Published: October 21, 2007 11:17 pm            

Seniors help lead Rose women's soccer to 12-game win streak

Engineers ready to contend for HCAC crown

TERRE HAUTE — One of the quick facts listed in this year’s Rose-Hulman women’s soccer media guide indicates this successful program has had three five-match winning streaks over the past five seasons.

Well, that particular quick fact will need to be edited for next season’s edition. This season’s team has shattered that mark, currently sailing along with an 12-match win streak.

Better yet, they control their own destiny to be host team for a semifinal (Oct. 31) and championship game (Nov. 3) in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

With success in the HCAC tournament comes a slot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history.

“Definitely … we like playing on our own field,” admitted senior Sarah Graber of wanting to play at home in the HCAC tournament. “We knew before the season we had the talent to be successful. But still [the 12-match win streak] is a nice surprise.”

“It’s pretty amazing having all our different personalities working together and sharing the same goals,” adds senior Rachel Miller.

Coach Brad Hauter is in his seventh season directing the Engineers. After going 8-10 in his first season — the third since the program began in 1999 — his Rose women are 60-26-6 over the past five seasons. This season is the school’s best record yet, 16-2 overall with a perfect 6-0 in the HCAC.

“I attribute our success to the maturity of the team through our core of six seniors,” said Hauter.

“Each year they have gotten progressively better, individually and collectively. We’re trying to position ourselves to be the host team … we’re really clicking right now.”

Why so much success?

The team can score, scoring more than twice as many goals as their nearest competitor in the HCAC for the regular season. Their scoring is not as prolific in HCAC play, but have outpointed opponents 17-1 — including a 1-0 overtime win at home vs. Mount St. Joseph and a 3-1 victory at Transylvania. Those two wins proved the preseason prognosticators wrong as they came against the two teams picked to finish ahead of the “third-place” Engineers.

The team can hold down their opponents. The Engineers have allowed just 13 goals in 18 matches this season, only the aforementioned one goal in six league matches.

The team has depth. Five players have scored at least five goals this season.

“We have a good group of girls,” Graber added. “If you look at our stats, everything is distributed evenly. Our depth is strong. We can sub people off and we don’t lose anything on the field.”

The team also has a good blend of youth and experience, with six seniors and 11 freshmen on their 21-player roster.

Who are the key players?

• Julie Roebel — is a senior from Ohio, ranked second in career goals (48) and points (111). She is second on the team this year with 14 goals and third in points with 29.

n Sarah Graber — is a senior from Texas, ranked third in career goals (39) and points (92). She is third on the team this year in goals (9), second in assists (6) and fourth in points (24).

• Jennifer Gordon — is a senior from Zionsville. With a team-leading 19 assists this year, she owns the career assist record (42) after beginning the season tied for first at 23.

• Rachel Miller — is a senior from Texas. She played just eight games last year due to injury, but was ranked second in career goals against average (0.84). Playing all 18 matches this season, she has dropped that GAA to 0.60 overall (under 0.20 in the HCAC).

Miller credits her defense for a lot of her success, noting the play of first-year sweeper in senior Megan McGaffigan.

• Liz Ridgway — is a junior from Michigan via a transfer from Northwestern. She led the Engineers in goals (11) and points (28) last year. She has only had two goals and four assists this season, due to the emergence of a pair of high-scoring freshmen.

• Molly Richardson — is a freshman from Florida. All she’s done is lead Rose this season in goals (15) and points (35). Caroline Bundrick, another freshman hailing from Virginia, has racked up five goals this season.

Rose began this season winning its first three games, then hit a bit of a snag by dropping two straight at Wittenberg and Earlham early in September.

“We had a couple of freshman players learning their role and adjusting to the college game, our system and new teammates,” Hauter noted. “It takes time. We stubbed our toe a little bit. Sometimes you need these kind of things to happen to learn.”

Rose finishes the season with a it’s final home game against Franklin on Tuesday. Their final game is at Hanover on Saturday. With those two wins, they would assure themselves of being top seed with home-field advantage throughout the HCAC tournament.

“It’s a credit to these seniors to grind it our for four years, not only the soccer but academically as well,” Hauter said. “It’s has been an absolute joy to coach these girls. Yet it’s kind of bittersweet too … knowing we are so close to the end of our time working together.”

        

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