16 The Daily Collegian Wednesday, Aug. 27, 1997
Booters face questions on defense, in goal
Offense in much better shape with
Travis Berger, the Big
Ten's top goal scorer in
1995, comes back to a
Lion offense that returns
three of top four scorers
from a year ago.
By MATT BELLUCCI
and CHRIS MASSE
Collegian Sports Writers
Penn State coach Barry Gorman
and forward Travis Berger fielded
questions about the prospects of
the Lion squad for the 1997 season.
Gorman and Berger both agreed
this year's team will be a mix of
youth and experience that could
definitely challenge for a Big Ten
title.
Led by a powerful offensive unit
which returns three of the top four
scorers from last season, the Nit
tany Lions have high hopes for the
year ahead.
Berger, who is returning from a
serious leg injury which kept him
out all last year, looks to pick up
where he left off in the 1995 sea
son.
Berger had a tremendous season
in 1995, leading the Big Ten in goal
scoring.
Individual accomplishments
have been pushed aside this sea
son, Berger said. They are being
Lady Lion senior Lauren Olmstead
Olmstead will miss the next three or
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replaced with many team goals.
"Team-wise, we just have to pull
together and I think we'll do
extremely well once we get the
chemistry going," Berger said.
"Individual awards aren't impor
tant to me now in my career. It's all
fine and good, but I definitely want
to win another Big Ten champi
onship."
That may be a tall order for a
team that lost seven seniors from
last year's squad.
The first order of business is for
the older and younger players to
mesh together and develop a cohe
siveness on the field and in the
locker room.
Defense will be the major ques
tion mark this year. A majority of
the starting defensive unit has
departed.
Gorman said despite the losses
the defense should be in good
hands. It will just take some time
to pan out.
"Defensively, that will be the
question," Gorman said. "We'll
have to replace the likes of Michael
Coll and Kevin Kress.
"We have Blake Novotny return
ing and hopefully Dave Carney, a
medical redshirt last year, will step
up. His experience will be invalu
able. Newcomer Chris Churchill is
doing well back there. John
Espinosa has been with us for a
while and is looking strong."
Another unanswered question
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Berger's return from serious injury
"Individual awards aren't important to me now in
my career. It's all fine and good, but I definitely
want to win another Big Ten championship."
coming into the season is: Who will
be guarding the net for the Lions?
Fifth-year senior goaltender Steve
Saunders looks to be the front-run
ner, with Ross Brubaker backing
him up.
Gorman was non-committal
about the status of senior Grant
Naylor, who may redshirt this
year.
"We'feel that if we can keep
Steve Saunders healthy and we can
keep Ross Brubaker healthy, then
our goalkeeping situation is cov
ered," Gorman said. "We really
won't go and declare that we will
redshirt Grant, but we'll look to
protect his eligibility."
Last Sunday, the Lions finally
practiced against someone besides
themselves when they traveled to
Allentown to scrimmage Muhlen
berg College.
Although the field conditions
weren't ideal for the game, Gor
man was able to take a good look at
his Lion squad against some strong
competition.
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Travis Berger
Lion forward
"Muhlenberg proved to be a
tough opposition because they had
just come back from an overseas
tour of Scotland and England, so
they had about eight games under
their belt," Gorman said. "It cer
tainly showed, especially in the
first couple of periods. But I was
pleased that over the long haul we
proved to be the fitter side."
Exactly which starters will take
the field for the Penn State on
opening day is still being sorted
out.
Berger emphasized the fact that
the team will take a little time to
get used to each other, as the tim
ing has been just a bit off so far in
training camp.
"Hypothetically, if we come out
and lose our first two games by a 1-
0 score or in overtime, as long as
we pull together and are playing
well, that will be a better indica
tion.
"Once we get bonded and the
chemistry gets going I'm looking
forward to playing."
Lady booters hope to improve on ranking
By CRAIG YETSKO
Collegian Sports Writer
Three years ago the Penn State
women's soccer team felt deter
mined to make its mark in the Big
Ten during its inaugural season.
This fall, the Lady Lions are poised
to create waves in the national
rankings.
With a wealth of senior talent
and 10 of last year's starters
returning this season, the Lady
Lions have the potential to build on
their preseason No. 8 ranking in
the National Soccer Coaches Asso
ciation of America/Umbro Top 25
poll.
"The preseason ranking and
some of the things they saw in
their tour will help spur them on,"
Lady Lion coach Pat Farmer said at
yesterday's Media Day. "I would
think that will lay the groundwork
for some expectations for them
selves because other teams will
have that on bulletin boards some
where."
The tour Farmer touched on was
the Lady Lions' trip to Europe,
where they participated in a series
of matches against the English
National Team and a top-ranked
club team in the English Premier
League.
The squad played before a crowd
of 40,000 fans at Wembley Stadium
in London.
Senior tri-captain Lauren Miller
said most of the players' eyes were
wide like silver dollars at Wemb
ley.
Miller also noted that the turf at
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Travis Berger pushes past a Wisconsin• Green Bay defender. Berger is
returning from a serious leg injury that kept him out of action in 1996.
"I think the intensity is definitely going up and our
level is going up with it because we keep pushing
ourselves."
Wembley Stadium was better than
any carpet she had ever walked on.
Fellow senior tri-captain Jodi
Huckabee said the goals of the
team are the same as her freshman
year, which are winning the Big
Ten and making the NCAA tourna
ment.
With the experience the team
has, these expectations appear
realistic.
"I think the intensity is definitely
going up and our level is going up
with it because we keep pushing
ourselves," Huckabee said.
Although most of the summer
was an exciting one for the Lady
Lions, they could not evade the
injuries.
Sophomore Shari Pickett, who
Farmer projected as a starter, blew
out her anterior cruciate ligament
which will sideline her for the sea
son.
Senior Lauren Olmstead suffered
a sprained medial collateral liga
ment and also broke her thumb.
Farmer said Olmstead's making
progress, but will still miss 3-4
weeks
Miller has been battling an ankle
injury but Farmer is optimistic she
will play through it.
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Jodi Huckabee
senior tri-captain
The combination of ball posses
sion and a strong attack are two
strengths which Farmer believes
will aid this veteran Lady Lion
squad.
"I think there are a number of
people who can score up front,"
Farmer said.
These players include senior tri
captain Rachel Hoffman, who is
the Big Ten career leader in goals
(44) and points (111).
Junior Carole Dutchka, redshirt
sophomore Courtney Lawson,
sophomore Kelly Convey and
senior Erin Killough round out the
attack.
Junior Dara Christante appears
to be the front-runner at goalkeep
er but Farmer said redshirt sopho
more Tracy Frost made big strides
in the net.
With her senior year rapidly
approaching, Miller said the time is
now for the team to make a push in
both the Big Ten and national rank
ings.
"This season is the first that we
hear the clock ticking," Miller said.
"We've had three showings at the
Big Ten championships so far and
weren't happy with any of them so
this year is really the time to do it."