Women’s Soccer Looks to Repeat in Home Invitational
August 27, 2009 • By Sean Petrizzi and Matt Otoole,
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The JMU women’s soccer team is experiencing a bit of déjà vu. The team didn’t expect a loss against Richmond in its season-opener, but an opening loss didn’t stop the Dukes from making it to the Sweet 16 last season.
“The hard part is the reputation we had this year is based on last year. Every game we play in we have a target on our back,” JMU coach Dave Lombardo said.
Senior midfielder Ashley Flateland said the team found itself less prepared than they anticipated in the game Saturday.
“It was shocking,” Flateland said. “We felt so disconnected.”
Madison will be hosting the JMU Comfort Inn/Harrisonburg Invitational this weekend. As defending champions, the team sees the tournament as a way to prove the Richmond game was only a fluke.
“We have done a good job on closing the book on last weekend and our ambition this weekend is to go 2-0,” Lombardo said.
Senior defender Teri Maykoski said the tournament will play an important role in the team’s morale.
“We need to get our heads up so we go into our bigger games with Penn State, Navy, and Maryland knowing we can do what we think we can do,” senior defender Teri Maykoski said.
JMU will play Xavier and Bucknell this weekend, two of the three teams participating in the Invitational. Towson is also attending the tournament, but JMU will not face the Colonial Athletic Association foe because conference play has not begun.
To prepare for the tournament and non-conference play, Lombardo said one of their play tactics this weekend is switching up the field formation. Instead of the normal three midfielders, the team will have a fourth player on the line to help avoid turnovers.
“The tournament provides an atmosphere different than just a normal game. It helps prepare as a dress rehearsal for the CAA tournament,” Lombardo said.
Towson Tigers:
The Towson Tigers enter the Invitational having won just one of its past 15 games dating back to last season.
Greg Paynter, in his third season at the helm, believes his team’s chances are as good as any heading into this weekend. The former JMU assistant is very confident this could be a breakout tournament for his team.
“The girls in my program, most of them have played down at JMU,” Paynter said. “I certainly know what its like as a coach. We are familiar with it, more than Xavier or Bucknell will be.”
Last year’s Tigers team was not known for its offensive consistency, scoring only 14 goals all season.
Senior forward Erica Marshall and sophomore midfielder Kaysi Ward were the team’s leading scorers last season at three goals each and will play a pertinent role in the Tigers attack this weekend.
Towson plays Bucknell on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Xavier on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. JMU and Towson will not meet because the CAA schedule has not started yet.
Xavier Musketeers:
Picked to finish last in the Atlantic-10, Xavier is trying to rebuild from last season.
Posting only one win last year, the Musketeers finished 0-9-2 in their conference and 1-16-2 overall. Ohio was the school’s only victim in 2008, as Xavier posted a 2-0 shutout on the road in Athens.
Sophomore forward Jessica Brooks scored both of the team’s goals against Ohio. She is the leading returning scorer from last season with five goals.
The Musketeers have started off on the wrong foot already, losing 4-1 to in-state rival Toledo. Junior forward Carly Wenzel scored the team’s lone goal.
Xavier is coached by Alvin Alexander, who is 21-47-7 in his fourth season with the Musketeers. Each year that he has been head coach, the team’s wins have decreased.
“We certainly can get in there and come out of there with at least a win and a tie,” Alexander said. “The only thing holding us back is some key injuries.”
They open the tournament against James Madison on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and play again on Sunday against Towson.
Bucknell Bison:
Bucknell opens its season at the Invitational, the only one of the four teams to do so.
This year’s Bison team was predicted to finish third in the Patriot League. It received three first place votes out of a possible 16.
Fifth-year coach Ben Landis’ team closed the 2008 campaign with an 11-6-3 record, 5-2-0 in conference play. Landis said that a number of Bucknell’s non-conference opponents from last season chose not to schedule the Pennsylvania school this season.
So when the opportunity arose to play in this season’s Invitational, he jumped at the chance.
“We’re very excited to be playing in a tournament of this quality this early in the season,” Landis said. “But I think us being there helps everybody else as well.”
The Bison might be without its most dangerous offensive player in junior Christa Matlack. Offseason surgery has left the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year questionable for this weekend.
Joining her on the All-Patriot League First Team last season was junior defender Caitlin Holtz, who served up a team high of eight assists. Her play this weekend will be hampered by a knee injury.
Holtz was part of a Bucknell squad that held eight opponents scoreless in 2008. Joining her in the defensive backfield will be team co-captain Lauren Stoller. The senior has started every game in her Bison career.
The Bison play Colonial Athletic Association opponent Towson on Friday at 5 p.m. and the Dukes on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.
Contact Sean Petrizzi and Matt O’toole at petrizsm@jmu.edu and otoolemw@jmu.edu
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