University Southern California Trojans
Women's Soccer Opens Season Sunday At UC Irvine
August 23, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 23, 2000
THIS WEEK -- The USC women's soccer team opens its eighth season of play on Sunday (Aug. 27) with a 1 p.m. contest at UC Irvine. USC has a 6-1 record in season openers with its only loss coming in the 1998 season (2-0 vs. San Diego on Sept. 4). USC has a 4-1-1 all-time record against UC Irvine.
NEXT WEEK -- USC will travel to Tempe, Arizona, for the 2000 Sun Devil Classic. The Trojans will play Colorado on Friday, Sept. 1, at 5:30 p.m. and Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 10:30 a.m. This will be the first time that USC has faced either school.
RANKINGS -- In preseason polls, USC is ranked No. 14 by Soccer Buzz, No. 17 in Soccer America and tied for 17th by the NSCAA (USC's highest preseason ranking ever). UC Irvine is not ranked in any polls.
EUROPEAN VACATION -- For the first time in the program's history, the women's soccer team went on an extended preseason trip. The Trojans played four games during a 12-day tour of Germany and Belgium (Aug. 11-22), going 4-0 and outscoring their opponents by a 16-3 margin. USC opened the tour with a 5-2 win over FSV Frankfurt with a two-goal performance by junior Christy Callier. Freshman Jessica Edwards scored twice as the Trojans defeated the Belgian National Team, 5-1, on Aug. 17, with Isabelle Harvey, Ali Fennell and Megan Orach also scoring goals. Callier added another two-goal game on Aug. 19 in a 4-0 shutout of V.V. Saestum, the current Dutch national champions. Freshman Megan Abbamonto scored both goals to complete the tour sweep on Aug. 21 in a 2-0 win over RSV Anderlecht.
OPPONENT OUTLOOK -- The Anteaters return nine starters from last year's squad that finished with a 6-10-4 season. UC Irvine is led by senior defender Mary Peters and senior Cyndi Tredway, who scored six goals last year. Marine Cano is in his seventh season as head coach at UCI with a career mark of 69-39-15.
HEAD COACH JIM MILLINDER -- Jim Millinder is in his fifth season at the helm of the USC women's soccer program and has placed the Women of Troy on the verge of national prominence. He has a four-year record of 59-21-2 (.732) with USC and a six-year overall mark of 67-48-6 (.579). A former U.S. National Team member, Millinder was named the 1997 West Region Coach of the Year and the 1996 and 1998 Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
RING MY BELL -- Senior midfielder/forward Isabelle Harvey (Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada) begins her senior season at USC and is receiving accolades as one of the top collegiate players this season. Harvey was named as a first team preseason All-American by College Soccer News and has been named as a finalist for the Hermann Award, given to the top player in the nation. The three-time All-American currently holds school career marks for goals (40), points (112) and game-winning goals (18). She is also second in assists (32), four behind Kim Clark (1996-99). Last season, Harvey led the team with 30 points (11-8=30). On Oct. 17, 1999, Harvey recorded two assists against Washington State, becoming the first player in USC history to record 100 points in a career. Harvey also played for Canada in the 1999 Women's World Cup.
SUPER SOPHOMORE -- Sophomore Ali Fennell (Santa Ana/Mater Dei HS) thrived for the Trojans last season in her freshman campaign and, along with Harvey, gives USC one of the top 1-2 tandems on the flanks. Last year, she was third on the team in scoring with 16 points (6-4=16). Among the highlights in 1999, she was named a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Week (Sept. 13 and 20) and to the Soccer America Team of the Week twice. She received the first award after scoring the game-winner against then-No. 8 UConn and assisting on the game-winner against then-No. 12 Portland. After scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over then-No. 8 BYU, she received the second set of honors.
ENTICING SOCCER -- Senior defensive midfielder Katie Ticehurst (Los Alamitos/Mater Dei HS) offers a potent mix of offensive and defensive prowess. She had three goals and one assist for seven points in 1999, with all three of her goals coming from at least 30 yards out.
FORWARD PROGRESS -- With the new offensive system in place for the 2000 season, the team will utilize three forwards. Junior Christy Callier and freshman Jessica Edwards will take the first two spots in the starting lineup with junior Brittany Savelkoul (Seal Beach/Los Alamitos HS) and sophomores Jackie Fodor (Winnetka/Chatsworth HS) and Jennifer Prigmore (Norman, Okla./Norman North HS) will battle for the final spot.
ON MIDDLE GROUND -- A mix of experience and talent exemplifies the strength of the team: the midfield. Senior Isabelle Harvey and sophomore Ali Fennell create a 1-2 punch on the flanks for the Women of Troy while senior Katie Ticehurst serves as the defensive leader in the middle. Senior Andrea Warner (Dana Point/Dana Hills HS) is pencilled in as the offensive midfielder, but will see some competition from freshman Megan Abbamonto (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley HS), who was named Orange County Player of the Year in 1999 by the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times. Abbamonto's sister, Kim, is also back in her sophomore season after spending two seasons on the sidelines with various hip and lower back injuries. Adding depth to the midfield are senior Barbara Almaraz (Ventura/Ventura College), who played for Mexico in the 1999 Women's World Cup, junior Liane Nakano (Fountain Valley/Fountain Valley HS) and sophomore Tawny Flores (Los Angeles/Santa Monica HS). A surprise competitor may be freshman Becky Miller (Westlake Village/La Reina HS), who played well during the team's recent European tour.
DEFENDERS OF THE CROWN -- Senior Megan Orach (Huntington Beach/Marina HS), a forward her first two seasons, and Susie Mora (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita HS), a starter for Mexico in the 1999 Women's World Cup, anchor the Trojans' defense in 2000. Junior Erin Reed (Alamo/San Ramon Valley HS), who made seven starts last season, has locked up the left back starting position. Junior Liane Nakano (Fountain Valley/Fountain Valley HS) and sophomore Stephanie Scholl (Torrance/South Torrance HS) add depth as returners while the team will also see some action this season from freshmen Nicole Goza (Walnut Creek/Carondelet HS) and Amanda Roach (Upland/Upland HS).
GOALKEEPER GOSSIP -- For the first time in the program's history, the Women of Troy have four goalkeepers. This season, the team will utilize the same starting tandem that was used last year. Junior Shaelyn Fernandes (San Jose/Presentation HS) was 7-6 last year and had a 1.332 goals-against-average while sophomore Lauren Arase (La Canada/La Canada HS), a member of the U.S. Under-18 National Team pool, was 7-0 as a starter with a 0.631 goals-against average. Fernandes had four solo shutouts while Arase had two. Both keepers combined for three shutouts in 1999. Two freshmen, Taylor Amaro (Clovis/San Joaquin Memorial HS) and Julie Peterson (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita HS), will back up the Trojans' starting tandem.
CLASS BREAKDOWN -- The Women of Troy are led by six seniors this season with five juniors, seven sophomores and 11 freshmen.
LAST SEASON -- In 1999, the Women of Troy went 14-6 overall and placed second in Pac-10 play with a 7-2 record. The Trojans made their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, losing at home to SMU in the first round, 1-0, in two overtimes. It was the fourth straight season that USC won at least 14 games. #
