Bucknell University Athletics
2000 Women's Soccer Wrap-up Report
11/8/2000 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 8, 2000
LEWISBURG, Pa. - This past season the Bucknell women's soccer team returned to the Patriot League Women's Soccer Tournament for the first time since the 1997 season. In only her fourth year as head coach, Chrissy Findlay has compiled a 30-41-2 overall record and two appearances in the Patriot League Tournament. In 2000, the Orange and Blue finished third in the conference, the highest finish for the team under Findlay's reign. Coach Findlay was recognized at the end of this season by her peers in the Patriot League as the Coach of the Year.
However, coaching is only one of the tools needed to build a successful team. Skilled and disciplined athletes are the mandatory nuts and bolts of any good soccer team. The Orange and Blue possessed both of these qualities in 2000. During a rigorous 18 game schedule, the team saw many peaks and valley's, starting the season with two losses and finishing with a third-seed in the Patriot League Tournament. The team, under the guidance and direction of coach Findlay, began the season with two losses but then bounced back with five straight victories versus Pittsburgh, St. Joseph's, Duquesne, Navy, and Lehigh. This winning streak of five games broke the previous Bucknell record of four consecutive wins set in 1991, 1993, and 1997.
The 2000 campaign then took a sudden wrong turn when the Bison suffered a 6-1 loss to Patriot League foe, Colgate. After starting the season 5-2, the Orange and Blue hit a couple of rough spots along the road to the Patriot League Tournament but made it there as the third seed. Over the course of an 18 game schedule, the women's soccer team managed to play in seven overtime contests. This number shatters the previous Bucknell record of three overtime contests in a season, most recently in 1999.
The Bison concluded the 2000 ledger with their first appearance in the Patriot League Championship Tournament, losing a heartbreaker to eventual champion Holy Cross, 1-0. The squad finished the season with an overall record of 8-9-1, 3-2-1 conference record, and more importantly its first appearance in the Patriot League Championship tourney since 1997
Similar to the 1999 season, this year's squad had three individuals honored at the Patriot League Tournament Banquet as All-League performers. Last season's Patriot League Rookie of the Year, sophomore Tara Utchel (Heidelberg, Pa./Sewickley), garnered first team honors despite missing the last three games to a season-ending knee injury. However, Utchel did manage to tally five goals and seven assists before she was struck by bad fortune. Joining Utchel on the All-Patriot League First Team was freshman forward Kristie Simon (LaGrange, Ill/Lyon Township) who began her collegiate career by scoring at least one point in her first five contests. Simon proved her worth by scoring five goals in the teams' six conference contests and nine goals overall. Sophomore Karla Killian (Dayton, Md./River Hill), a consistent attacker out of the Bison defensive unit, was named to the All-League Second Team.
Putting the Orange and Blue jersey on for the last time this season was senior tri-captain Kristen Erb (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township). Erb, in classic fashion, saved the best for last in her senior season. After taking two seasons to work into the starting lineup, Erb scored her first collegiate goal against Lehigh in double overtime and totaled two overall on the season. An excellent athlete and great shooter, her presence and leadership will be sorely missed next year on the soccer field.
The Class of 2002 is Coach Findlay's first recruiting class at Bucknell and though some have been lost, the strength of the class cannot be argued. Joining Erb as captains in 2000 were Ali Chandler (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) and Anna Hall (Chapel Hill, N.C./Durham Academy), a midfielder and a defender. Chandler and Hall, combining for three goals and three assists, were the vocal leaders of the squad. One of Chandler's goals turned out to be an important game-winner as it came in the second overtime of the St. Joseph's contest. Playing the role of the gritty midfielders in 2000 were Sarah Klang-Glienna (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) and Lindsay Slomer (Cheswick, Pa./Springdale). Klang-Glienna and Slomer have always been a threat to score, but were asked to take on a different role this season as playmakers. The two adapted well to the new role and prospered despite Slomer missing most of the season due to a preexisting knee injury. Slomer was around long enough to tally a game-winning goal versus Duquesne. Also representing the junior class was Jessi Springer (Rochester, N.Y./JC Wilson Magnet) who was utilized by Findlay in situations needing a speedy flank player with quick decision-making abilities.
The strongest group of athletes on the women's soccer team in 2000 was hands-down the sophomore class. Eight members strong, it includes All-League players Utchel and Killian, and six others who contributed major amounts of time on the field during the season. Assisting Killian on the defensive unit was Kate Cramer (Manasquan, N.J./Wall) and Melissa Lawson (New Hudson, Mich./South Lyon). Cramer recorded two assists on the season while Lawson was on the injured reserve halfway through the campaign with stress fractures in both shins. Midfielders Emily Keber (Morristown, N.J./West Morris Mendham) and Lauren Schwarz (Northport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) combined to start in 14 contests while putting in valuable minutes on the field in all 18 contests. Keber tallied two assists on the season from her midfield position. Caralyn Desautels (Buffalo, N.Y./The Nichols School) missed the entire season due to an ankle injury but will have full strength come the 2001 season.
Batting down the hatches this season once again for the Bison was sophomore Laurie Purse (Traverse City, Mich./Western Reserve Academy) in net. Purse totaled four shutouts on the season, bringing her career total to five after only one during her first campaign between the posts. Not only did Purse accumulate an 8-9-1 overall record on the season, but also she did this with no backup goalie most of the year.
Bucknell's freshmen class, which included All-Patriot League First Team selection Simon, had many others contribute to the successful season. Tying Simon for the team lead with nine goals was feisty Savannah Rennels (Rector, Pa./Latrobe Area), who also tallied two game-winning goals on the year. Speedy Bekah Clark (Westfield Center, Ohio/Cloverleaf), an important substitute for coach Findlay, added one goal of her own to the overall season total. The threesome of Clark, Rennels, and Simon accounted for 19 of the 30 goals scored by the Orange and Blue.
Other members of the freshmen class were Kristen Tsou (Guilford, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall), Abbey Seaboyer (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendohowa), and Melissa Monday (Livingston, N.J./Mt. St. Dominic Academy). Seaboyer started every contest for the Bison and was a key player in the defensive unit, while Tsou and Monday gained experience throughout the season in the midfield. These three with their strong work ethic and discipline will be important leaders next season for the Orange and Blue.
With a strong nucleus of players returning for next season, Bucknell women's soccer should have something to look forward to in 2001. Now the number one goal for the Orange and Blue is to win the championship in 2001.
