Aug. 30, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - Friday afternoon marks the dawning of a new era in Western Kentucky athletics. Women's soccer takes the field for the first time in school history, making it the 20th intercollegiate sport at WKU.
When the Lady Toppers take the field for the first time, it will mark the culmination of a 10-month process that began in November, 2000 with the hiring of Jason Neidell as Western's first women's soccer coach. From the start, Neidell began selling the program and has brought in 20 athletes to comprise Western's inaugural squad.
"I never imagined that we would have such a fantastic class of recruits in our first year," Neidell said. "It just goes to show that Western Kentucky is a great place to go to school. We not only have a group of quality players from Kentucky, but we also attracted players from all over the country -- as far east as Maryland to as far west as Utah."
With all newcomers on the roster, Neidell expects the competition for starting spots to be fierce at all positions.
THE DEFENDERSLeslie Anderson leads a group of seven players that Neidell feels will spend time at defender after scoring 24 goals in her career at Brentwood High School in Tennessee.
Erica Baker is also expected to see time on the defense. The Lisle, Ill. product is a former Chicago Tribune athlete of the week who compiled 41 goals and 31 assists during her career and also played club soccer for the Windy City Pride, one of the most prestigious clubs in Illinois.
Bowling Green native Kelly Tinius leads a group of seven players that Neidell feels will spend time at defender. Tinius, a three year first team all-state selection, finished her prep career with 35 goals and 33 assists.
Also battling at the defender position will be Jackie Krieger, Cera Long, Jenny Dalby, and Melissa Robinson. Krieger brings a winning attitude to the club after helping Park City High School to three state titles in Utah during her four-year career. Long's defensive excellence was rewarded when she received the defensive MVP award at Evansville Reitz High School. Dalby compiled a 27 goal, 26 assist career at Thomas Edison High School in Tulsa, Okla, while Robinson is coming off a nine-goal senior season as a stopper for Little Rock Central High School.
THE MIDFIELDERSLong, Dalby and Robinson are also expected to compete for time at midfield, a position Neidell will divide into center midfielders and wide midfielders. Long and Dalby should see time out wide along with Crestwood, Ky. native Marissa Barnett and Betsy Duncan, a product of West Des Moines, Iowa. Neidell also expects the wide midfield position to be filled by Kathy Brannen, a three-time Kentucky state champion at South Oldham High School.
At center midfield, Robinson, along with Oklahoma natives Jeannine Bennett and Lori Willard, will compete for time with instate recruits Andrea Doogs of Elizabethtown, Ky. and Allison Nellis of Louisville. Bennett and Willard were both all-district selections, while Nellis was a two-time all-state selection. Doogs comes to the Hill after setting a new Central Hardin High School record with 18 assists in 2000, and is the all-time points leader at CHHS.
Red Oak, Texas product Jocelyn Roach will lead the team in the middle after an 81 goal, 88 assist prep career.
THE FORWARDSThree Lady Toppers will compete for the forward positions, led by another local native -- Kelly Frericks. The 2000 Miss Kentucky Soccer finalist racked up 109 goals and 36 assists during her four years at Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, making her a first team all-state selection all four years.
Louisville native Christi Banas led Sacred Heart Academy with 13 goals during her senior campaign. The effort earned Banas a spot on the all-district team, as well as second team all-state honors.
Crystal Chapon of North Potomac, Md. will also compete for a forward slot. She finished her career at Wootton High School with 30 goals and 28 assists, and was an all-state selection as a senior.
THE GOALKEEPERSNeidell has brought in two goalkeepers to spend time in net during the first season. Amy Uhlman of Manual High School in Louisville finished her prep career ranked third in the state for all-time shutouts with 39, while earning all-state honors as a senior.
Evansville, Ind. native Barbara Johnston also compiled a stellar prep career, finishing her two seasons as a varsity starter with 16 shutouts an 202 saves, including 126 during her senior season. She was also an all-state selection in 2000 and earned a spot on the Indiana South All-Star Team.
THE SCHEDULEThe road to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Miami, Fla. will be filled with several challenges for the first-year team. The Lady Toppers will open the 2001 campaign on the road at Morehead State before hosting IUPU-Ft. Wayne in Western's first home soccer match in history on Sept. 2.
The rest of WKU's non-conference schedule include home dates with Bethel (Tenn.) College, Murray State, Alabama A&M and Samford, while traveling to Oral Roberts, Missouri Southern and Trevecca Nazarene.
The Lady Toppers will also play a full Sun Belt Conference schedule which includes home matches against 2000 conference tournament champion Florida International and runner-up North Texas, as well as Middle Tennessee and Denver. Western will travel to Arkansas State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Louisiana-Lafayette and close out the regular season at South Alabama, who was co-regular season champions along with FIU in 2000.
