RENO, Nev. -- The 2006 University of Nevada soccer team turned in the most successful season to date as the team recorded its best overall record in program history (13-5-4), won its first WAC title and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The team went 5-1-1 in its last seven games including a program-high six game unbeaten streak. In the team’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Nevada fell to #23 Stanford 2-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. During the 2006 season, under the direction of third-year head coach Terri Patraw, the Pack had four players named WAC Player of the Week, five players named to All-Conference teams, four players named to the WAC All-Tournament team, including tournament MVP Caitlin Holmes, and one player, Randee Robinson, named to the Soccer Buzz National Elite Team of the Week.
2006 Team Awards:
The team held its annual awards banquet on Dec. 8 at Circus Circus in Reno. The Nevada coaching staff of Patraw and assistants Antoinette Marjanovic and Graeme Abel, honored the team’s seniors, Lauren Kinneman, Kristin Anderson, Aivi Luik, Terran Hadlock and Naomi Hernandez. The squad’s three captains, Blaine Dugan, Hadlock and Luik, were also recognized for their guidance, leadership and dedication to the program.
Four individual awards were given to players on the team. Three of the awards, Rookie of the Year, MVP and Most Improved, were voted on by the team while the Annie Baxter Commitment Award, named after former player Annie Baxter who played for Nevada from 2001-02 and 04-05, was voted on by the coaching staff.
Rookie of the Year went to defender Devin Noe. Noe started all 22 games for Nevada and was part of a defense that allowed a program-low 14 goals this season while the Pack recorded a program-high 12 shutouts. She also recorded one goal and three assists during the season. “Devin came in and was twice the player we expected,” Patraw said.
Senior captain Terran Hadlock was named the most improved player. Hadlock, a four-year starter, recorded one goal and 10 assists during her career, including five assists this season. She played in 21 games with 10 starts this season. “Terran has risen to every challenge and she has gotten better every year,” Patraw said.
Senior captain Aivi Luik was named team MVP. Luik, a two-year starter for the Pack after transferring to Nevada prior to her junior season, recorded 21 starts while playing in 22 games this season. She recorded three goals and two assists in 2006. Both of her assists this season were on game-winning goals. “I told Aivi when we were recruiting her, if you come here you can be a difference maker,” Patraw said. “It has been a pleasure to watch her.”
The final award of the night, the Annie Baxter Commitment Award, was given to sophomore forward Samantha Miller. Miller, a two-year starter for the program, was named to both the All-WAC First Team and the All-Tournament team. She recorded seven goals this season and was second on the team in points with 18. “Sammy’s speed and work ethic really dictated what we did,” Patraw said. “When she was on, we were on.”
2006 NCAA Tournament:
Nevada faced #23 Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament hosted by Santa Clara University at Buck Shaw Stadium. Stanford was the first ranked opponent the Pack had ever faced.
Stanford recorded a goal in the 25th minute when Ali Riley scored an unassisted goal. A long ball was played into the Nevada box and Jessica Wilcox got to the ball first and was shielding a Cardinal player. Wilcox tried to turn the ball to the outside to clear but Riley got the ball and beat Pack keeper Caitlin Holmes to put Stanford up 1-0.
The Cardinal went up 2-0 in the 82nd minute after Hillary Heath hit a hard shot at Caitlin Holmes but Holmes couldn’t come up with the save.
Nevada scored its goal in the 89th minute of the match when Randee Robinson connected with Lauren Kinneman’s corner kick. Kinneman’s kick was redirected by Wilcox who found Robinson alone on the back post. Nevada ended the season with a 13-5-4 mark, its best overall record in program history.
2006 WAC Tournament:
Third-seeded Nevada won its first WAC Tournament Championship on Nov. 5 after beating Fresno State 4-2 in penalty kicks. Nevada ousted #6 Hawai’i in the quarterfinals and downed #2 Utah State in the semifinals to reach the championship match against the number one seed, Fresno State. After 110 minutes of scoreless play, the match went into a shootout. Nevada’s Miranda Montejo and Samantha Miller made Nevada’s first two attempts to put the Pack up 2-1 after Pack goalie Caitlin Holmes blocked Mary Trigg’s attempt. Nevada’s third kicker, Terran Hadlock, made her penalty kick and Fresno’s Barbara Davis closed the gap to 3-2. Karen Zmirak’s shot had Bulldog keeper Angie Larsen beat, but Zmirak’s shot clanked off the left post. Fresno’s Erica Sugano had her attempt go wide right and Aivi Luik drove home the game-winning penalty kick for Nevada. The Pack did not allow a goal during its three games in the tournament and scored the most goals (five) of any team in the tournament.
In the quarterfinals on Nov. 2, versus Hawai’i Samantha Miller scored two goals, on assists from Montejo and Devin Noe, in a 65 second span to help Nevada beat Hawai’i for the second time in less than a week. Nevada’s third goal of the night was a Rainbow own goal. In the semifinal game, the Pack avenged a regular-season loss to Utah State. Defender Randee Robinson scored her first two goals against of the season the Aggies, both of which were off set pieces. Lauren Kinneman and Hadlock recorded the assists.
All-WAC Teams:
The University of Nevada soccer team had five players named to the All-WAC teams. The Pack had the second-most players named to the all-conference teams this season with Fresno State leading the way with six honorees. Nevada’s five recipients match the number of honorees the Pack placed on All-WAC teams in 2005.
Jessica Wilcox and Samantha Miller became the first players in program history to be named to the All-WAC first team. Randee Robinson, Miranda Montejo and Karen Zmirak were each named to the second team.
Defenders Wilcox and Robinson, who were both named to the second-team in 2005, anchored a backline which recorded 12 shutouts this season, a single-season program high, as the Nevada defense allowed a program-low 14 goals this season. Wilcox has recorded a goal and an assist this season.
Forwards Miller and Zmirak recorded seven and 11 goals respectively and helped Nevada lead the conference in goals scored with 43. Zmirak who recorded 26 points in 2006, set new program single-season records for most goals and points in a season. Miller ended the season second on the team in points with 18. Midfielder Montejo scored five goals this season, recorded three assists and finished third on the team in points with 13. Both Montejo and Miller were named to the second team last season, while Zmirak finished her first season with the Pack after transferring to Nevada from the University of Georgia.
All-Tournament Team:
Nevada had a school record four players named to this season’s All-Tournament team. Sophomores Randee Robinson, Samantha Miller and Miranda Montejo, along with redshirt freshman Caitlin Holmes, were all honored this season. Holmes was also named tournament MVP after posting shutouts in all three of Nevada’s games. Miller scored two of Nevada’s three goals in the Pack’s quarterfinal win over Hawai’i, while Montejo recorded an assist during the tournament setting up Miller’s game-winning goal versus Hawai’i. Robinson anchored a defense that did not allow a goal in the Pack’s three games in the tournament. She also recorded both goals in Nevada’s 2-0 semifinal win over Utah State.
News and Notes:
Nevada ended the season ranked first in every offensive category in the conference and second in every defensive category except saves...Nevada’s 13 wins this season are the most overall wins in a season for the Pack while Nevada has recorded at least 10 wins the last two season’s under third-year head coach Terri Patraw...The Pack finished the season with five losses, the fewest losses in a season...#23 Stanford was the first nationally-ranked team the Pack had ever faced...Nevada was the only team in the WAC Tournament to score more than one goal during the tournament as the Pack recorded five goals...Nevada scored 43 goals this season, a new program high, passing the previous mark of 39 set in 2005...The Pack allowed 14 goals this year, the fewest number of goals the Pack had given up in a season...Nevada never allowed more than two goals in a game this season...Nevada finished the season ranked in several NCAA individual and team categories...Caitlin Holmes finished the season 14th in the country in goals against average (0.534) and eighth in save percentage (0.885)...As a team, the Pack finished the season 18th in goals against average (0.607), tied for 24th in shutout percentage (0.55) and 39th in points per game (1.95).
