Fresno State Athletics
Women's Soccer Readies For Three-Match Week
9/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 15, 2003
Fresno State Bulldogs (3-2-1)
vs. UC Riverside Highlanders (3-1-1)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 17
Time: 7 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: Bulldog Stadium
Series History: First Meeting
Later This Week...
Husky/Nike Invitational...at Seattle, Wash.
(Tournament Teams: Fresno State, No. 14 Washington, No. 10 Portland, No. 9 Texas)
Fresno State at No. 14 Washington (3-1-2)
Date: Friday, Sept. 19
Time: 7 p.m. PST
Series History: First Meeting
Fresno State vs. No. 10 Portland (4-2-0)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 21
Time: 11 a.m. PST
Series History: Portland leads 1-0
The Opening Kick-Off
After playing three road matches in a span of six days last week, Fresno State is slated to play another three contests this week. The Bulldogs begin the week by hosting a non-conference match against UC Riverside on Wednesday at 7 p.m.- just their second home game of the year. Fresno State then makes an appearance at the Husky/Nike Invitational in Seattle, where the 'Dogs will tangle with No. 14 Washington on Friday and No. 10 Portland on Sunday. When Fresno State faces UTEP in El Paso on Sept. 26, it will have already played five top-25 schools before entering conference play.
Scouting UC Riverside
UC Riverside is slated to face San Jose State before its match against the Bulldogs on Wednesday night. The Highlanders have begun the season at 3-1-1, with one-goal victories over Central Michigan and Gonzaga in addition to a 4-0 shutout of Long Island. Six different players have found the net for UC Riverside this season led by Kristi Tanaka, who leads the team in goals (3) and points (6) despite only taking seven shots. The Highlanders are led by head coach Veronica O' Brien. Fresno State and UC Riverside have never matched up in women's soccer.
Scouting No. 14 Washington
The Bulldogs compete in their first tournament of the year this weekend at the Husky/Nike Invitational. Fresno State opens the four-team draw against host Washington, which carries a 3-1-2 overall mark into Friday's match. The Huskies' only loss this year came in the form of a 2-1 overtime defeat at the hands of then-No. 1 North Carolina back on Aug. 31. Washington is paced by junior Tina Frimpong, the team leader with four goals scored and nine points. Head coach Lesle Gallimore has amassed a 105-68-12 record heading into her 10th year in Seattle. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Scouting No. 10 Portland
Fresno State's second tournament opponent is defending NCAA champion Portland, which checks in at 4-2-0. The Pilots suffered a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Connecticut in its most recent match. That loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Portland where the Pilots posted shutouts over Stanford (1-0), San Jose State (4-0) and Cal State Fullerton (2-0). Lindsey Huie leads the team in several offensive categories: goals (3), assists (3), points (9) and shots (25). Fresno State and Portland have met only once before, with the Bulldogs on the short end of a 1-0 road defeat back on Sept. 27, 1997.
Recapping Last Week's Action
Three matches last week resulted in a win, loss and tie for the Bulldogs. Fresno State battled back from a two-goal deficit against Pacific last Tuesday, but could not manage enough offense in two overtime periods to avoid its first tie since 1999. The Bulldogs surrendered two scores in the first half but outplayed the Tigers (0-4-1) over the final 65 minutes to gain the draw. Against Saint Mary's on Friday, Fresno State scored three goals within the first 50 minutes and played solid enough defensively to earn a 3-1 non-conference victory. The Bulldogs were outshot 12-8 by the Gaels but made the most of their opportunities inside the penalty area. However, a third match in six days would catch up with the team in a 2-0 loss to No. 13 California. Fresno State failed to generate much offense against the Golden Bears, who relied mainly on their defense while outshooting the 'Dogs 15-5.
Gettting To Three Quickly
With its 3-1 defeat of Saint Mary's last weekend, Fresno State jumped out to its best start since an identical opening in 2000. Not bad, considering the 'Dogs had to wait until the 14th game of last year to record just their third win. Fresno State began last year's campaign with a 2-11 mark before a 2-0 shutout of UTEP. In 2001, the Bulldogs picked up their third win of the year in the seventh game of the season against UC Santa Barbara.
Tough Way To Begin
In what has become a fall ritual, the Bulldogs will have played five top-25 program after this week is complete. Fresno State is 1-2 thus far in those matches and will face No. 14 Washington and No. 10 Portland at the Husky/Nike Invitational this weekend in Seattle. SMU- one of two teams the 'Dogs are scheduled to face during the opening weekend of WAC competiion- has also seen time in the rankings early on. The Bulldogs downed then-No. 25 Charlotte on the road for their lone victory over a ranked opponent this season. Fresno State was 0-3 against nationally-ranked teams last year before WAC play.
The Offense Is There
One factor that has aided Fresno State so far in the early going has been its abilitiy to create scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs have totaled 75 shots through six contests, an average of almost 13 shots per game. Fresno State has recorded 11 goals on the year, while allowing nine. Also, eight different players have already notched at least five shots.
Balance Has Been The Key
Six different players have already scored a goal for the Bulldogs this season in just six games. While last season's offense centered around two forwards, the scoring this year has come from all over the field. In contrast, eight different players tallied a goal for Fresno State last year.
The Kortney-Katri Show Returns
It took until the third match of the year, but sophomores Kortney Lewis and Katri Nokso-Koivisto have found the net. Lewis and Nokso-Koivisto finished 1-2 in several offensive categories for Fresno State last year, including goals (10-9), assists (7-5), shots (27-23) and points (53-43). The tandem combined for 19 goals and 12 assists in 2002, but had yet to score at all this season before a 2-0 shutout of Sacramento State. Both players were able to score unassisted in that game, while Lewis has since scored two more times.
Learning How To Draw
After a span of 67 consecutive matches, Fresno State played to its first tie in almost four years against Pacific on Sept. 9. Pacific, who had won three straight overtime matches in the series, battled Fresno State for a 2-2 double-overtime decision. Entering the contest, Fresno State had not played to a draw since the 1999 season, when it battled UTEP to a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Oct. 22 in El Paso. And who better to snap that streak than the Tigers, a team that the Bulldogs had gone to overtime with in six of the nine previous meetings.
Her Paine Is Bulldog's Gain
Freshman Jeannette Paine will continue to get an opportunity to prove herself as the team's starting goalkeeper. She has played all 560 minutes in goal through the first six games, surrendering nine goals, while making 23 saves overall. She registered her first career shutout on Sept. 6 in a 2-0 win over Sacramento State and also made a career-high five saves. Paine also limited No. 25 Charlotte to just one goal on Aug. 29, then later stopped a penalty kick attempt by No. 12 Tennessee.
New Faces Make An Impact
For junior Lisa Esteves and sophomore Barbara Davis, the 2003 season could not have arrived soon enough. Esteves, who had seen time in just 10 games through her first three seasons, and Davis, a redshirt in 2002 after tearing her ACL, combined for a three-goal first-half barrage that propelled Fresno State to a 3-1 upset upset of No. 25 Charlotte. The goals for Esteves were the first of her career, while Davis tallied her first score since finding the net at No. 4 Stanford back on Sept. 21, 2001. Both Esteves and Davis also saw extended playing time in Fresno State's loss to No. 12 Tennessee two days later.
PK's Are Back In Style
When sophomore Eriko Yoshiki converted on a penalty kick attempt against Tennessee on Aug. 31, it ended a lengthy drought. Prior to the match against the Lady Vols, the last time Fresno State scored on a penalty kick was during a 3-2 double-overtime win over Nevada back on Oct. 21, 2001. Erin Sayegusa earned the honor in that contest, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at the time. Fresno State was without a penalty kick attempt during the entire 2002 season.
It Can Be Done
Fresno State recorded its fifth win over a nationally-ranked team in program history on Aug. 29 with a 3-1 road upset of No. 25 Charlotte. The Bulldogs defeated three ranked clubs during their NCAA Tournament run during the 1999 campaign, but then went winless in their next 10 attempts to upend a top-25 squad until a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton late last year. Fresno State is now 2-2 in its last four games against nationally-ranked teams and 5-13 overall against the top-25. The highest ranked team the Bulldogs have ever beaten was No. 7 USC, who the Bulldogs downed 2-1 in 1999.
Run At The Records
Several Bulldog athletes continue to establish themselves in the program record book. Sophomore Kortney Lewis moved up to sixth in both points (34) and goals (13) and is ranked fifth with eight assists. Her 67 shots are also good for eighth overall. Senior Erin Sayegusa has moved into eighth place all-time with 28 career points and is also currently eighth with 11 goals. She is fifth overall with 107 shots. Sophomore Katri Nokso-Koivisto has also made her mark, as she ranks ninth in points (26), goals (10) and assists (6).
Defending The Home Turf
Wednesday's meeting against UC Riverside will be the 71st women's soccer match in the history of Bulldog Stadium. Fresno State is now 41-27-2 all-time on its home turf, despite managing just a 14-12 record at home over the previous three years. Fresno State's eight home victories in 2000 are a program-best, while the team's best season came during 1997 at 7-3 overall.
