Proving a point
Team says they're better than preseason pick
By Earl Gault The Herald
(Published August 22‚ 2005)
The sound of flip-flops hitting the Winthrop Coliseum floor echoed through the cavernous building one morning last week as Winthrop women's soccer coach Melissa Heinz scurried to an appointment.
It also signified Heinz's eagerness for the start of the 2005 season.
The Lady Eagles, who open the year on Saturday with a 5 p.m. home match against Georgia State, are entering their third year of existence.
Winthrop is coming off a 5-15 overall record and a 1-7 Big South Conference finish.
Heinz, who has been at Winthrop for four years using her first year to set up the program, believes it's now time for her Lady Eagles to make a move.
"My opinion is that in your third or fourth year you should be in a battle for the top seed," Heinz said. "That's your class."
The Lady Eagles could enter this year with a chip on their shoulders. Heinz's recruiting class was ranked No. 9 in the Southeast by soccerbuzz.com, but the Lady Eagles were picked in preseason to finish seventh in the nine-team Big South.
"We're not real happy about it," Heinz said. "We were given ninth in the Southeast for the best recruiting class and we didn't get any respect for that -- which is fine."
Winthrop, which didn't lose any seniors, can use the snub as motivation.
"That's OK. We know we have to earn respect on the field and on the scoreboard this year," Heinz said. "They want respect and they know they have to earn it. Just because they're working hard doesn't mean they're going to get it. They're going to have to show."
Heading into the program's third year, Heinz is expecting more from her players who began as young, inexperienced performers but have matured.
"Team unity probably wasn't there the first year," Heinz said. "Last year, our team unity became better being able to play better on the field, connecting more, but still very young, not being able to finish games."
Numerous times a year ago, the Lady Eagles had a victory within their grasp only to see it slip away. Nine of their 15 losses were by a single goal.
So far, Heinz has seen more maturity and leadership on her team which is comprised mostly of sophomores and juniors.
"They're charged. They're driven. They're pumped," Heinz said. "They've had the same goal every year, go to the conference, win the conference, win conference games. That has never changed. The thing is that it's more realistic this year because of the maturity and because of the experience they've had in conference games."
Heinz has more depth this year with more than half her team experienced against Big South foes. She believes that at least 15 of her players could be starters.
"The exciting thing is that even though I can put only 11 out there I'm going to have some starters on the bench. It's hard on the coach to say, 'Hey, I know you're a starter but I can put only 11 on and we just rotate,'" Heinz said.
Some of the Lady Eagles' returnees are senior forward/defender Erica Devine, junior defender Mikey Sonefeld, junior defender Carolyn Quarles from Northwestern High School, junior midfielder/defender Jen Hensley, sophomore midfielder Jodi Kemp, junior midfielder Michelle Butler, sophomore midfielder/forward Lauren DeLellis out of Fort Mill High School, sophomore defender Ashley Bader and sophomore forward Ashley Hallmon.
The freshman class consists of goalkeeper Dimitra Poulos, forwards Chelsea White and Erin Foote and defenders Kristen Lee and Kathleen Pollard.
The top three leading scorers return in Hallmon (12 points), Butler (11) and Hensley (10).
The Lady Eagles have suffered some misfortune.
Hallmon will be sidelined for approximately six more weeks because of a car accident.
Sophomore defender Danielle Goulet has had a second knee surgery in two years. Her status for the season is in doubt after an all-conference freshman season two years ago.
Junior forward/midfielder Allison Stoltz has had knee problems but could return in a couple of weeks. Kelly Turney, last year's starter in goal, underwent shoulder surgery and will redshirt this season.
The Lady Eagles face a formidable schedule. Some of the non-conference opponents are Atlantic Sun Conference champion Campbell, Davidson, Georgia State, Samford and Wofford.
"You know, the third year you've got to play those tougher teams," Heinz said. "We hope to do well and get some Ws, get some victories. But if we don't it still prepares us to be even more challenging in the conference."
Birmingham-Southern is the defending Big South champion and is picked to repeat. UNC Asheville was selected second and Radford third.
Winthrop will be the host school for the BSC Tournament Nov. 3-5.
Earl Gault • 329-4000, Ext. 8363
