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Volume 27, Issue 3, August 26, 2004

Sports

Looking ahead to new season

Welcome back everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful summer.
I would like to say how my summer went, but I've got much to say and not much space in which to say it ... so with that let's start with the fall preview.

Volleyball

Last season's record: 27-6, 18-1 RMAC; season ended in Regional Tournament.Players to watch: Sheena McLaughlin, Stefanie Allison and Renee Hazlewood. The three of them are the most experienced players on the team in Head Coach Debbie Hendricks' system. Although none of them are seniors, they will have to lead a team of players who are similar in everything except time spent in a Metro uniform.

Menís soccer team training on soccer field
(by Matt Jonas - The Metropolitan)
Men's soccer associate head coach, Ken Parsons, spent the last two years serving as head coach of the men and women's soccer teams at Mesa Community College, (Ariz.), where he compiled a combined 67-18-14 record.

The one question I have about this team: Can they win the regional tournament? This team seemingly is a lock to make the regional playoffs, but their dominance during the regular season and conference playoffs don't seem to carry over into the regionals.

My personal opinion: I think new freshman setter Gabrielle Curtis will be one of the keys to this team's success. If she plays as well as her All-American predecessor Devon Herron, this team might have a shot at not only going to, but possibly winning the regional tournament.

Women's Soccer

Last season's record: 21-1-1, 14-0 RMAC; the season ended after suffering their only loss of the year in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.Players to watch: Amy Leichliter, Ymara Guante, Meisha Pyke and Elin Otter. These are four players to watch because they are great complements to each other. Pyke and Otter shut down the opposition's attacks, Guante can either push the ball up field to Leichliter or score herself, and Leichliter has the ability to turn any open field through-ball into a break-away goal.

The one question I have about this team: Can they win it this year? This team continues to play excellent soccer but for some reason seem to have their dreams snatched away at the last minute. This team has the talent and the personnel to win it all, but will they? My personal opinion: The woman's soccer team has been a dominant force in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, but with a tougher schedule that includes out of conference opponents like: Cal-State-Bakersfield, Northeastern State (Okla.), Central Oklahoma and Texas A&M Commerce and Nebraska-Omaha, can the Roadrunners repeat an undefeated regular season?

Men's Soccer

Last Season's record: 13-7-5, 5-5-2 RMAC; season ended after winnning the RMAC Championship Tournament.

Players to watch: Antonio Porras, Aldo Alcaraz-Raza and David Gordon. These three could have big seasons this year because they're athletic, highly skilled and determined to make something happen every time they touch the ball.

The one question I have about this team: Can they win the big regular season games? This Metro men's team, despite winning the conference tournament in dramatic fashion, was denied an NCAA tournament bid because of losses to regional opponents Fort Lewis, Midwestern State (Texas), Incarnate Word (Texas) and CU-Colorado Springs. Winning the big regular season games against regional opponents is the key to entering the tournament.

My personal opinion: I'm not too sure right now. New men's coach Ken Parsons is similar to women's head coach Danny Sanchez as they both have coached at Mesa Community College and left with winning records, but unlike his women's counterpart, can Parsons win immediately in a tough men's conference? Only time will tell.

Well, as I wrap this up, I can say I have only returned for one reason and one reason alone; a victory lap. Readers have read my column for the past two years to either disagree with me or to see what I'll write next. I can only impose my opinion on everyone for nine more months.

I hope you keep reading because I'm gonna keep writing in the time I have left