University Southern California Trojans
Women's Soccer Heads To Utah
September 26, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 26, 2000
THIS WEEK -- The No. 10 USC women's soccer team (7-1) will travel to No. 23 BYU on Thursday (Sept. 28) at 7 p.m. (MT) and Utah on Saturday (Sept. 30) at 1 p.m. (MT).
NEXT WEEK -- USC will open Pac-10 Conference play with a home match on Sunday (Oct. 8) vs. UCLA in a 1 p.m. contest, played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
LAST WEEK -- The Trojans defeated Loyola Marymount, 1-0, on Friday (Sept. 22) in their only match of last week. Senior Isabelle Harvey scored the lone goal at 65:47 off an assist from Kim Abbamonto. It was Harvey's third goal of the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Arase made three saves to record her fourth shutout of the season and sixth in her career. She is now 5-0 on the season and has allowed only one goal in 405 minutes for a 0.22 goals-against-average.
RANKINGS -- As of Sept. 25, USC is ranked No. 10 by Soccer Buzz, No. 15 in Soccer America, No. 17 in Soccer Times and No. 19 by the NSCAA poll.
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.
COUGARS CAPSULE -- No. 23 BYU is 7-3 on the season after splitting two matches last weekend in Wisconsin with a 2-1 loss to Marquette and a 2-0 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Senior Michelle Peterson leads the team with nine goals and 21 points while senior Sara Reading has six goals on the season. The Cougars have outscored their opponents by a 30-10 margin and are 4-0 at home this season. Head Coach Jennifer Rockwood is in her sixth season at BYU. The win against Wisconsin-Milwaukee was the 100th win in Rockwood's career (career record of 100-25-1). Rockwood led BYU to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1998.
UTES NEWS -- Utah is 7-3-1 on the season after two wins last weekend against SEC teams on the road. Utah won at South Carolina, 2-1, on Sept. 22 and at Georgia, 3-2 in overtime, on Sept. 24. Junior Amy Kofoed leads the team with nine goals and 19 points. Head Coach Amy Freeman Winslow is in her sixth season at Utah. She has a career mark of 60-42-5 at Utah. Winslow guided the Utes to their best record last year at 13-7, including a share of the Mountain West Conference championship. She was honored as the MWC Coach of the Year.
RING MY BELL -- Midfielder/forward Isabelle Harvey (Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada) is receiving accolades as one of the top collegiate players this season as a senior. 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 (43), points (120) and game-winning goals (20). She is also second in assists (33), three behind Kim Clark (1996-99). Harvey opened the 2000 season on Aug. 27 with an assist on the Trojans' first goal in a 2-0 win at UC Irvine off a corner kick. She recorded a two-goal game against No. 21 Michigan on Sept. 3 in Tempe, Ariz. Harvey is tied for first on the team with eight points (3-2=8). 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. Fennell is tied for the team lead with eight points (3-2=8). On Sept. 10 against Vanderbilt, Fennell scored two goals and added an assist in the Trojans' 3-0 shutout. 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.
PHOENIX PHENOM -- Freshman Jessica Edwards (Mesa, AZ/Dobson HS) has made an immediate impact on the team and is adding scoring punch for the Women of Troy this season. She is tied for the team lead with eight points (3-2=8). On Sept. 8, Edwards scored two goals and added an assist in USC's 3-1 win over Baylor. She scored a goal and led the team with a game-high eight shots on Aug. 27 in a 2-0 win at UC Irvine. She leads the team with 41 shots (sophomore Ali Fennell is second with 18 shots).
TAKING A SHOT AT THE RECORD -- Jessica Edwards is on pace to challenge Maggie Merritt's record for most shots in a season. Edwards has 41 shots through eight games and is on pace to record 103 shots this season (Merritt registered 92 shots in the 1994 season).
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.
A PERFECT WORLD -- Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Arase (La Canada/La Canada HS) is 5-0 this season for the Trojans and has allowed only one goal for a 0.22 goals-against-average. She opened the season with her third solo career shutout on Aug. 27 in a 2-0 win against UC Irvine. Arase made three saves on five UCI shots. She started and won both matches at the Sun Devil Classic, including her fourth solo shutout on Sept. 1 in a 1-0 decision against Colorado. On Sept. 10 vs. Vanderbilt, she added her fifth solo shutout, making four saves in a 3-0 victory. Arase recorded her fourth shutout of the season on Sept. 22, making three saves in a 1-0 decison at home against Loyola Marymount. Arase is now 12-0 as a starter for the Trojans.
DOUBLE TROUBLE -- The Women of Troy have a sister act this season with the presence of sophomore Kim and freshman Megan Abbamonto (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley HS). Both midfielders have played in every game this season. Kim, who has been hampered in two seasons (one as a redshirt) by injuries, has made solid contributions off the bench while Megan has three goals and two assists for the Trojans.
PLAYING WITH `ABBA'ILITY -- Megan Abbamonto is tied for the team lead with eight points (3-2=8). She scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 decision on Sept. 17 against Central Florida in Gainesville, Fla. Abbamonto has dominated the midfield for the Trojans in her first season, she is tied for the team lead with Isabelle Harvey with two game-winning goals.
THE PERFECT FALL (ALMOST) -- The loss to Florida on Sept. 15 by the women's soccer team is the only loss suffered by a USC team so far in the fall. As of Sept. 25, the USC football team is 3-0 and ranked No. 7 in the nation, the women's volleyball team is ranked No. 1 at 9-0 and the No. 1 men's water polo team is 8-0 on the season for a combined teams' record of 27-1.
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. 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, 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. #
