Women's Soccer Newcomers Help Bolster Offense
Oct. 1, 1999
NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMPACT: Several newcomers to the UM roster have made an impact on the Hurricanes’ scoring this season.
Allison McWhinney leads the team with 20 points on a team-best eight goals with four assists. She is tied for the team lead with two game winning goals and one game winning assist. Her game winning goal goals came against Long Island (W, 2-0) in UM’s inaugural home-opener at Cobb Stadium and at Providence (W, 2-0) in UM’s first-ever BIG EAST match. In addition, she added the game winning assist in the Hurricanes 4-0 shutout of Central Florida.
Lisa Gomez has a team-high five assists on the season, plus one goal. She also had a UM record for consecutive games with an assist with four. Gomez had the game winning assist on McWhinney’s goal that defeated Long Island. She is tied for fourth on the team with seven points. She has not missed a start this season.
Jordan Sims has totaled three points off of one goal and one assist, both game-winners. Her goal was the decisive edge in UM’s shutout of Maine (W, 2-0) in the Black Bear Invitational. Sims, a sophomore transfer from Florida State, made her return trip to Tallahassee in the season-opener an exciting one, as she assisted on Deidre Bass’ game winning goal in a 3-0 victory.
Laura West has made two assists on the season, her last was on McWhinney’s game winning goal at Providence. She scored her first point for UM on an assist in UM’s 6-2 win over Florida Atlantic. West and McWhinney assisted on Jenny Sanchez’ first of four goals against the Owls. She has not missed a start this season.
Samantha Herndandez and Ashley West have started in the Hurricane defense each game this season. Hernandez has totaled four shots on goal, while West has turned in two.
Prior to her knee injury, Alexis MacKenzie totaled four points in the first five games with one goal and two assists. MacKenzie had the game winning assist on Jordan Sims’ goal that defeated Maine, 2-0.
BASS KEEPS ON STARTING, WITH AN OFFENSIVE PRESENCE: Sophomore Deidre Bass is the lone member of UM’s inaugural team to have started in the program’s all-time 29 matches.
Bass had one point playing in the UM defense in 1998, an assist on a goal against Eckerd. So far this season, Bass has scored three goals and recently added two assists in UM’s 3-0 shutout win over Lynn. Bass scored the ’99 season’s first goal and game-winner in UM’s 3-0 victory over FSU in Tallahassee, had UM’s second goal in its 2-0 win over Long Island and scored the team’s third goal against Central Florida. Her assist, first of two, on Wathne’s goal was a game winner.
UM RECORDS SHUTOUT NO. 6 OVER DIVISION II NO. 1 LYNN, 3-0: The Hurricanes doubled its assist total from a year ago with six, following a 3-0 shutout of Division II No. 1-ranked Lynn at Cobb Stadium. Nina Wathne recorded the game-winner, while Deidre Bass had the assist. Six of UM’s first 10 games resulted in a shutout victory for the ‘Canes.
With the win, Head Coach Jim Blankenship defeated the team he left to take the head post at Miami a year and a half ago. Blankenship was head coach at Lynn for 12 seasons earning three national titles, finishing runner-up four other times and was named National Coach of the Year five times.
UM WINS FIRST-EVER BIG EAST MATCH AND PLAYS AGAINST FIRST NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENT: Miami travelled to the Northeast to face Providence and No. 18 Boston College to open up BIG EAST play. The Hurricanes defeated the Friars, 2-0, at Glay Field for their first conference win ever. The match with BC marked the first time Miami had faced a nationally ranked opponent. BC was ranked No. 18 in the NSCAA and Soccer America rankings at the time of the match.
UM, SWINSON RECORD FOURTH SHUTOUT OVER UCF: UM recorded its fourth shutout of the season, 4-0, over visiting Central Florida. Nina Wathne, last year’s No. 2 scorer, scored her first points of the season with the eventual game winning goal in the 10th minute. Allison McWhinney had the game winning assist. In her Hurricane debut as a starter, Elizabeth Swinson recorded six saves in goals while the UM defense allowed UCF nine shots.
UM MATCH WITH FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL RESCHEDULED DUE TO HURRICANE FLOYD THREAT: Miami’s Sept. 14 scheduled match with cross-town Florida International was postponed till Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. due to the threat of Hurricane Floyd to the South Florida coast.
MIAMI, SANCHEZ SCORE GOALS AGAINST FLORIDA ATLANTIC: The Hurricanes tallied a new school-record six goals against Florida Atlantic, all in the first half. Of those six goals, sophomore forward Jenny Sanchez scored a record four goals. In the game Sanchez recorded another team-best nine points.
HURRICANES SHUT OUT MAINE 2-0, SPLIT MATCHES AT BLACK BEAR INVITATIONAL: The Hurricanes won their third consecutive match to start the season with a 2-0 shut out of Maine in the first match of the Black Bear Invitational in Orono. UM outshot the Black Bears 26-13, including goals from Jordan Sims and Allison McWhinney. Sims, a transfer from FSU, scored her first collegiate goal off an assist from Florida transfer Alexis MacKenzie. Goalkeeper Rachel Elsby recorded three saves in the win. In the second game, UM fell to New Hampshire, 2-1. The goals were the first given up by UM on the season. McWhinney scored UM’s lone goal.
UM, ELSBY RECORD SHUTOUT NO. 2 AGAINST LONG ISLAND: The Hurricane defense was in full force against Long Island, as the UM “D” held LIU without a shot the entire first half en route to a 2-0 win. Miami, which scored both of its goals in the first half, outshot the Blackbirds 6-0 in the first half and 14-7 for the game. Rachel Elsby recorded three saves in the game.
UM KEEPS EDGE IN ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST FLORIDA STATE: Miami defeated Florida State, 3-0, to open the season on Aug. 29. It marked the Hurricanes second win over the Seminoles in as many seasons, moving the short-lived team’s all-time mark to 2-0 against FSU. UM defeated FSU, 4-2, at Gulliver Prep in its inaugural 1998 season.
SIMS ENJOYS RETURN TO TALLAHASSEE: Sophomore midfielder Jordan Sims played her first season at Florida State, appearing in eight games. As a starter for the Hurricanes in 1999, Sims had the game winning assist against the Seminoles in UM’s season opening, 3-0, win in Tallahassee on Aug. 29.
ELSBY SHUTS OUT SEMINOLES IN 3-0 WIN: Goalkeeper Rachel Elsby recorded 10 saves in the Hurricanes 3-0 win over FSU, while also defending the Seminoles 23 overall shots on goal. The 10 saves tied her career-best, from last season’s win at Jacksonville.
UM PICKED FOURTH IN THE BIG EAST NORTHEAST DIVISION: In its first season of competition in the BIG EAST, the Hurricanes were picked to finish fourth in the Northeast Division behind Connecticut, Syracuse and Boston College. UConn and Syracuse both qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament. Miami was picked ahead of St. John’s and Providence. Notre Dame was picked to win the BIG EAST’s Mid-Atlantic division.
HURRICANES SECOND-YEAR ROSTER BOASTS 13 NEW FACES: Of the 24 rostered players on the Miami women’s soccer roster, just 11 remain from the 1998 Inaugural squad. Thirteen newcomers grace the UM roster in ’99, including four sophomore transfers. In addition, inaugural squad member Jana Escribano will be making her collegiate debut in ’99 after redshirting last season with an ankle injury.
HURRICANES RETURN MAJORITY OF 1998 OFFENSE: Despite returning 10 players who saw action in the Hurricanes inaugural 1998 season, UM returns the majority of its offensive production. The players returning were responsible for 84 percent of last season’s offense (104 of 124 overall points). Those same players were also responsible for 86 percent of the goals scored (36 of 42) and 80 percent of the assists made (32 of 40).
