Sunday, September 08, 2002
NKU soccer has come a long way
By Ryan Ernst, rernst@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
What a difference five years can make.
In 1997, when Northern Kentucky started its women's soccer program, the budget was small and the expectations were even smaller.
“The girls were just so excited to get a uniform,” coach Bob Sheehan said. “They were so excited the first time we went into Wendy's and the meal was paid for them. They were so excited when they got on the NKU bus and they didn't have to all pile up gas money to drive to games.”
OTHERS
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A pair of local athletes made contributions in a big week for the Cincinnati women's soccer team. Sunday, the Bearcats ousted No. 12 Florida 2-1 on a game-winning goal from Amy Simonson (Princeton). Tasha Wagner (Middletown) recorded the assist. Simonson and Wagner each found the net four days later in a 3-1 win over Indiana. For her efforts, Simonson was named Offensive Player of the Week in Conference USA.
UC also found out this week that it has entered the National Soccer Coaches Association poll at No. 25.
Mount St. Joseph cross country runner Kurtis Smith, an Elder grad, was named this week's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for his sport. The sophomore finished 13th at the Muskingum College Early Bird Open in a time of 17:25. The meet was the first for the school's cross country program.
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Three NCAA Div. II Final Four appearances later, the players are looking for a little more than a fast-food meal and coach seat.
“I couldn't imagine not going to the Final Four again,” senior midfielder Hope Bushelman said. “After all the success we've had, it would be kind of a letdown.“
Bushelman is one of three four-year players for the Norse, a team that started as a group of club players, led by a coach with no collegiate experience.
Sheehan, two years removed from a state championship at St. Ursula, was hired - he was, and still is a part-time employee - in May of 1997. In August of the same year, he fielded a team that shared one and a half scholarships for the entire roster. The Norse went 7-11 in their inaugural season, but Sheehan's hard work and the area's talent pool were about to kick in.
“To be successul, you have to recruit. And Bob hit the ground running,” NKU director of athletics Jane Meier said. "He knew in his mind what it would take, and he's an excellent judge of talent."
So, with his focus on finding talent, Sheehan hit the recruiting trail, only to find out that trail resembled the I-275 loop. Of the 20 players on the NKU roster, 19 are from the Tri-State area - a fact Sheehan admits made the recruiting process easier than he anticipated.
“After we saw that talent level in the area, I thought we'd be successful,” he said. “But I still didn't know how successful.”
How about very successful? In the four years since the first season, NKU has gone 84-10-5.
The Norse went 16-3-3 in 1998, just missing the NCAA Tournament despite a late run to capture the Grat Lakes Valley Conference title. NKU beat two NCAA-Tournament teams en route to the championship, but it wasn't enough to convince the selection committee.
“That second year I thought we proved we could play with those calibre teams, but we had to prove it for an entire season,” Sheehan said.
The team, by then made up mostly of recruited players, took little time to gel. And before long, high school rivals were battling new opponents.
“Well you know when we played each other in high school, we'd go at it and trip each other and stuff like that,” senior forward Kristen Noakes said. “But I don't think people really came in with hard feelings. Plus, once you're on the same team, you really appreciate how good these girls are.”
The following season, in 1999, NKU made the 16-team NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four before losing to eventual champion Franklin Pierce. In 2000, the Norse reached the finals before losing 2-1 to UC San Diego on a goal with 15 seconds left in the game. Last season, was more of the same for NKU. The team reached the Final Four before losing to eventual champ UC San Diego for the second straight year.
So, is this the season for the proverbial brides maids to wear the white dress?
“I sure hope so,” senior midfielder Molly Eagan said. “We've been there so many times, now we know what's expected of us. It's not like we're going to go out and try to beat this team. This team is coming out trying to beat us. We're the team being chased now, we're not chasing other teams.”
So far this season, no team has come close to catching the third-ranked Norse. And the team that once had budget problems now spreads money from 7.8 scholarships throughout its roster.
No matter the economics, the result remains the same. NKU has outscored opponents 13-1 en route to a 3-0 start this season. The Norse have two games remaining on its schedule before the first real test on their schedule - a matchup with top-ranked Christian Brothers (Tenn.) next Sunday at the Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Ky.
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NKU soccer has come a long way
