SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
After a season that saw an influx of youth and senior leadership abound, the University of Nevada women’s soccer team starts the arduous process of moving forward, almost before their year is done.
Head coach Dr. Melissa Price and her staff will comb through the statistics, watch the film a few more times and look for anything that might help them going forward. Some of it began before conference honors had been announced.
This is the life of a Division I program. Foundations are laid and when the proverbial concrete sets, the next steps must be taken. It begins before a team has the opportunity to exhale, to examine what has just occurred.
What has just occurred for the University of Nevada women’s soccer team is a 7-9-3 overall record in 2010, with a 2-5-1 conference mark. The Wolf Pack went 5-3 at home, 2-5-1 on the road and 0-1-2 at neutral sites.
“While it was definitely a season of high and lows, we evolved on both sides of the ball,” Price said.
In her first season at the helm, Price incorporated four true freshmen into a team with plenty of senior leadership. Seven student-athletes played their final season for the Pack, closing out careers that saw five of them named to at least one all-WAC team and totaled 22 all-WAC Academic and Athletic honors.
As a team in 2010, Nevada did most of its damage in the second half, scoring 16 of their 25 regular time goals in the second frame. In total, the Pack scored 27 times in 2010 on 247 shots for 1.42 goals per game. The additional two tallies each came in the second overtime period of their respective matches.
The first of those goals earned the Pack a 2-1 win against New Mexico State Friday, October 1 at Mackay Stadium. The second came in the last regular season match of the year, when Ellie Stott scored to beat the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine with 53 seconds remaining. In that contest, Nevada honored its seven outgoing seniors with a ceremony prior to the game.
“We showed resolve in difficult situations and matured emotionally and psychologically as a team this year,” Price said.
Individually, the Pack was led by a host of players, as 14 tallied at least one point. Senior Cristen Drummond led the team in points, putting up three goals and three assists for nine in 19 games. Fellow seniors Erin Smith and Jill Erickson also made significant contributions to the offense.
Smith scored four times to tie for the team lead in goals with junior Natalie Ratnavira and led the team with two game-winners. Erickson scored three goals and had two assists to tie for second on the team.
Nevada also saw contributions from newcomers, as true freshmen Danielle Green and Kori Disarufino teid for second and third respectively in points. Green and
Disarufino played in all 19 games for Nevada this season.
Green started each contest the Pack played in with three goals, two assists, eight points, 21 shots and 10 shots on goal.
Disarufino started seven matches with three goals, one assist, seven points, 23 shots and 17 shots on goal.
In goal, Marie Cove started 13 games and finished with a 7-4-2 overall record, four shutouts and a 1.23 goals against average. When the Pack played UC Riverside to a scoreless draw Friday, September 24, Cove became the Pack’s all-time leader in individual shutouts with nine.
Dana Moreno also saw some action between the pipes, starting six games and finishing with a 2.35 GAA and 24 saves.
The Pack will return 16 student-athletes in 2011 with six seniors, five juniors and five sophomores as it stands today.
When Price spoke about the future of University of Nevada Wolf Pack soccer she was candid, making sure to point out that her players are ready for whatever comes their way.
“We have some things to work on and our players are ready for the challenges that lie ahead,” she said.
