Friday, August 18, 2000
N.Ky. girls soccer preview
Notre Dame unanimous No. 1
By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor
Notre Dame being ranked No. 1 in the Enquirer's girls soccer poll has become as much a part of the local August scene as high humidity and Bengals preseason losses.
Notre Dame is in familiar territory again,, earning unanimous recognition as Northern Kentucky's top girls soccer team by sweeping the first-place votes cast by participating coaches.
Holy Cross, which beat Notre Dame last year in the District 19 finals before having the tables turned in the Fifth Region title game, is second in the poll.
Six of the Enquirer top 10 also are ranked in the state coaches association top 20 poll: Notre Dame No. 2, Holy Cross fourth, Newport Central Catholic seventh, Highlands 11th, St. Henry 14th and Ryle 18th.
To Notre Dame coach Tim Prieshoff, the state showing reflects the strength of Northern Kentucky girls soccer.
“It's hard to wade through the teams up here,” Prieshoff said. “I think that poll shows what people around the state think about the programs up here.”
They already know about Notre Dame, which won a third consecutive regional title last season and reached the state finals before losing to South Oldham.
The Pandas have 14 players returning from that team. They are led by senior striker Kelley Schabell, who scored 17 goals last year, and senior goalie Julie Wulfeck, who posted 15 shutouts and a 0.53 goals-against average last season.
The Pandas also are hoping for a return to form by senior stopper Katie Darpel, who tore a medial collateral ligament in her knee in the regional final game against Holy Cross.
“Our returning players should provide experience and leadership to the 10 new players this year,” Prieshoff said. “Our defense and bench strength may be weaker than it has been in the past couple of years.”
Like Notre Dame, Holy Cross will count heavily on a senior striker, Jamie Reynolds, and a senior goalie, Stephanie Lea.
Reynolds had seven goals and 16 assists last season and is being counted on to pick up the slack left by the graduation of Tracy Kennedy. Lea moves from forward to replace Natalie Gardner in goal, and she has big shoes to fill. Gardner keyed a defense that produced a state-record 16 shutouts last season — including seven in a row, another state record.
“Five senior starters should provide great leadership,” coach Dave Reynolds said.
NewCath, which lost to Bishop Brossart in the first round of the District 17 tournament, could be this year's dark-horse team — no pun intended. Knee injuries cost last year's Thoroughbreds five starters, three in one game against Highlands. One of them was sweeper Danielle Kramer, who returns for her junior year as one of four returning starters.
Defending District 20 champion Ryle, tied for seventh in the local poll, also has just four starters back. The Raiders' inexperience is magnified by a roster featuring just three seniors, one junior and a total of seven players with any varsity experience.
“We have pretty good team speed and our two senior starters, Lindsay Messina and Tiffany Bass, should be solid in the middle of the field,” coach Jim Demler said.
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