1 September 1999
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206

Strong Offense Key to IWU Women's Soccer Success

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. ­ The Illinois Wesleyan women’s soccer team looks to extend its string of three straight seasons of 10 or more victories as it opens its season at 4 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 2) at home against Monmouth.

The Titans returning strength lies on the offensive end with sophomore midfielder Julie Brooks (Belleville, West HS), a first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin player as a freshman. Brooks led IWU in scoring with 33 points and tied the school’s single season record with 16 goals. She had four multiple-goal games and scored three goals in games against MacMurray and Blackburn.

"Julie had a great season for a freshman and should improve with maturity and strength," said IWU coach Tony Bankston, whose team was 10-6-1. "She played hurt the last part of the season or would have been even more potent offensively."

Two other sophomores also provided offensive punch last fall for the Titans. Midfielder L.J. Hachmeister (Elmhurst, York HS) scored seven goals and added six assists while forward Jamie Vilos (Lockport HS) had six goals and assisted on two more.

Junior Liz Downes (Barrington, Carmel HS), who had three goals last year, has returned to full-strength from a summer knee injury and joins Vilos at forward, while juniors Jill Denoma (Lake Villa, Carmel HS) and Vanessa Puma (Chicago, Parker HS) return to the same outside midfield positions they played last season.

The Titans are in good shape in goal with senior keeper Gayle Woodbury (Little Canada, Minn., Roseville HS), who had four shutouts and a goals-against average of 1.65 in 17 games in 1998. In her career, she has allowed 1.46 goals per game and has recorded 14 shutouts in 41 games.

Bankston is concerned about replacing the graduated Erin Gallagher, a three-time defensive MVP and all-conference player, who was the anchor of a defense that allowed just 1.65 goals per game. Those expected to pick up the defensive load are sophomore sweeper Lisa Hampton (Lombard, Glenbard East HS), two-year letterwinner Eleanor Flanagin (Downers Grove, North HS), and freshmen Erin O’Neill (Crystal Lake, South HS) at fullback and Alicia Heeger (Chesterfield, Mo., Lafayette HS) at stopper.

Sophomore Jen Randa (Burr Ridge, Hinsdale South HS) and freshmen Sarah Perry (Freeport HS) are also vying for playing time on the defensive end.

After playing off-campus at the Sale Barn Fields in south Bloomington last fall, the Titans return to their completely renovated and newly-lighted on-campus field, just north of Jack Horenberger baseball field on Franklin Avenue. Six night games are scheduled, including a 7 p.m. match on Sept. 9 against four-time defending CCIW champion Wheaton, the No. 16 ranked team in NCAA Division III last season.