The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point women's soccer team, the defending WIAC champion, has some shoes to fill but hopes last year's strong bench will translate into a strong starting lineup.
UW-SP, which has not lost a WIAC regular season contest in 57 matches in the eight-year history of the conference, needs to replace 11 letterwinners and six starters, including four first-team All-WIAC performers.
However, with the return of three senior starters, two strong goalkeepers and a solid sophomore class, coach Sheila Miech is confident in the team's quest for an eighth WIAC title in nine years.
"Everyone I spoke to about last year's team said our strength was our depth," said Miech, whose team finished with a 17-4 record last year. "We felt like our bench was just as strong as our starters and we're hoping that depth from last year's team will carry us into the season."
Much of the 2000 season will be built around senior Marie Muhvic, a former Stevens Point Area Senior High star. Muhvic set school records for goals scored and led the WIAC in scoring in each of her first two seasons with the Pointers since transferring from Western Michigan. After scoring 21 goals as a sophomore and 23 as a senior, Muhvic needs just 12 goals and 56 points to become the school's all-time leading scorer.
Muhvic will be joined by another Division 1 transfer on the front line in Jenny Bruce, who redshirted last season at the University of Wisconsin.
In goal, senior Abby Rabinovitz and junior Brianna Hyslop are expected to split time for the third straight year. The duo have posted two of the top three career goals against averages in school history with Hyslop at 0.63 and Rabinovitz close behind at 0.65.
In the midfield, junior Mickey Jacob, a defender, returns as a starter. The Pointers, however, will be looking for an offensive replacement for Jenny Davis, who graduated as the school's all-time assist leader. Miech expects a pair of sophomores, Molly Cady and Andrea Spiel, to contend for spots, along with redshirt freshman Andrea Oswald.
Besides Davis, All-WIAC midfielder Michelle Mauel and All-WIAC defenders Laura DeSelm and Heather Kalscheur completed their eligibility last year.
Senior Margaret Domka, a SPASH graduate, will be back as the team's stopper and will be the team's leader on defense along with senior Jennifer Schmit. Sophomore Macy Mory also saw extensive time on the back row last season and is expected to contribute again this year.
"We're going to be a talented team, but we won't have the depth and experience of the players working together like we did last year," Miech said. "It could take some time to develop that."
Another familiar sight for UW-SP this season will be a challenging schedule, which opens with a pair of games in Texas against Southwestern and Trinity, Sept. 1 and 3. The Pointers will play at defending NCAA Division 3 runner-up Macalester on Sept. 16 and host Chicago, which handed the Pointers two of their four losses last year, on Sept. 26.