On Sept. 5, 2002, the members of the Massachusetts Women’s soccer team experienced a day of intense and overwhelming emotion. They attended a memorial service for their deceased friend and teammate Stephanie Santos, and hours later, with their hearts still heavy, took the field against a loaded Rhode Island team. Though they trailed just 1-0 at the half, the Minutewomen didn’t have enough gas in the tank, and eventually fell 5-0.
Today, one year removed from that trying day, the team will have a chance to gain some measure of revenge as they travel to Kingston, R.I. for a 7 p.m. showdown against the Rams in the second game of the regular season.
After what amounted to a disappointing 2002 season (6-11), the Minutewomen sent a message to the rest of the league Saturday that things may be a little different this year, as they beat Quinnipiac 2-1 in the season opener. Sophomore Adair Blyler was the offensive star, scoring both goals, and senior Kelly Nigh made three saves, including a spectacular diving stop to hold the lead at the end of the first half. Coach Jim Rudy said he saw many things he liked offensively in the opener, including the team’s combo play and offensive penetration. Still, he added, there was plenty of room for improvement.
“We tend to play too much possession, and we need be more direct on our approaches to the goal,” Rudy said.
As was the case a year ago, URI presents a major early season test for the Maroon and White. The powerhouse Rams have picked up right where they left off last season – when they went 13-4-1 – with two impressive victories over James Madison and Northeastern.
“We’re scared of the URI long ball,” Rudy explained, pointing to the Rams’ explosive offensive attack, which scored 42 goals a year ago and has tallied four goals in each game so far this year.
The Minutewomen’s number one priority will be to stop sophomore forward Melanie Kasparek, who scored two goals against them last year and is coming off a freshman campaign in which she finished with 12 goals and racked up 30 points. She was given A-10 player of the week honors for her play in the first two games this year, which included two goals and an assist.
The team will also keep an eye on sophomore forward Sarah Johnston (two goals against James Madison) and junior midfielder Claire Landon (13 points in 2002).
Scoring early will also be a key to victory for Rudy’s squad. “We need to get in the goal a little earlier,” Rudy said. Indeed, the University of Massachusetts didn’t score until the 64th minute against Quinnipiac and failed to score in two exhibition games despite outshooting their opponents 45-24. They will need to find a way to do this against a URI defense that has been simply smothering opponents, having allowed just 21 shots and two clean sheets in the first 180 minutes of the season.
An early score would also give the team a huge advantage mental boost, which Rudy identified as the biggest factor in the game.
“The real game will be psychological,” he said.
He quickly pointed out that against URI last year, despite the tidal wave of emotion his players had been through, “we still played a decent first half. We were down 1-0 but she [URI senior goalkeeper Jaime Epperlein] made two or three big time saves that normally would have been goals.”
Epperlein has since graduated, and with her went a 0.90 goals against average. Most of the players who participated in last year’s game for the Minutewomen will be returning with the knowledge and confidence that they can hang with a quality team like the Rams.
“This is a much more confident team than last year,” Rudy says of his squad. “I expect everyone to have a good game.”
Senior Erin Lilly, who has been having ankle troubles this year, is reported as being day-to-day. A number of other players have nicks and bruises, but Rudy expects everyone to be in the lineup.
