a Quick turnaround

The women's soccer team reaches the Atlantic 10.

Shannon Kittelson

Catherine Zanni

a Quick turnaround

By Shane Donaldson '99Photos By Nora Lewis

The 2000 season providedanother step forward for the URI women's soccer team. The Rams fielded their strongest team ever, and the result was the school's first appearance in the Atlantic 10 championship tournament, held this year in Cincinnati.

Four years ago Rhode Island finished 2-16 in its first season under Shelley Smith. Through strong recruiting and camaraderie, the team steadily improved, winning 12 games in both 1998 and 1999 before enjoying a breakthrough in 2000.

The year began with a nine-game winning streak and included an unbeaten record at home. By the time the dust settled, the Rams had set a school record for victories in a season with a 15-4-1 mark.

"I knew the potential the program had, but I didn't expect such a quick turnaround," Smith said. "Making the A-10s was a major goal the team achieved, and making it is a credit to what the players have done. All year long I knew I could bring people off the bench and add a different flair to a game. The blend of players made us a much better team."

Leadership for the Rams came from juniors Shannon Kittelson and Catherine Zanni. Kittelson, a forward, has led the team in scoring for three seasons. Zanni, the team's central midfielder, set a school record with 10 assists this season. Both have made the all-conference team for the last two seasons and will serve as team captains for next season.

"They lead in different ways. Cat is a natural leader. People listen to her when she speaks, and others tend to follow her leadership," Smith said. "Shannon tends to lead more through example. When Shannon says something, it means a lot and people take notice. With her, it is also leading with work ethic and desire."

While the offense was high-powered, the defense clamped down on opponents, allowing just 20 goals in 19 regular season games. Sophomores Rebecca Sorensen and Kelly Irvin earned all-conference honors after anchoring a backfield that allowed multiple goals in only fives games.

"The first two years we focused more on the offense. Last year we brought in a strong defensive class, and the groups have really complimented each other well," Smith said. "You want to create a balanced team that doesn't have to rely on one unit."

Also helping the defense was senior Laura Seymour, who often marked the top scorer on opposing teams. Her shining moment may have been in a 1-0 loss to Dayton when she blanked the Flyers' Missy Gregg, the top scorer in the conference. "When we needed to shut down a player, Laura was someone we could call on," Smith said.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jaime Epperlein also stepped up big for the Rams. After playing behind Kate Hirsch for a year, Epperlein earned the starting job. "This year Jaime Epperlein stepped up and made a difference," Smith said. "She saved us many times. When Jaime was in a game, the defense really played with a lot of confidence."

The key to the program's success has been solid recruiting. "When you are bringing in new players, it's a matter of bringing in a variety of personalities. It's important not only to have a good player, but also a player who can interact with others," Smith said. "The players' attitudes have been great. This is a very close knit team, and they get along well both on and off the field. The players we have brought in are from top club teams and very good high school programs. They know what it takes to be Division I athletes."

That knowledge will be tested when the 2001 season rolls around as the players will be without Smith, who took the head coaching job for the University of South Carolina women's soccer team in late December. URI Athletic Director Ron Petro said the search for a new coach is just getting started, but the school has already received about 20 applications for the job.

"We would have liked to see her keep going here, but the offer [from South Carolina] was better," Petro said. "It was hard for us to match the salary, plus she was able to hire her husband as her assistant there. We're happy for her because at this point in her career it is probably a better job."

"We would like to bring in someone with a similar personality and style," Petro added. "There are two or three young women we are looking at out there with good experience at a Division I women's soccer program and who are involved with AAU. We have a good team in place because we are not losing too many players. So if we can get the right coach to continue the success, I think we'll be fine."

Helping the transition is the fact that the team will have more experience than ever next season. The Rams currently have just three open spots for recruits. Stephanie Boisvert, Mary Drapetis, and Seymour were the only seniors this season, which means the new coach will not have to scramble to sign a lot of recruits.

With Zanni and Kittelson both heading into their senior season, Rhode Island will concentrate on bringing in a new central midfielder and some help at the forward spot for next season. Because much of the team's youth in the backfield, the Rams can afford to wait a year on recruiting defenders.

Success breeds expectations. The Rams want to win the Atlantic 10 tournament next season when the championship will be played at URI. Besides adjusting to a new coach, Rhode Island's road to the championship will be hindered by a tough schedule.

Rhode Island has just four conference games at home next year and seven on the road. One of those road games will be against the newest A-10 school, the University of Richmond. The Spiders, who made the NCAA tournament this season, are expected to compete with the top teams. The Rams also have out-of-conference games scheduled at Dartmouth and Boston University.

Though they can enjoy the success of the 2000 season, the Rams will be ready to play for a title next fall. "We do have a commitment to long-term success," Petro said. "When we hired Shelley, we wanted to bring the entire program together, and Shelley was the right person at the right time. We didn't graduate too many players. That shows that Shelley left the cupboard full, which is nice to see. Because of the job she did of establishing the program here, the kids will still have confidence heading into next season and we will be able to keep moving forward."

A former Good 5¢ Cigar sports writer, Shane Donaldson '99 is a reporter for the New England Patriots Football Weekly and for the team's Web site at Patriots.com.

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