Aug. 21, 2006

GREENVILLE, N.C. -The 2006 East Carolina women's soccer team coached by Rob Donnenwirth, who is now in his eighth year as head coach, tries to improve on a sub .500 season when they posted a record of 8-12-1 and 4-5-0 in Conference USA. After being seeded 7th in the C-USA tournament, the Lady Pirates went on to defeat second ranked SMU in a first round upset before eventually falling in the second round to Rice.

With five returning seniors Carmen Calpo (Waianae, Hawai'i), Rachel Hils (Columbus, Ohio), Anastasia Nikas (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Mary Puckett (Sanford, N.C.) and Tara Shaw (Malvern, Penn.) on the 2006 squad, Donnenwirth expects his seniors to lead the way for the rest of the team.

Competition in practice is expected to be top-notch with a lot of equally talented players in all positions throughout the field. The extra intensity on the practice field with the upperclassman looking over their shoulder at the surging newcomers will hopefully benefit the Lady Pirates when they take the field in what should be an exciting season.

Forwards
The one area that concerns Donnenwirth is the forward position and the team's ability to put the ball in the back of the net. During the spring season, the Lady Pirates struggled to score goals but held the opposition scoreless many times as well. With one year of experience now complete, Blair Heffner will look to utilize her blazing speed and improve on last season when she scored one goal. According to Donnenwirth, newcomer Kelley Lightfoot (Chantilly, Va.) plays great with her back to the goal, and when she is facing the goal she has a deadly shot. Competition at the forward position should prove to be pretty competitive because most of the players are on equal levels.

"We might end up having forward-bycommittee until I see how they play on the field to start the season", said Donnenwirth.

Midfielders
When it comes to versatility in maneuvering players around, the midfield positions on this squad seem to be the most interchangeable. Rachel Hils (Columbus, Ohio), the only senior captain, along with sophomore Madison Keller (Clarksburg, Md) are very good at controlling possession of the ball and at their position of center-midfielders. Their exceptional similar style of play on the field creates a chemistry that is hard to separate. Hils has five goals and four assists during her three year career, while Keller has two goals and one assist.

"The question right now that we are looking at is, who should we surround these players with," said Donnenwirth. "Anastasia Nikas is a senior and a very talented player who could help us a lot. Right now she is batting an injury and we hope to get her back on to the field as soon as the doctors allow it." Tara Shaw will also be providing experience to the midfielders this season either on the outside or central midfielder position.

Defense
The defense will be the key to the success of the 2006 team and according to Donnenwirth the area the team looks the strongest to start the season is in the backfield. Patty Pierce (Coulumbia, S.C.) and Kat Norris (Houston, Texas) both junior captains have two years experience now under their belts and proved themselves last year. Nicole Moore (Spindale, N.C.), who later made the all-freshman team and junior Jami Dickerson (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) really helped to anchor the defense. Dickerson will start at right-back and Moore at left-back after they both started all 21 games a year ago. Dickerson managed two goals and one assist, while Moore had three assists.

After red-shirting her freshman year, Kelley Hennessey (Charlotte, N.C.) got valuable playing time over the spring and has improved her game from where she was at this point last year. Sherri Moore (Cary, N.C.) is a very athletic athlete who will provide depth in the backfield and competition to both Nicole Moore and Dickerson to make sure they stay on top of their game.

Goalkeeper
A changing of the guard will officially take place now that Lindsi Troxler has graduated. Troxler, who hurt her knee in her final season, was replaced by then freshman Amber Campbell (Frederick, M.D.). Campbell tallied 114 saves on the season, averaging 1.69 goals against average to go along with saving 76% of the shots on net.

The other two potential goal keepers are freshman Kady Hubschman (Naples, Fla.), who is recovering from an injury and Jen Kurowicki. Kurowicki, a Flemington, N.J. native, is a very talented goalkeeper that will take many awards and trophies with her when she pushes Amber Campbell for the starting job. Kurowicki played for Match Fit Academy when they won the U-23 State Cup Championship.

"Kurowicki is a very talented goalie and extremely athletic," said Donnenwirth. The one thing she lacks right now over Amber is the one year experience."

Newcomers
This year's freshman class has grown to 14 from 11 at the beginning of 2005. Coach Donnenwirth is hoping for big things from midfielder Sarah Kirkley (Raleigh, N.C.), who was a three-time state champion in high school. Kirkley also participated from 2001-2005 in the North Carolina Olympic Development team.

"Sarah is very versatile, has a very good skill level and possesses excellent fitness," claimed Donnenwirth. "I think she'll be an impact player for us over the course of her collegiate career."

Carmen Calpo (Waianae, Hawai'i) missed last season when she went back to Hawai'i and could earn a lot of playing time if she continues to grow. Calpo has the potential to be a playmaker for the Lady Pirates. Jessica Swanson (Smithfield, N.C.) and Caylin Sandke (Mooresville, N.C.) are very athletic and with more game experience, they should develop into the player that they want to become. Jillian Moore (Bexley, Ohio) has the mindset and composure of an upperclassmen and is an attacking minded player.