RENO, Nev. -- Repeating the type of success the Nevada soccer team had last year will be no easy feat, but after rewriting the record book and recording the first winning season in program history, the Wolf Pack is ready for the challenge in 2006.
"We'll be more experienced," said third-year head coach Terri Patraw. "We have a bunch of sophomores who are used to being key players and playing 90 minutes a game. Last season we were good because we were talented, but now after spring training, we are so cohesive because we know each other a lot better."
Coming off the best season in program history, which culminated with a trip to the semifinals in the team's first appearance in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, Nevada is primed to be a force in the league and make a run at the first NCAA Championship bid in school history.
"We fully expect to compete for the conference championship and the NCAA tournament is the ultimate goal," said Patraw, who has become the winningest coach in school history after just two seasons. "We think we'll be as talented as any team in the conference, and we would expect to be right in the mix for the NCAA Championships."
Nevada returns 10 starters and 14 letterwinners from last season's squad, which finished with an 11-7-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 mark in WAC play. All five of the team's second-team All-WAC honorees from a season ago - Samantha Miller, Miranda Montejo, Aivi Luik, Randee Robinson and Jessica Wilcox - return for Nevada in 2006.
"Now our team knows what the WAC is like, and they will have a great understanding going into every game what they are up against," Patraw said. "The experience we gained last year will make a big difference for us this season. If we stay healthy, I believe we are the most talented team in the conference player for player."
Finding players to replace the talent and commitment of the three seniors Nevada lost to graduation after the 2005 season - Annie Baxter, Elana Graham and Megan Tarpenning - wasn't easy. But for the second consecutive season, Patraw's recruiting class has been ranked No. 1 in the Western Athletic Conference and in the top 30 in the highly competitive West Region by Soccer Buzz.
"Having my second consecutive recruiting class ranked first in the conference speaks a lot about the University of Nevada. It's an easy place to sell with a beautiful campus and a great location," Patraw said. "This is a place people would want to come and play."
The incoming class that includes freshmen Devin Noe, Whitney Gilson and Carly Wood as well as transfers Karen Zmirak, Myisha Gray and Kenishia Warren, should mix well with the returning players, according to Patraw.
"We are dependent on our returning players to be our core, our leadership, and they provide a ton of talent," Patraw said. "Last year we were dependent on our newcomers to make an impact for us. Now we are going to be dependent on our newcomers to gel with the team and make us better in certain areas, but our veterans will definitely be our leaders."
Patraw and the 2006 team are out to prove that last year's success wasn't a fluke, but an important step toward building the future of Nevada soccer and making a name for the Wolf Pack on the national scene.
"With our future scheduling, we are giving ourselves every opportunity to break onto the national stage. We have to bring it every single day and finish teams off," Patraw said. "Last year we opened eyes, but this year we have to prove we're legitimate."
GOALKEEPER
Having lost Tarpenning, the most decorated goalie in program history to graduation, the starting job will be won by either redshirt freshman Caitlin Holmes or junior Jen Mavis, both of whom have Division I playing experience. Holmes, who played in four matches with one start last season, was forced to redshirt after suffering a season-ending elbow injury against New Mexico. Mavis, a local product from Reed High School who played for the Pack in 2003 and 2004, took last season off to recover from summer knee surgery. Mavis has played in goal twice for Nevada.
"Caitlin and Jen are tremendous athletes," Patraw said. "This is as good a goalkeeping tandem as I have ever had."
DEFENDER
Returning to the backline, which recorded a program-high eight shutouts in 2005, are junior Jessica Wilcox and sophomores Randee Robinson and Patrice Godwin. Wilcox, who started all 20 games for Nevada last season, was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a defense which allowed only one goal in 190 minutes of play in a pair of conference victories. Wilcox also came through for the Wolf Pack in the clutch, recording the game-winning goal against Fresno State and the game-winning assist in double overtime against Utah State. Robinson started all 20 games during her rookie season, also proving herself as an offensive threat with five goals in 2005, including four off corner kicks. Robinson was also the first player in program history to be named to the Soccer Buzz National Elite Team of the Week. Godwin started 18 matches last year, despite missing some time to injury.
Senior Terran Hadlock will move from midfield to defense this season. Hadlock, who will serve as one of the team's captains, recorded two assists while playing in all 20 matches last year. Sophomore Trisha Gibbons, who missed the 2005 season while recovering from knee surgery, also will return for Nevada in 2006.
"Terran is our vocal leader and she is going to demand things from people," Patraw said.
Freshman Devin Noe, a starter on the highly competitive So Cal United club team, will look to crack the Wolf Pack starting lineup this fall. Noe, who hails from Simi Valley, Calif., earned first-team All-Marmonte League honors in 2004 and 2005 and led her Royal High School squad to the Marmonte League Championship her senior year.
"Devin is really a versatile player who should compete for a starting spot," Patraw said.
MIDFIELDER
Co-captains, junior Blaine Dugan and senior Aivi Luik lead a fit and talented group of midfielders. Dugan enters her junior season ranked seventh all time in career shots.
"I've always considered Blaine our quarterback. When she is healthy, she really dictates our rhythm," Patraw said. "Blaine is really the glue in terms of our playing style."
Luik made a name for herself in her first season with the Wolf Pack, scoring six goals and recording five assists while starting all 20 games.
Also returning to the Nevada midfield are seniors Naomi Hernandez, Lauren Kinneman and sophomores Miranda Montejo and Jessica Thompson. Hernandez recorded five goals in 18 games last season, including two scores in a come-from-behind victory over conference rival Fresno State. Kinneman heads into her senior season looking to build on the success she had in 2005. She recorded four goals and two assists while appearing in all 20 matches.
Montejo will move from forward to midfield in 2006. Montejo led the team with 23 points and nine goals in her first year in Reno, setting the school single-season record in each category. She also tied for first on the squad with five assists and was named Nevada's Rookie of the Year. Montejo earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week for helping lead Nevada to a pair of victories over New Mexico and Washington State.
"Miranda is going to be our attacking center mid," Patraw said. "She is just phenomenal there. Her distribution is special and she will still be around the goal."
Thompson, who after just one season in the Silver and Blue already has her name in the record book five times, scored four goals and recorded five assists for Nevada in 2005. She was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after recording seven points in two conference victories.
Sophomore Ashlie Brown, who appeared in 12 games last year with one assist, will sit out the 2006 season while recovering from ACL surgery.
Incoming freshmen Carly Wood and Whitney Gilson and junior transfer Kenishia Warren join the Nevada midfield in 2006. Wood, who attended Incline High School, was a three-time all-state honoree and was named team MVP her senior season. Gilson led her club team, the FC Marauders, to the 2004 Washington state title. Warren, who played one season at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky., has two years of eligibility remaining. A native of New South Wales, Australia, Warren spent the last two years playing for the Central Coast United of the American Women's Premier League.
"Kenishia is a very talented player who is going to really impact our midfield," Patraw said. "Her international experience will be a huge plus for us."
FORWARD
Returning up top for Nevada are senior Kristin Anderson and sophomore Samantha Miller. Anderson recorded five points last season (one goal, three assists) while playing in 16 of the Wolf Pack's 20 matches. After just one season, Miller is already ranked in the career top 10 in the Nevada record book for points (13), goals (4), assists (5) and game-winning goals (1). Miller scored the game-winning goal in the Pack's opening match of the WAC Tournament against Boise State.
"Sammy is one of the top forwards in the conference," Patraw said. "She can single handedly take over a game."
Wolf Pack transfers Myisha Gray and Karen Zmirak will push for a starting spot up top in the fall. Gray played two seasons for Phoenix College where she led her conference in goals and points in 2005. She was also the first player in school history to be named to an All-America team. Zmirak played one season at the University of Georgia where she led the Bulldogs in scoring, points and assists as a freshman in 2004. A native of Ontario, Canada, Zmirak enrolled at Nevada in the spring and practiced with the squad during its spring workouts.
"Myisha is going to add tremendous speed up top, and Karen is a pure goal scorer. She has the hardest shot on the team and is a very crafty player," Patraw said. "We will be very, very fast and exciting up top this year."
SCHEDULE
Nevada opens the 2006 season with an Aug. 27 contest at Sacramento State. The Wolf Pack will then return home to Mackay Stadium to take on Wisconsin-Green Bay on Sept. 1 and Northern Iowa on Sept. 3. The following week Nevada travels to the Evergreen state to face Washington State and Eastern Washington on Sept. 8 and 10 respectively.
The Wolf Pack returns home Sept. 15 and 17 for matches against Wyoming and UC Davis, before embarking on a five-game road swing, its longest of the season. Nevada will travel to Eugene to take on Oregon on Sept. 22 before heading to Portland on Sept. 24 to play Portland State. Nevada will then journey to Albuquerque. N.M., for a neutral-site game against Northern Arizona on Sept. 29 and a match at New Mexico on Oct. 1.
Nevada opens WAC play at Fresno State on Oct. 6 in its final game of the five-game road series. League action continues as Nevada plays hosts Boise State on Oct. 13 and Idaho on Oct. 15. Nevada travels to Utah State and Louisiana Tech on Oct. 20 and 22 for its final road trip of the regular season. Nevada will then play host Hawai'i and San Jose State on Oct. 27 and 29 in the team's regular-season finale.
Mackay Stadium and the University of Nevada will be the host of the 2006 WAC Tournament Nov. 2-5 with the winner of the tournament earning the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships.
