IWU Women's Soccer Looks for Continued Improvement in 2005

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's soccer team looks to improve on a season in which it achieved national ranking midyear and finished with a 14-6-1 record. The Titans opened their season in the Titan Soccer Classic on Fri., Sept. 2 with a game against Wittenberg.
"Overall I believe we are stronger, bigger and fitter than we were a year ago and our freshmen will help a lot," said head coach David Barrett, whose team was ranked No. 22 in the country in Division III at one point of the season.. "We have high expectations and are eager to take last year and build upon it."
Barrett indicates that this year's squad should be dangerous offensively with an experienced forward rotation including senior strikers Katie Kelly (Wheaton, Wheaton Warrenville South HS) and Brittany Kirkpatrick (Lakeville, Minn., HS).
Despite missing three games with an ankle injury, Kelly is a two-time all-region selection, three-time all-league player and was last season's co-"Most Valuable Player" as she led IWU in scoring with 37 points on 15 goals with seven assists. After three seasons she is No. 3 all-time at IWU in both points (91) and goals (40)
In 2004 Kirkpatrick contributed 22 points with seven goals.
IWU will be strong in the backfield with central defensive players Mary Karson (St. Charles HS) and junior Ashley Goergen (Geneva HS) along with freshmen Tanya Hnastchenko (Shorewood, Minn., Minnetonka HS) and Carissa Nemmers (Dubuque, Iowa, Hempstead HS).
Karson, a senior captain who has been a forward before this year, had 13 points with six goals last year and is No. 10 all-time in scoring with 51 points and tied for No. 7 with 22 career goals.
The midfield will be staffed by juniors Lyndsay O'Brien (Peoria, Notre Dame HS) and Katie Korder (Urbana HS), along with freshmen Caroline Leighton (Bloomington, Normal Community HS) and Tina Rodriguez (Simi Valley, Calif., Royal HS).
Leighton is "very athletic and a good player who is fitting in well with our program," said Barrett. A two-year starter, O'Brien has 16 career assists and has 16 points last season.
Returning in goal is junior Emily Castner (Elgin, Larkin HS), a two-year starter who allowed 1.47 goals per game with five shutouts for the 2004 Titans.
Barrett indicated he liked his team's depth and versatility with returning midfielders such as Taryn Hegi (Wheaton, North HS), Jessica Pryor (Bettendorf, Iowa, Pleasant Valley HS) and Eileen Ouska (Skokie, Nilesa West HS) along with freshman Sarah Alley (Zionsville, Ind. HS).
In addition to defending national Division III champion Wheaton in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, the Titans' schedule includes non-conference games against such national powers as the University of Chicago, Washington U., and Hope.