Tommie Sports - Women's Soccer

Gene's Blog: Outlook is different one year later

October 10, 2008

Lexie Fisher has helped women's soccer have a breakthrough season. (Eli Adams photo)

What a difference one year makes...

--At this point last season, the UST women's soccer team had just lost 3-0 to Concordia-Moorhead and stood 2-4 in the MIAC, with playoff hopes fading. The Toms had been outscored 9-5 in conference play, and first-year coach Sheila McGill had a young, injury-depleted roster.

Fast forward 12 months, and the Tommies, picked to finish sixth in the MIAC race, are 9-0-3 overall and 6-0-2 in the conference, including a recent 3-0 payback road win over the Cobbers. The first-place Tommies are not only closing in on a playoff berth but also are making a serious run at the MIAC title.

Credit some good leaders, team balance, chemistry and McGill's "one at a time" philosophy. "These players really trust each other and believe in each other," the coach said.

--After four games in the 2007 football season, UST's Ben Wartman was a freshman w Player pic ide receiver for an 0-4 Tommie team and had a modest three catches for 24 yards.

Now a running back in 2008, Wartman has helped the Tommies build a 3-1 record as he has averaged 108 yards a game and 6.6 yards per rush and run for five touchdowns.

He's also the reigning MIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

PHOTOS: Top to bottom, Ben Wartman; Mike Connell

--At this point in 2007, Tommie junior distance runner Mike Connell had just raced on Player pic a windy day at the Blugold Invite in Colfax, Wis., near his hometown of Eau Claire. Connell placed exactly in the middle of the pack that day, 139th out of 287 finishers, in a time of 29:12. He finished the fall as the Toms' No. 11 runner.

In October 2008, Connell returned "home" to the same course in ideal conditions for this year's Eau Claire race and placed 15th out of 295 runners in 25:55. He's currently the Toms' No. 3 runner, and his team broke into the national rankings this week at No. 30.

--As October 2007 arrived and the Major League Baseball playoff started, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had just posted the worst record in baseball with a 66-96 record.

Tonight, having won 100 games thus far in 2008, they'll start a series with Boston with the winner advancing to the World Series.

--In fall 2007, Nikki Schminski was a standout soccer player at Hermantown High who f Player pic aced reconstructive knee surgery.

Now a college freshman cross country runner for No. 15-ranked St. Thomas, Schminski has made the top Toms' six and ran 24:15 and 24:20 for 6,000 meters. A Minnesota North Shore girl will see another grand body of water today as she will run in Golden Gate Park in UST's race in San Francisco.

PHOTOS: Nikki Schminski; Sean Barrett

--At this point last season, Sean Barrett was the Tommie football placekicker. A Player pic member of a state champion football team at Mahtomedi High, Barrett attended Iowa State in 2006-07 but didn't play sports. His transfer to St. Thomas last fall allowed him back into an athletics world he missed. But a tough September 2007 left Barrett trying to adjust to an unexpected 0-4 UST record.

Today, Barrett has a new sport and his old mojo. He also has an All-MIAC honor in golf to his credit after his final-round 72 last Monday at Bunker Hills helped him take 10th of 50 players in the three-day conference meet.

Player pic --In fall 2007, Dallas-native Kirsten Moran transferred to St. Thomas but sat out the soccer season while recovering from surgery.

In fall 2008, Moran has been one of many key players who are binding together to send the Tommie women's soccer team to its 9-0-3 start. Moran has scored in four consecutive games and now has three goals and three assists.

PHOTO: Right, Kirsten Moran

--In October 2007, Glenn Caruso was Macalester's head coach and ready for a bye week. Four consecutive losses dropped his Scots' team to 2-4, and he was looking forward to closing games at Gustavus, at Crown and at home vs. Lawrence.

This week, Coach Caruso takes his St. Thomas team to Moorhead to play the No. 23-ranked Cobbers, with games to follow in order against St. John's, Carleton, Augsburg and Bethel.

Player pic --In fall 2007, Carlos Castelan was a backup goalie for the Tommie men's soccer team as he waited for his chance behind All-MIAC keeper Dan Hutton.

This October, Castelan has seven shutouts and is 9-2-1 this season to help the Tommies stay in the conference title and playoff races. His Tommie team gets another test today when it plays at home vs. No. 12-ranked Loras (4 p.m., South Campus field).

PHOTOS: Top to bottom, Carlos Castelan, Alesha Nelson, Helen Shea

Player pic --Last volleyball season, Tommie freshman Alesha Nelson of Milaca was a junior-varsity player who paid her dues as she adjusted to the speed and intensity of the college game.

This October, the 6-foot middle blocker has played in all 19 matches and is averaging nearly two kills a set for the 18-1 and No. 5-ranked Tommies. One of nine 2007 newcomers still on the roster, Nelson is part of perhaps the deepest recruiting class in UST volleyball history. She joins her teammates today and Saturday in the Iowa-Minnesota Border battle at Schoenecker Arena.

Player pic --In fall 2007, Helen Shea, a Tommie freshman runner, placed 343rd at the U of M Griak race in 27:36. She would later rise to become the Tommies' No. 9 runner by the conference meet. Not bad for a up-and-coming runner who didn't crack the varsity top seven at her high school, Providence Academy.

Two weeks ago, Shea placed 144th in the 2008 Griak race in a time of 25:33 -- 199 places and 2:03 faster that than previous year. She runs today in San Francisco in UST's top eight.

--In October 2007, a USA Today/Gallup poll of the Republican presidential race had John McCain with 16%, trailing Rudy Giuliani's 32% and Fred Thompson's 20%. In the Democratic race, some pundits said the only person who could beat Hillary Clinton might be someone like John Edwards. Political observers on both sides have to wonder how this fall's race might be different with one or two other candidates on the ticket.

--On Oct. 11, 2007, Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record 14,198.53. Thursday Oct. 9, 2008, the Dow closed at 8,579.19. As Dick Vitale might say: "I think we need a TO (time out), baby."

Thank God for some achieving athletes, teams and coaches to help us escape politics and economic woes. While your mind wanders, try to look ahead and imagine who the next wave of Tommie headliners will be in October 2009.

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Sports information director Gene McGivern is starting his 15th season at Gene pic St. Thomas and 21st in the MIAC. He blogs periodically on various topics regarding the Tommies, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and Division III sports.