Wounded team still optimistic

Despite injuries women's soccer team is gaining confidence

The SF State women's soccer team has looked like a committee of the walking wounded in the early going this season. But five weeks and a slew of nagging injuries later, the Gators are nearly back to full strength, heading into the heart of the Northern California Athletic Conference schedule.

"We have no excuses now," said assistant coach Karyn Shipp. "We have 18 solid to go for the first time in a long time."

Forwards Connie Weinkauf and Lanny Leighton and fullback Mariah Ventre all missed games for the Gators, and at least nine others have spent significant time in the training room since the start of the season.

"It hasn't been blown-out knees or anything, just little chinks in the armor," said senior forward Bettina Neubauer, who is nursing a broken toenail. "It's funny, because everyone has had something bothering them at some point."

Well, maybe not so funny to head coach Jack Hyde, who has seen his squad post convincing road wins over Cal State Los Angeles and UC Davis, only to be squashed by UC San Diego, Fresno State and a reinvigorated UC Davis squad.

The Gators (3-6 overall, 1-1 in the NCAC) didn't walk away from their 4-0 loss to Fresno State Saturday with their tail between their legs, however.

"The score didn't reflect how we played at all," said Neubauer. "We played our most cohesive game of the season, but we just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net."

Shipp saw much of the same.

"I thought we actually played real well," she said. "We had plenty of chances, but we just couldn't finish them. Fresno's a young team, but they did a good job of taking advantage of our mistakes."

Neubauer, who is the team's captain and a 25-year-old savvy veteran, said team chemistry is not the problem this year. It's more a matter of all 18 players showing up ready to do battle on game day, she says.

"Last year we had certain people that really didn't like each other," she said. "But that's not a problem with this group. We have 18 players here that play soccer -- we don't have one weak link. But so far it's been a peak and valley type season."

Case in point: The Gators dominated the Aggies on their home turf Sept. 13, winning 2-0, only to be humbled by the same UC Davis squad 3-0 a week later.

"I don't think we were overconfident," Neubauer said of the rematch. "We just didn't have 18 show up to play like we did the first game."

Junior midfielder Nicole Manning has been the Gators' play-maker thus far, with three goals and five assists. Senior midfielder Shannon Chamberlain has two goals.

SF State traveled to Sonoma State Wednesday for an NCAC contest, but results were not available at press time. The Gators' next home game is Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. against Sonoma State.

[ Golden Gater Online September 28, 1995 ]

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