Depth boosts Lady Falcons soccer team

A common scene for the UTPB women's soccer team last season:

The final 20 minutes of a game. Tied. The Lady Falcons, uniforms dirty, bodies sore, watch as the opposing team substitutes a handful of players.

A reminder of a luxury UTPB didn't have - until now.
The Lady Falcons say that success this season, which begins at 10 a.m. today at Hawaii Pacific, will come down to staying sharp toward the end of games. It'll come down to having the depth that the other top teams in the Heartland Conference possess.

And UTPB should be deeper this year.

Whereas last year as many as eight Lady Falcons would play the entire game, that probably won't be necessary in 2008. Head coach Dennis Peterson said the team has about five subs to choose from - it had about two last season - and that should make a huge difference.

"This year when we do make a sub we don't have to worry about it being someone who can hurt us in the long run," said Peterson, whose team was 7-10-2 overall and 5-7 in conference play in 2007, tied for third place in the conference.

Peterson recalled a game last season against Incarnate Word, which at the time was ranked in the top 10 in the country.

"At halftime we were up 2-0," he said. "We ended up losing 3-2 in overtime on a golden goal. We just ran out of gas. At that time I probably had eight girls that played the whole game. I only had two that I would sub.
"I didn't have a bench."

The bench looks deeper this season, Peterson said, partly because of some key newcomers and because he's asked many players to play multiple positions.

Junior sweeper Cheryl Walker can play at midfielder and forward. She's accustomed to switching it up, too. She was voted team Offensive Most Valuable Player her freshman year, and last year Peterson moved her to defense. Peterson said she didn't complain.

Junior Brandy Watts began last season as a starting center midfielder, then Peterson moved her to forward. She almost led the conference in scoring and was first-team all-conference.

Maybe the best ball striker on the team, junior Tiffany Richter can play outside midfielder, center midfielder and forward.

UTPB's versatility makes Peterson believe that the team can surpass the fourth-place finish the preseason conference poll predicted. Last season, the Falcons were picked to finish last. This year, with three starting defenders returning, UTPB is showing up more on others' radars.
"We're not going to sneak up on anybody like we had in the past," Peterson said. "Before people took us lightly. They're going to be ready for us."

Even when an opponent comes off the bench and fights for balls next to players such as senior sweeper Cecilia Kellar, who can't remember the last time she was substituted out of a game.

She's knows the effects of the lack of depth can be.
"When the fatigue sets in, you're just not as sharp," Kellar said. "That's when you usually let a team through and get an easy goal or cheap goal. You worked so hard the whole game, and that would happen."

Still, some UTPB players said staying in a game can have an advantage.

"Since we're in the whole time, we're more on a roll," junior defender Cheryl Ward said. "But when the other teams sub so many players in, they need some time to get on the same page."

And Ward won't make easy on those fresh legs, neat hair and clean jerseys on the other side.

"It gets you a little more motivated to take them out once or twice," Ward said, laughing.