Ann Bernard

Julie Brooks

There is a buzz in the air around the Titan women’s soccer team. After a 16-4 campaign in 2000, the Titan women are eager to prove in 2001 that they are indeed for real and are a team that should be taken seriously in the CCIW and the region. With a talented group of returnees and a strong freshmen class, the Titans have the potential to make a serious run at the league championship in 2001.

One of the most important new faces in the Titan women’s soccer program is new coach Dave Barrett. Coach Barrett inherits a team that is brimming with enthusiasm and talent, and eager to make the next step in the advancement of the soccer program: winning the CCIW and qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

With a beefed up schedule facing the Titans in 2001, this won’t be an easy task. New opponents include UW-Whitewater, Marian College, Simpson College, Hendrix College, DePauw, and the University of Chicago. Wheaton College continues to be the front-runner in the league, but the Titans are undaunted. Coach Barrett adds, "This group of players is very close to accomplishing something special. In any successful team, talent, preparation, and luck must merge together at just the right moment. If this happens, there is no telling what this team can accomplish."

Leading the way for the Titans are a talented group of returning letterwinners who bring talent and experience to the table. The Titans should once again be a potent attacking team with the top four scorers from 2000, when the team tallied 64 goals on the season, all returning to the line-up in 2001. Senior all-conference performer Julie Brooks (Belleville, IL) was the leading scorer in 2000 with 18 goals and 7 assists. Senior April App (Elburn, IL) will also return after tallying 11 goals and 7 assists, as will sophomore Christine Reed (Crystal Lake, IL) and her 9 goals and 16 assists from a year ago. These three will be leading candidates to fill the roles of strikers for the Titans, with Brooks potentially seeing time in midfield as well.

The midfield corps will be led by sophomore Ann Bernard (St. Charles, IL). Bernard enjoyed a very successful freshman year in 2000, scoring 9 goals and dishing out 6 assists on the season. She should be a fixture in the line-up once again in 2001. Sophomore Lauren Boegen (Waukegan, IL) will also be looked to for some scoring punch after contributing 4 goals as a freshman. Four freshmen will surely vie for playing time, according to Coach Barrett, after impressive high school and club careers. Emily Fritz (St. Charles, IL), Marisa Johnson (St. Charles, IL), Alissa Hunt (Glen Ellyn, IL), and Kristin Wood (Sycamore, IL) all figure prominently in the future plans of Coach Barrett.

The defensive corps will also be a mix of veterans and newcomers, led by senior L.J. Hachmeister (Elmhurst, IL). She will be flanked by sophomores Katie Taylor (Hinsdale, IL) and Kristin Riek (Delafield, WI), with sophomores Tracey Budden (Mahomet, IL), September Fosdick (Appleton, WI), and Jessica Sasveld (Naperville, IL) also among the returning defenders vying for playing time. Adding to this group are freshmen Stephanie Travers (Maryville, IL) and Jessica Pyzyna (Arlington Heights, IL) who are sure to push the veterans this fall.

The Titans also return their outstanding goalkeeper from 2000. Junior Alicia Heeger (Eureka, MO) will again be a mainstay in goal after only conceding 15 goals in 16 games (0.94 gaa) in 2000. Senior Amy Attivissimo (Oak Lawn, IL) will again challenge Heeger and will see time in goal when Heeger, who is also an excellent field player, is brought from goal into either a defensive or midfield spot.

"I am really optimistic about this team’s chances for success," adds Coach Barrett. "We have a young but talented group of players who understand that the outcomes we hope for will only come through hard work and preparation. I think these women are up for the challenge ahead."