Aug. 10, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 2007 women's soccer season is filled with anticipation and excitement based on the return of 10 letterwinners, including six starters, from the 2006 squad that won the Conference USA tournament and made an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Under the direction of 12th year head coach Paul Harbin, the Blazers look to add to their ever-growing resume that includes three league titles in the past four years and two trips to the NCAA tourney.
"We are extremely excited about the season," said Harbin. "What makes me excited is that the players are excited. This is not only a talented team, but may be the most athletic team we've ever had."
Coaching Staff
The UAB coaching staff remains intact from the 2006 season, headed by Harbin. The only coach in UAB women's soccer history, Harbin brings an overall record of 147-124-15 to the table, as well as a record of 110-98-13 as the head coach of the Blazer program.
Both assistant coaches return for another season in Summer Perala and Jeannette Croce. Perala begins her fifth season associated with UAB, while Croce enters her third season with the Blazers.
"I think that our staff has been a huge part of our success," said Harbin. "In my opinion, we have the most experienced, quality staff that we've ever had right now.
"I've been fortunate enough to have some great assistants that have moved on and done great things. To be able to keep both Summer and Jeannette here this long just adds to our consistency and experience."
Schedule
UAB continues to challenge itself year-after-year with a tough non-conference schedule, before entering the always-difficult C-USA slate. The Blazers kick off the 2007 season at the LQ Cup in Macon, Ga., hosted by Harbin's alma mater, Mercer. Along with Mercer, UAB will face Georgia State in its second game of the tournament.
"It's always fun to go back to Macon," said Harbin. "I spent a good eight-to-nine years there as a player and coach. It's exciting to go back there, but at the end of the day, we are going there to win games and that is the most important part."
The Blazers will open their home schedule by hosting a pair of Southeastern Conference teams, Vanderbilt on Sept. 7 and Ole Miss on Sept. 9.
"We've had the opportunity to have quite a few SEC teams on our schedule over the history of our program," said Harbin. "Vanderbilt has been great competition for us. Every year it is just a great game. Ole Miss, which is a perrinial NCAA tournament team, is also going to prove to be a great matchup as well. We are looking forward to playing both teams at West Campus Field this season."
UAB will then travel three hours north to Nashville, Tenn. to participate in the Vanderbilt Classic on Sept. 14 and 16. The Blazers will see a pair of first-time opponents at Vanderbilt, with matches against St. Mary's and Gonzaga.
"It will be great to go up to the Vanderbilt tournament and get to play two west coast teams in St. Mary's and Gonzaga," said Harbin. "The west coast and the southeast are traditionally the two best regions for collegiate women's soccer. To be able to travel a few hours up the road and face two tremendous west coast programs is great."
UAB will round out its non-conference schedule with matches at Kennesaw State, Samford and Evansville during the last week of September. The cross-town match with Samford on Sept. 23 is a first for the Blazers and will draw a lot of interest within the Birmingham community.
"The Samford game should be really fun," said Harbin. "That game is going to be not only a great soccer match, but also a good game for the community."
Conference USA play for the Blazers gets started on October 5 at Memphis and will include games at Rice, Houston, East Carolina and Marshall. UAB will also play host to SMU, Tulsa, UCF and Southern Miss during the year. The 2007 C-USA tournament will be hosted by UTEP, November 7-11 in El Paso, Texas.
"Our conference is just getting better every year," said Harbin. "Conference USA is not a one-bid league. We've got three teams into the NCAA tournament the past two years.
"This conference is obviously a challenge to play in. I think there are six or seven teams in the league this year that could challenge for the conference title and possibly be NCAA tournament teams. It makes for a demanding schedule, but it is also very exciting."
Forward
The Blazers' frontline looks to be their strongest position in 2007, led by seniors Sally Palmer and Jill Porto, who return to lead the Blazers' offensive attack.
Palmer, a second-team all-conference selection in 2006, led the Blazers and ranked among C-USA's best in goals with nine as a junior, including four game-winning goals. Porto ranked second on the squad in `06 with four goals, while also adding two assists on her way to being named the Offensive MVP of the 2006 C-USA tournament.
"Sally and Jill are the big ones coming back," said Harbin. "Both of them have been doing extremely well. Sally was good last year, but she stayed in Birmingham and trained this summer and will be even better this season. Jill has matured so much as a player during last year and the offseason. It's nice to have two of the top forwards in the league returning this season."
Also returning on the Blazer frontline are sophomores Danya Barsalona and Allison Auchter. Barsalona saw action in all 21 games last year, scoring two goals for UAB, while Auchter played in 17 matches, earning her valuable experience during her freshman season.
"It took Danya a little bit of time to adjust last year, but once she got it, she really turned it on," said Harbin. "I think she is going to be on fire this year and very difficult to stop. During the spring, we transformed Allison into an attacking center midfielder, although she will still play up front some. Allison pushed herself last spring, got fit and is really going to be exciting to watch this year by giving us depth up front or by being a presence in the midfield."
Add to that four new faces at forward in freshmen Allison Belsterling, Morgan Haney, Natalie Martineau and Janet Self, and the Blazers have a solid forefront for the `07 campaign.
"Allison is an athletic player with a knack for scoring," said Harbin. "Not many games go by where she doesn't put the ball in the back of the net. Morgan is an extremely fast athlete with explosive speed who can score from inside or from a distance.
"Natalie is such a good athlete that she can play anywhere. She is a very fit player that is quick and has a lot of playing experience. Janet is another extremely athletic player who, at the end of the day, can put the ball in the back of the net. I think all four have the chance to come in and challenge right away."
Midfield
UAB is also boasting an experienced midfield in 2007, including senior Jenny Meyer and juniors Nadine Liverpool and Caitlin Marple. Liverpool and Marple played in all 21 contests last season, with Liverpool starting 20 of those games and Marple earning the starting nod in 12 matches. Meyer, who was coming off an injury during her junior season, saw the field in 19 games, including gaining a starting position in the last 10 contests of the year.
"Jenny has always been such a hard worker," said Harbin. "The second half of last season she just figured it out and became an indispensable player for us. If she comes in this season and picks up where she left off last year, she will be a strong threat.
"Nadine can play up front or as an attacking center midfielder, but this spring we had her step into the holding midfielder spot," said Harbin. "With her maturity level, she can kind of run the show from that position. Caitlin has really come along and developed over this past spring season. She has become a much more versatile player and has had more of a presence on the field."
The Blazers will also have a pair of newcomers in freshmen Maureen Bellare and Justine Hartigan that will be able to come in and battle for playing time immediately.
"Maureen is the type of player that is going to be one of the hardest working players on the team," said Harbin. "Justine is another athletic player with the potential to make an immediate impact here. Both are major assets for us and will be able to produce on the field."
Defender
UAB will also return three letterwinners from a year ago at defender, led by senior Katie Henricks, who started in every contest during the 2006 season. She will be joined by sophomores Danielle Blair and Toni Gockel as the ones to beat on the Blazers' back line of defense.
"Katie is one of those people that you can't say enough about," said Harbin. "She played sparingly her first two years here and then she suddenly stepped up and has played every match since then. This spring we asked her to take over the center-back spot for us and she has done very well there. She is a good team leader both on and off of the field.
"Danielle is a very experienced player and has a lot of speed and athleticism," said Harbin. "Toni was a forward last year. During the spring, we had an open spot in the back and she stepped up and was tremendous. She's very strong and physical, along with being very fast."
The Blazers will welcome a pair of freshmen at defender, with Allysha Chapman and Marie Yempuku looking to make a difference in their first season at UAB.
"Allysha may be one of the most competitive players I've seen in a long time," said Harbin. "Marie can play as a center-back or holding midfielder. She has a mature personality and a great gift for seeing the field and understanding the game. She's a very smart player."
Goalkeeper
UAB's goalkeeper situation will prove to be interesting in 2007, as the Blazers will be looking at a pair of newcomers to take over the reins at that position. For the past four seasons, the Blazers have relied upon Katie Forbis and Julie McFarlane to secure the net. With the graduation of both following the `06 campaign, UAB will lean on redshirt freshman Kate Blankenship and true freshman Ashley Park to step-up and become a solid presence in goal for the Blazers.
"Kate had a great spring," said Harbin. "She is another player that is just a true competitor. During the spring, she made more big saves than I've seen anyone make in the history of the program. She just needs the maturity to handle the everyday saves and get more consistent.
"Ashley is very athletic and competitive as well. I think Ashley and Kate are going to push each other, which will be good for both of them."
