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Soccer team headed in a new direction

Klein, 12 recruits to reshape team

After a season in which the UA soccer team again failed to reach a .500 overall record, the team is taking a new direction with head coach Cathy Klein, formerly of Iowa State.

Klein succeed Lisa Fraser, who resigned in late November, amid rumors of a petition by the players asking for her to step down.

Taking over a team that had been fractured with the departure of Fraser and had only been 7-10-2 overall and 1-7-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference last season, Klein immediately set out to improve the team's chemistry and work ethic.

"Chemistry affects everything that you do, how you practice, how long you practice, what your sacrifices are on and off the field, it just affects every single thing that you do," Klein said. "So everything that we will always do here will focus first on chemistry, second on work ethic."

So far, Klein's tactics have been successful as the Wildcats were 5-0-2 in exhibition games this spring, including a victory against Southern Methodist, who was ranked No. 19 last season, and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Penn State.

"It was a very positive note, not positive because of the win but positive because we won as a team," sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Monti said.

The win against SMU was the first time in the program's six-year history that UA has defeated a nationally ranked opponent.

Despite their winning record this spring, Arizona has had a tough time with injuries, as 10 of the 17 players on the spring roster were hurt during the final three weeks of spring practice. Seven of the 10 players had had injuries prior to the beginning of spring practice, though, and were not able to participate.

"If you look at it on the surface, it looks like a profuse amount of injuries under our staff's direction, but if you break it down, it is three, which is a normal spring," Klein said.

The Wildcats were also without last season's leading scorer, junior Chrissy Sanford.

Sanford, who led the team in goals (11), assists (5) and total points (27), was dismissed from the team this spring for violation of team policy.

Without Sanford driving the offense, the Wildcats will focus less on individual play and more on a team concept for both offense and defense.

"All of us have just stepped up and played and not worried about the other stuff," Monti said.

Arizona is also relying heavily upon Monti, who will be the team's starting goalie next spring. Monti was named the team's No. 1 goalkeeper after junior Inger Airheart was sidelined with an injury.

"Shannon has been our only goalkeeper all spring, has taken 100 percent of conditioning work, the practice repetitions," Klein said. "From a goalkeeper's perspective, that is a very, very challenging idea, and she has pushed right through it."

Monti, along with junior midfielder Twila Kaufman and sophomore midfielder Erin Nelson, has also stepped up to become a vocal leader of the team.

"Usually, they were real quiet in the past, and this year, they have become real positive vocal leaders," assistant coach Andre Luciano said. "The major difference between this spring and last fall has been the kids' ability to deal with adversity and to fight through adversity."

Experience and leadership will be very important in the upcoming season, as Klein and her staff will bring in 12 new players this fall - all freshmen.

Despite a late start, the Wildcats signed a solid class, which is highlighted by midfielder Jenn Meintel, who was the Arizona 4A State Player of the Year.

Klein expects Meintel, forward Sierra Cristiano, defender Sarah Banks, forward Liz Bartlett and defender Samantha Bartlett to all see significant playing time.

"I think the kids that we are gonna place and recruit and play in this program are kids that contribute on and off the field," Klein said. "What we talked about a lot is having character and integrity in everything that you do, and that you earn everything that you get here and what that is, is your underlying philosophy."

Chris Martin can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.