girls have the potential to do anything.
"I think when we play to our potential we have the makings to beat our top competitors like Bellbrook, Oakwood and Fenwick," Stiver said.
Only time will tell and tonight's home opener against Fenwick will be the starting point in the 2004 season.
