Friday, August 20, 1999
GIRLS SOCCER: KENTUCKY PREVIEW
What's new? It's Notre Dame
BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer contributor
Notre Dame soccer coach Tim Prieshoff doesn't know why his team is so popular.
The Pandas reached the state semifinals last year, finished with an 18-6 record and are ranked second in the state coaches preseason poll, but Prieshoff is shocked local coaches dubbed his squad first in The Enquirer's preseason survey.
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GIRLS POLL
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1. Notre Dame Academy (7) ....... 106
2. Highlands (2) ....... 87
3. Holy Cross ....... 78
4. St. Henry ....... 76
5. Ryle (1) ....... 73
6. Bishop Brossart ....... 63
7. Newport Central Catholic ....... 40
8. Dixie Heights ....... 27
(tie) Boone County ....... 27
10. Conner ....... 15
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The reason: Notre Dame has an almost new team.
“That's 12 off the varsity team,” Prieshoff said. “And they voted us No. 1? How does that work? ... We have three returning starters who didn't play together.”
Fortunately for the Pandas, junior striker Kelley Schabell, junior midfielder Laura Wendling and senior midfielder Emily Farrell contributed on offense last year: Schabell had 10 goals, Wendling seven and Farrell six.
“Kelley was our second-leading scorer last year,” Prieshoff said. “Farrell was third in assists.”
Highlands is ranked fifth in the state and has eight starters back. Coach Bill Thomas loves his team's ball skills and work ethic, but he's a little worried about injuries — at one practice, there were just nine Bluebirds available.
The injury list is lengthy: junior fullback Katie Winkler (broken arm), junior fullback Jenny Weber (sprained ankle), junior midfielder Rachel Gold (back), and junior sweeper Kate Battles (back). Junior striker Ashley Jones, who scored 14 goals last year, has been sick.
Thomas is trying to see something positive.
“You have to have a sense of humor,” Thomas said. “What else can you do?”
State No. 7 Holy Cross will depend on two players, senior midfielder Tracy Kennedy (14 goals, eight assists) and senior goalie Natalie Gardner (0.95 goals-against average, 11 shutouts).
“(Kennedy) is the team workhorse right there in the middle of the field,” coach Dave Reynolds said. “She's a hard player to mark because she's so energetic. ... Natalie is third on the all-time shutout list for the school with 14 and needs three to come in second.”
The most valuable member of state No. 11 St. Henry's team could be trainer Ernie Florkowski. Coach Mike Apgar said a Tuesday practice was the first time all 17 Crusaders were available.
“Health hurt us last year, and it has hurt us this year,” Apgar said. “We're kind of limping into the season.”
Apgar said two seniors sidelined by knee injuries in 1998 — striker Carla Tabeling and midfielder Sara Lonnemann — will have to share the scoring burden. Tabeling was the leading scorer as a sophomore in '97, and Lonnemann was second in scoring and first in assists.
Ryle, ranked 13th in the state, lost 10 seniors and seven starters from last year's 13-4 team, but the Raiders have senior forward Julia Herman (23 goals, 8 assists) and senior midfielder Katie Holtzapfel (8 goals, 13 assists).
“Katie has led Nortern Kentucky in assists the past two seasons and is the school's all-time leader with 44,” coach Jim Demler said. “(Herman) is a hard-nosed, aggressive player with an explosive shot.”
Senior defender Jill Powell (13 goals, 8 assists) leads Ryle's defense.
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