Women's soccer
Domenic Poli
The Massachusetts women’s soccer team’s 2007-2008 regular season schedule has been released.
The first action of the season is scheduled for Aug. 31, against Maine in Kingston, R.I.
The Minutewomen will look to put an early down payment on a playoff spot, as the nasty competition of the Atlantic 10 Conference slowly erased their postseason dreams last season. UMass finished 11-6, with a 5-4 conference record.
What first looked like a bright season for the Maroon and White took an unpleasant turn around the midway point as it ultimately could qualify for the playoffs. Though it won six of its final seven games, the Minutewomen failed to finish high enough in the A-10 standings.
Last year’s season ended for UMass after a 1-0 victory over Duquesne on Oct. 29. The Cristina Adams scored the game's lone goal in 75th minute, off an assist from senior captain Stephanie Barrett.
It was the final collegiate game for Barrett, as well as co-captain Nadia Villarroel and Liz Weinsten.
UMass’ hopes for a playoff berth had all but dwindled away two days earlier, when it lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Saint Louis. Julia Bradenberg scored the Billikens' lone goal with eight minutes left in the game.
The Minutewomen will try to turn things around this season, however, and vie for some revenge against the teams that dealt them losses in 2006 – Saint Louis, Rhode Island, Dayton, LaSalle, Vermont and New Hampshire. Though they pulled off a solid season last year the A-10 proved that it takes something special to earn a spot in the playoffs.
Of UMass’ six defeats, three of them – against Saint Louis, URI, and Vermont – were one-goal games.
If the Minutewomen want to make it into this year’s postseason, they – along with coach Jim Rudy – will need to dig down deep come late August because they know that in November, one of those games decided by a single goal could be the difference between going on and going home.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Walker makes A-10 All-Conference team
Women's soccer
Domenic Poli
Massachusetts red-shirt senior goalkeeper Kristin Walker has been named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team. Walker, a two-time A-10 All-Conference selection, is one of 11 players voted to the team selected by the conference's coaches, the league announced Monday.
Waker started all 17 games in 2006 for the Minutewomen and finished with an .846 save percentage and a career-best 0.96 goals against average. She allowed 16 goals on the season, including one or fewer in 15 of 17 games.
Domenic Poli
Massachusetts red-shirt senior goalkeeper Kristin Walker has been named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team. Walker, a two-time A-10 All-Conference selection, is one of 11 players voted to the team selected by the conference's coaches, the league announced Monday.
Waker started all 17 games in 2006 for the Minutewomen and finished with an .846 save percentage and a career-best 0.96 goals against average. She allowed 16 goals on the season, including one or fewer in 15 of 17 games.
Cook Named to A-10 Preseason Team
Men's Soccer
Michael King
Despite not yet having reached summer's midpoint, that fact hasn't stopped the Atlantic 10 from previewing the upcoming men's soccer season.
The league named senior defender Kenny Cook to its Preseason All-Conference Team. Cook joins three representatives from both Saint Louis and Rhode Island on the nominal squad.
The senior leads a UMass team that excels in its defensive style of play. The Minutemen led the conference with 10 shutouts last season and also posted a 0.53 goals-against average. But the team's defensive prowress took a toll on its offensive - a unit ranked next to last in the A-10, while scoring only 0.74 goals per conference game last season.
Michael King
Despite not yet having reached summer's midpoint, that fact hasn't stopped the Atlantic 10 from previewing the upcoming men's soccer season.
The league named senior defender Kenny Cook to its Preseason All-Conference Team. Cook joins three representatives from both Saint Louis and Rhode Island on the nominal squad.
The senior leads a UMass team that excels in its defensive style of play. The Minutemen led the conference with 10 shutouts last season and also posted a 0.53 goals-against average. But the team's defensive prowress took a toll on its offensive - a unit ranked next to last in the A-10, while scoring only 0.74 goals per conference game last season.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Minutemen and Minutewomen release 2007 schedule
Cross Country
Mike Gillmeister
The coaches for the Massachusetts men's and women's cross country teams have released the schedules for the 2007 season.
All-conference runners last season, seniors Nils Fischer and Christina Derosa lead their teams into the Dartmouth Invitational, the first meet of the season, on Sept. 8 in Hanover, N.H. Last season, both teams took third place in the meet. Derosa finished ahead of all Minutewomen, earning a fourth-place finish. Sophomore Nicolai Naranjo will come back to the place where he impressed in his collegiate debut, taking first place overall.
After their first home meets of the season on Sept. 15, the Minutemen and Minutewomen will travel to Lehigh University to take part in the Paul Short Invitational, one of the most prestigious meets in the country. Neither UMass cross country team took part in this meet last season.
The next meet for either team will be the New England Championships, on Oct. 6. Then-sophomore Jesse Regnier took 13th place overall, leading the Maroon and White to an eighth-place finish overall. Derosa finished 32nd overall, leading the Minutewomen to a 16th-place finish.
The Albany Invitational will be held on Oct. 13. Last season, junior Mark Kenwood placed 54th overall, leading the Minutemen to a 12th-place finish. Derosa led all Minutewomen with an 18th-place finish. The Minutewomen went on to earn a ninth-place finish in the meet.
On Oct. 27, both teams will take part in the Atlantic 10 Championships in which the Minutemen took third place overall in 2006, while the Minutewomen finished sixth. Last year, Fischer earned a ninth-place finish in the men's race while Derosa finished 10th overall in the women's race.
The Minutemen and Minutewomen will face some of the best collegiate teams in the country on Nov. 10. Last season, Regnier was the first Minuteman to cross the finish line, taking 54th place overall. Derosa finished in 21st place overall, ahead of any other Minutewoman.
The Maroon and White will compete in its last meet of the season on Nov. 17, at the IC4A Championship meet. Regnier lead the Minutemen to an 11th-place finish, taking 22nd overall for the men. Eilis Kierans capped off her first year of competitive collegiate running, finishing 52nd overall for the women.
Mike Gillmeister
The coaches for the Massachusetts men's and women's cross country teams have released the schedules for the 2007 season.
All-conference runners last season, seniors Nils Fischer and Christina Derosa lead their teams into the Dartmouth Invitational, the first meet of the season, on Sept. 8 in Hanover, N.H. Last season, both teams took third place in the meet. Derosa finished ahead of all Minutewomen, earning a fourth-place finish. Sophomore Nicolai Naranjo will come back to the place where he impressed in his collegiate debut, taking first place overall.
After their first home meets of the season on Sept. 15, the Minutemen and Minutewomen will travel to Lehigh University to take part in the Paul Short Invitational, one of the most prestigious meets in the country. Neither UMass cross country team took part in this meet last season.
The next meet for either team will be the New England Championships, on Oct. 6. Then-sophomore Jesse Regnier took 13th place overall, leading the Maroon and White to an eighth-place finish overall. Derosa finished 32nd overall, leading the Minutewomen to a 16th-place finish.
The Albany Invitational will be held on Oct. 13. Last season, junior Mark Kenwood placed 54th overall, leading the Minutemen to a 12th-place finish. Derosa led all Minutewomen with an 18th-place finish. The Minutewomen went on to earn a ninth-place finish in the meet.
On Oct. 27, both teams will take part in the Atlantic 10 Championships in which the Minutemen took third place overall in 2006, while the Minutewomen finished sixth. Last year, Fischer earned a ninth-place finish in the men's race while Derosa finished 10th overall in the women's race.
The Minutemen and Minutewomen will face some of the best collegiate teams in the country on Nov. 10. Last season, Regnier was the first Minuteman to cross the finish line, taking 54th place overall. Derosa finished in 21st place overall, ahead of any other Minutewoman.
The Maroon and White will compete in its last meet of the season on Nov. 17, at the IC4A Championship meet. Regnier lead the Minutemen to an 11th-place finish, taking 22nd overall for the men. Eilis Kierans capped off her first year of competitive collegiate running, finishing 52nd overall for the women.
Minutemen release 2007 schedule
Men's Soccer
Joe Meloni
After a season that produced one of the best starts in program history before one of the worst conference showings in program history, the Massachusetts men's soccer team released its schedule for the 2007 season. This year marks the team's 75th anniversary.
The Minutemen welcome back 10 of their 11 starters from last season - including 2007 Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference defender Kenny Cook (senior) and leading scorers Bryan Hogan (sophomore) and Prince Ofosu (junior).
UMass begins the season with consecutive home games against Long Island and Providence before a six-game road trip beginning on Aug. 31 at Maine and ending Sep. 16 at Harvard.
In 2006, the Minutemen began the season 6-2-1 against non-conference opponents before ending the season with a 2-6-2 stretch against teams within the A-10. Of the 10 games against A-10 teams, six of them were played on the road which certainly affected the play of the team negatively. Opponents held the Minutemen scoreless from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 - a stretch of five games that basically ended UMass' season.
The 2007 schedule has only two road trips during the conference schedule for the Minutemen. They travel to Saint Louis and then to Charlotte from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21. Then have three home games against defending A-10 Champion Rhode Island, La Salle and Fordham. Last season, La Salle handed UMass its worst loss of the season, a 5-0 drubbing on Oct. 1.
The season ends with a trip to Philadelphia for games with Saint Joseph's and Temple on Nov. 9 and 11. The Minutemen defeated Temple, 2-0, last season and played to a scoreless tie with St. Joe's.
If UMass qualifies, the A-10 Tournament is in Dayton, Ohio, and is scheduled for Nov. 15, 16 and the A-10 Championship game is on Nov. 18.
The Minutemen possess the abilty to contend for a conference title, but will need to make some adjustments to achieve the offensive consistency they lacked in 2006. Players like Hogan and Ofosu are dynamic enough to create opportunities, but must learn to operate within the conservative style UMass coach Sam Koch preaches.
The team's defense is among the best in the conference but occasional lapses in both concentration and execution found the Minutemen on the wrong end of leads at crucial points in the game. Leaders like Cook and record-setting goalkeeper Zack Simmons have already established themselves as two of the best defensive players in the conference and team leaders, but the rest of UMass' defense and midfield unit must do a better job of maintaining proper positioning.
With the team returning basically its entire roster, it must view 2007 as a chance to contend for the conference championship and an NCAA Tournament birth.
Joe Meloni
After a season that produced one of the best starts in program history before one of the worst conference showings in program history, the Massachusetts men's soccer team released its schedule for the 2007 season. This year marks the team's 75th anniversary.
The Minutemen welcome back 10 of their 11 starters from last season - including 2007 Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference defender Kenny Cook (senior) and leading scorers Bryan Hogan (sophomore) and Prince Ofosu (junior).
UMass begins the season with consecutive home games against Long Island and Providence before a six-game road trip beginning on Aug. 31 at Maine and ending Sep. 16 at Harvard.
In 2006, the Minutemen began the season 6-2-1 against non-conference opponents before ending the season with a 2-6-2 stretch against teams within the A-10. Of the 10 games against A-10 teams, six of them were played on the road which certainly affected the play of the team negatively. Opponents held the Minutemen scoreless from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 - a stretch of five games that basically ended UMass' season.
The 2007 schedule has only two road trips during the conference schedule for the Minutemen. They travel to Saint Louis and then to Charlotte from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21. Then have three home games against defending A-10 Champion Rhode Island, La Salle and Fordham. Last season, La Salle handed UMass its worst loss of the season, a 5-0 drubbing on Oct. 1.
The season ends with a trip to Philadelphia for games with Saint Joseph's and Temple on Nov. 9 and 11. The Minutemen defeated Temple, 2-0, last season and played to a scoreless tie with St. Joe's.
If UMass qualifies, the A-10 Tournament is in Dayton, Ohio, and is scheduled for Nov. 15, 16 and the A-10 Championship game is on Nov. 18.
The Minutemen possess the abilty to contend for a conference title, but will need to make some adjustments to achieve the offensive consistency they lacked in 2006. Players like Hogan and Ofosu are dynamic enough to create opportunities, but must learn to operate within the conservative style UMass coach Sam Koch preaches.
The team's defense is among the best in the conference but occasional lapses in both concentration and execution found the Minutemen on the wrong end of leads at crucial points in the game. Leaders like Cook and record-setting goalkeeper Zack Simmons have already established themselves as two of the best defensive players in the conference and team leaders, but the rest of UMass' defense and midfield unit must do a better job of maintaining proper positioning.
With the team returning basically its entire roster, it must view 2007 as a chance to contend for the conference championship and an NCAA Tournament birth.
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