Damian Clarke has the kind of problem head coaches don’t seem to mind.
The combination of three graduated seniors, minimal other defections and a handful of key players returning from injury gives the Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team an enviable amount of depth and a quality returning core.
But what’s good on paper doesn’t necessarily win games. And perhaps no team better understands that really good on paper – and even really good on the pitch – isn’t always enough.
Last year, FLC went a more than respectable 13-4-3, a solid season. But that record, carrying a winning percentage of .725, wasn’t enough to land the Skyhawks in the NCAA Tournament.
“I think it was a big eye-opener last year,” forward Emma Cannis said. “I think we all ended ... we were all so angry.”
This season, FLC wants to take advantage of its depth and loads of experience to not only make the tournament again, but to stick around for awhile once there. Having plenty of continuity has helped the Skyhawks hit the ground running this preseason, including plenty of help getting the newcomers up to speed.
“It gives them a lot of opportunities to look for more than one person for help,” said goalkeeper Amanda Raso, herself in a battle for the starting job with Caitlyn Espinosa.
That depth gets a huge boost not just through a seemingly solid group of freshmen and returning sophomores but also simply by a healthier roster. Shea Haycock, Jordan Hix, Ashley Kniffin and Nicole Schumacher return from season-ending injuries.
Kniffin and Schumacher will pair with fellow returning seniors Lauren Riley and Madyson Wellcome to give the Skyhawks a fearsome foursome defensively. Hix, freshman Carolyn Archer, Durango High School alumna Brooke Milliet and Therese Romero are expected to see time in the central midfield as FLC looks to replace mainstay Elena Benavides. Haycock rejoins a deep outside midfield corps that includes seniors Allison Knewitz and Megan Striedel and a wealth of options off the bench.
“It’s a group that just does have a lot of maturity and a lot of quality as well as just experience,” Clarke said of his roster. “So, I’d like to think at this point, they’re probably a little bit further ahead than we have been in a lot of preseasons in the past.”
FLC again will boast one of if not the best forward pairs in the conference: Sam Weiss is the preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year after scorching the nets for 17 goals and 42 total points last year; Cannis has 22 goals and 19 assists in three years and was a Daktronics (voted on by sports information directors) All-South Central Region second-team pick in 2012.
“Last year, obviously, was the year that we clicked. ... It’s been great so far. I don’t know, it should be really good, actually,” Cannis said. “I’m excited.”
The biggest problem for Clarke may be who to pick when the time for substitutions draws near. Players such as Milliet, Grace Sheridan, Kate Sowell and Laura Tita made key contributions off the bench last season, and Clarke, never shy about playing freshmen he feels are ready, has the option of turning to several this season.
But, for a team looking for a return trip to the big dance, there are worse dilemmas to have.
“My challenge is going to be managing the depth,” Clarke said. “We’re going to be able to sub probably 10 deep, maybe even 11 deep. We put our second 11 against anybody in the conference, and I think we have a shot at it.”
rowens@durangoherald.com
New-look ’Hawks ready to serve up their alumnae
Soccer isn’t the only Fort Lewis College sport getting in one final dress rehearsal Saturday on campus.
The FLC volleyball team will host its annual alumnae game at 6 p.m. at Whalen Gymnasium, offering fans a first look at the new-look Skyhawks before the 2013 regular season toes the service line.
The game will provide a glimpse at what to expect from FLC in Year 1 under new head coach Kelley Rifilato. Before taking the job at FLC, Rifilato was the head coach at Bayfield High School for six years, leading the Wolverines to four consecutive state tournament berths from 2009 to 2012, and they finished third in 2009 and 2011.
While the head coach is new, most of the players will be familiar faces. Only five players from last year’s squad aren’t returning, and the Skyhawks have a sizeable group of upperclassmen, boasting three seniors and five juniors.
After Saturday, the Skyhawks won’t play in the confines of Whalen Gym until Oct. 4. FLC willopen the season against Sonoma State on Friday in San Bernardino, Calif.
heraldsports@ durangoherald.com
FLC Alumnae
Fort Lewis College women’s soccer alumnae expected to play at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dirks Field:
Bree Baker
Jane Barden
Elena Benavides
Crystal Duvall
Kelly Duvall
Becky Eisenbraun
Samantha Hall
Stephanie Hoar
Hayley Hollenga
Kortney Hull
Nichole Kluk
Christine Schmelzle
Kim Sisneros
Kate Stahlin
Madeline Stevens
Durango Herald
