Gustavus Adolphus College Women’s Soccer Coach Mike Stehlik enters the 2005 campaign with some optimism as he and his squad come off a 2004 season in which the Gusties went 5-10-2 overall and 4-7-0 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Coach Stehlik will have a wealth of experienced juniors and a few experienced seniors on his team this season as they try and bounce back from a season in which seven of the 10 losses came by two goals or less.
Depth will likely be the strength of the 2005 edition of Gustie women’s soccer, as 19 letter-winners return from last year’s squad. “Our team chemistry on and off the field is something we can take from last season. The girls work hard. With that as a foundation you can’t help but look forward to the season and be optimistic,” Coach Stehlik commented.
The Gusties will return a starting lineup largely in tact from a year ago. The team has lost two players to graduation including two-time all-conference defender Kelly Keith and two-year starter Alysen Farran, also a defender. In addition, 2004 starters Janna Castellano (Junior, Blaine, Minn.) and Gwen Peterson (Senior, White Bear Lake, Minn.) will be gone this fall studying abroad. Although many return from last year’s squad, Stehlik wants it to be known that no one has a spot locked down. “They have to come in and earn it. We’ll see who worked for it during the off-season.”
The Gusties are loaded at the forward and midfielder positions as all starters return. Jenna Iaizzo (Sophomore, White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Samantha Engh (Senior, Wayzata, Minn.) will likely attack from the forward position. The two combined for six goals and five assists (17 points) last season and they hope to help lead the Gustie attack again this season. Juniors Kelly Bottenberg (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Bits Loose (Prior Lake, Minn.) provide depth at the position. In the midfield, junior Amy Larson (Bloomington, Minn.) heads a group that scored nine of the 16 goals recorded by the Gusties last season; Larson netted five goals to lead all Gusties in scoring. Other returnees include juniors Alison Rethwisch (Lakeville, Minn.), Liz Petersen (Stillwater, Minn.) and Megan Tepper (Woodbury, Minn.) and sophomore Amy Kunkel (St. Cloud, Minn.).
Stehlik will look to juniors Shannon Quealy (Plymouth, Minn.) and Erin Kasper (Eagan, Minn.) to fill the holes in the defensive backfield created by the graduation of Keith and Farran. Quealy returns this season after missing the 2004 campaign due to an injury. She started all 18 games as a first-year player in 2003. Kasper played in 14 games last season recording an assist.
Senior goalkeeper Tori Boughton (Edina, Minn.) will mind the nets again this season. Boughton tied for third in the MIAC in shutouts (5) and fifth in saves per game (7.24) a year ago.
The MIAC features plenty of teams striving for a championship this season. Defending champions Macalester College and Concordia College look to be the frontrunners. “The MIAC has gotten a lot tighter over the years. There isn’t as much disparity between the top teams and the bottom teams anymore,” Stehlik said.
Coach Stehlik looks for the quality team chemistry and game experience gained a year ago to be two solid aspects of the foundation for the 2005 season. The addition of a talented group of first-year student-athletes will give Gustavus an enormous amount of flexibility while facing a rigorous MIAC schedule.
The Gusties open the season on Friday, September 2nd at home against UW-Whitewater. Gustavus begins conference play by hosting Carleton College on Wednesday, September 14th.
2005 MIAC Women’s Soccer Preview
2005 Schedule
General Information
Name: Gustavus Adolphus College
Location: St. Peter, Minn.
Founded: 1862
Enrollment: 2,600
Nickname: Golden Gusties
School Colors: Black and Gold
Home Facilities: Gustavus Soccer Field
Affiliation: NCAA Div. III
President: Jim Peterson
Athletic Director: Al Molde
Athletic Phone: (507) 933-7617
History
First year of soccer: 1982
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6
Last NCAA Tournament / Result: 1998 / Lost to Macalester (0-1)
Sports Information
Sports Info Director: Tim Kennedy
Work Phone: (507) 933-7647
E-mail: timgasid@gustavus.edu
Sports Info Assistant: Joshua Schroeder
Work Phone: (507) 933-8411
E-mail: jschroed@gustavus.edu
SID Fax: (507) 933-8412
Web site: http://www.gustavus.edu/oncampus/athletics/wsc/
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Mike Stehlik (175-70-20)
Alma Mater / Year: DePauw/1986
Year at Gustavus: 16th
Head Coach’s office phone: (507) 933-7619
Assistant Coach: Richie Schreiner, Kelly Keith
Gustavus vs. the MIAC
Series vs. Augsburg 14-5-1
Series vs. Bethel 11-1-0
Series vs. Carleton 14-12-4
Series vs. Concordia 21-7-3
Series vs. Hamline 14-0-0
Series vs. Macalester 9-17-7
Series vs. St. Benedict 13-7-3
Series vs. St. Catherine’s 4-0-0
Series vs. St. Mary’s 9-17-3
Series vs. St. Olaf 20-7-3
Series vs. St. Thomas 10-12-2
Team Information
Letterwinners returning: 16
Letterwinners lost: 6
Starters returning: 7
Starters lost: 4
Player Information
Key Returnees
Tori Boughton — 123 saves, 29 goals against (1.64 GAA)
Amy Larson — 5 goals, 3 assists, 13 points (All-Conference Honorable Mention)
Jenna Iaizzo — 3 goals, 3 assists, 9 points
Samantha Engh — 3 goals, 2 assists, 8 points
Alison Rethwisch — 3 goals, 6 points
All Returning Letterwinners
Samantha Engh (SR, F, 5-4, Wayzata, MN)
Amy Larson (JR, MF, 5-7, Bloomington, MN)
Liz Petersen (JR, MF, 6-2, Stillwater, MN)
Megan Tepper (JR, MF, 5-3, Woodbury, MN)
Alison Rethwisch (JR, MF, 5-1, Lakeville, MN)
Beth Stauffer (JR, MF, 5-4, Plymouth, MN)
Carrie Williamson (JR, F, 5-7, Plover, WI)
Erin Kasper (JR, D, 5-5, Eagan, MN)
Jenna Iaizzo (SO, F, 5-11, White Bear Lake, MN)
Amy Kunkel (SO, MF, 5-4, St. Cloud, MN)
Kelly Bottenberg (JR, F, 5-4, Minnetonka, MN)
Ellen Sauter (SO, MF, 5-2, Rapid City, SD)
Tami Korb (SO, MF, 5-1, Rapid City, SD)
Elizabeth Loose (JR, F, 5-2, Prior Lake, MN)
Ann Marie Dahl (JR, D, 5-2, Edina, MN)
Tori Boughton (SR, GK, 5-6, Edina, MN)
Key Losses
Alysen Farran
Kelly Keith
Gwen Peterson
Janna Castellano
Kara Knutson
Key Newcomers
Callie Christensen (FY, MF, Bloomington, MN)
Rachel Gieseke (FY, MF, Richfield, MN)
Ashley Ohlson (FY, GK, Anchorage, AK)
2004 Game-by-Game Results
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 1 UW-Stout (A) T 1-1
Sept. 11 Loras (H) L 3-4
Sept. 12 Nebraska Wesleyan (H) W 2-1 (OT)
Sept. 16 St. Olaf * (H) L 1-2
Sept. 18 Concordia * (H) L 0-2
Sept. 25 St. Ben’s * (A) L 0-5
Sept. 29 St. Mary’s * (A) L 2-3
Oct. 2 Carleton * (A) L 0-1
Oct. 3 Luther (A) L 0-3
Oct. 9 Augsburg * (H) L 0-1 (OT)
Oct. 12 Bethel * (A) W 3-0
Oct. 16 Hamline * (H) W 1-0
Oct. 17 Grinnell (H) T 0-0 (2OT)
Oct. 23 Macalester * (H) L 0-3
Oct. 27 St. Thomas * (A) W 1-0
Oct. 29 St. Kate’s * (H) W 1-0
Oct. 31 UW-Stevens Point (A) L 1-3
* Indicates MIAC Match