2007 Women's Soccer
Season Outlook

The 2007 Chapman University women’s soccer team will look very familiar when it takes the field for the first time on Sept. 1 against Whitman College. That’s because the core of the Panthers’ youth movement, which began two years ago, has remained in tact and provides head coach Courtney Calderon with an experienced and ever-improving squad that could threaten the West Region for its first postseason berth in three seasons.

“This is a team that is very capable of getting back to the NCAA playoffs,” said Calderon, who begins her fourth season as head coach at Chapman. “We are still young so we need to make sure we take care of each game as it comes. One at a time.”

The Panthers are again young, but not inexperienced. It is a team with just one active senior: midfielder Lindsey Crancer (Academic All-District star Lindsey Lewis is out for the season but will remain in her captain’s role) and a slew of juniors and sophomores who turned Chapman’s 6-11-1 mark in 2005 upside-down and into a 12-7 record one year later.

Chapman’s youngsters did so with a balanced scoring attack as well as solid goalkeeping.

In fact, the Panthers’ goalie trio of Madison Coffin, Emily Clark and Brittni Marciano held opponents to just 1.07 goals per game and posted seven shutouts. All three return as juniors in 2007 and will continue to split time in goal.

“We’ll continue to play who’s hot and who matches up best against our opponents,” said Calderon. “It’s possible though for one of those three to step up and take the spot from the other two.”

A well-balanced offensive attack last season included nine different players who scored at least two goals. Six of those players return this year and Calderon expects to get contributions from, among others sophomores Claire Callister (four goals, one assist), Corey Meyerson (four goals, one assist) and Stephanie Lambrakis (two goals). That rookie trio scored on nearly 20 percent of their shots and gave Chapman an unexpected lift primarily off the bench last season.

“It’s nice to have that kind of depth,” said Calderon. “We’ll again be balanced on offense, unless one player really takes control in front of the goal.”

Calderon sees one of the strengths of Chapman’s team in the midfield, which is led by Crancer and juniors Mia Pierro and Brittany Botterill, who combined for 13 points last season.

“Last year we tended not to play through them as much,” said Calderon, “but with the leadership we have there this year they will create many more opportunities for us to score.”

The defense received a big boost last year from the addition of Annie Nalepa to the backfield. Nalepa led the entire team in minutes played in 2006 and played a big role in Chapman’s seven team shutouts. This year she’ll be joined by fellow sophomore Miranda Loflin (three goals, three assists) who will transition into the defense to fill the size and presence left by graduated senior Ashley Davisson.

“We have a lot of options on defense,” said Calderon, also referring to junior Jessica Mossbarger and a trio of new players that will help fill the void left by graduation and injuries.

The Panthers’ playoff hopes could hinge on a favorable schedule, which includes 13 of 20 games at home, where Chapman was 9-2 in 2006. However, it will be how the team rebounds from two tough losses last season to rival independent U.C. Santa Cruz – a team the Panthers have traditionally fared well against – that will determine if the Panthers are ready to rise to the top of the region once again.