Soccer team hopes for more success

By Greg Doddridge
Staff Writer

Willow in the wind, trust fall, call it what you want. The Purdue women's soccer team is using that activity to build team chemistry.

A player stands with her back to a group of teammates holding interlocked hands and falls back. Trust, questioned for a moment, is gained once the player is safely in the hands of teammates. This sort of activity was one that junior defender Elise Berry brought back from a conference this summer.

Berry attended the 2001 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference; she was one of only six student-athletes from the Big Ten to attend.

"We did a lot of activities designed to integrate the freshmen with the rest of the team, to loosen things up in the preseason so that everyone gets to know one another," said Berry.

Sporting 13 freshmen on a roster of 34, the players have used this past week to get to know one another better. They went out to eat last week together and played several games designed to bring them closer as a team — all without the coaching staff present.

"I didn't tell them to do it," coach Rob Klatte said. "They did the activities on their own. I really believe peer motivation is the biggest motivator."

After finishing last season 12-6-1 and making it to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time, the Boilermakers are determined to return to the Big Ten Tournament, which they host this year, and make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the team's history.

The team will begin its fourth season of competition with a scrimmage against Marquette Friday. Purdue opens the regular season at home against Georgetown Aug. 31 in the first game of the four-team Boilermaker Challenge Cup.

"I know we are a lot more athletic this year than we were last preseason," said Klatte. "The overall team speed has improved. And our depth is greater as well. We can practice 11 on 11 with substitutes. So that should help, should we have any injuries."

There is going to be competition for playing time with the depth that the team has.

"We rank the players and let them know exactly how they stack up," said Klatte. "Like on our fitness tests, we ranked the players one to 32."

Three of the top five fitness tests finishes were by freshmen and two of the three fastest individuals on the team are freshmen.

"People didn't come in with attitudes," said Berry. "They were welcomed into a friendly but competitive atmosphere that wasn't hostile. People are fighting for starting positions, but it doesn't carry off the field."

The team-building activities are designed to help in that respect. Last season two of the team's three captains went down with season-ending knee injuries, emphasizing the potential importance of freshmen being ready to play.

Sophomores Jennie Moppert, Annette Kent and Mary Masck all saw considerable time last year as freshmen. Masck and Moppert both started all 19 games last year. Moppert and Kent both tied for the most goals last season with seven apiece.

"We give freshman the opportunity to play," said Klatte. "If you are good enough, you will play."

Black & Gold Scrimmage

Everyone played Saturday when the team divided into two groups — the Gold team and Black team — for a scrimmage.

The Gold team, coached by assistant coach Susan Moynihan, shut out the Black team coached by first-year assistant Ian Rickerby, 4-0.

Kent scored two goals, one unassisted and one assisted by senior Tari St. John. Freshmen Lori Podell, with an assist from freshman Lauren Sesselmann, and Meghan Dybvig, with an assist from senior Katie Redmond, also scored goals for the Gold team. Moppert led the Black team with three shots on goal.

The scrimmage was played in four 20-minute quarters. The Black team was hit with 13 fouls compared to the five that the Gold team received.

Walk-on Tryouts

The women's soccer team will be hosting tryouts for walk-ons today. Interested students must be carrying 12 credit hours and must be available Wednesday for a call back. Potential players need to be available from 3-7 p.m. each day through the end of the season. For more information, call the women's soccer office at 494-3217.

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