By
Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Sabado, Bartlett out with injuries
Twila Kaufman is a warrior, as UA soccer coach Cathy Klein likes to put it.
After having her right knee and left thigh wrapped in ice after practice, Kaufman insisted that she was fine.
"Those aren't injuries," she said.
Kaufman is among a group of seven players that Klein calls her warriors - the players she leans on for leadership and outstanding play.
Junior goalkeeper Shannon Monti, junior midfielder Erin Nelson, senior defenders Kate Nighswander-Will and Ann Giallonardo, sophomore defender Naomi Chu, junior defender Cassidy Guinn and Kaufman make up the group of warriors.
"Those seven kids are the foundation from which we grow and they are relentless, brave and courageous," Klein said. "Now they need to perform under pressure and create the wins. But the other challenge, the simultaneous challenge, is to help the others learn what it is like to be the warrior mentality."
The quickest way to winning after opening the season with two losses at Tennessee and Vanderbilt will be to follow the path set by Klein.
"We know what we need to do now, we have a system, now we just need to get it done," Kaufman said.
The main challenge for the team is to acquire a winner's mentality - a job Klein must shoulder.
"We have to continue to evolve as a program, we have to evolve as a staff," she said. "I have to evolve as a leader and lead them down the right path, and right now we have to go back to the warrior type mentality."
After defeats at the hands of the Volunteers and the Commodores, Klein is still at a loss for the team's failings.
"I can't say, as (if) I even know, because I would have certainly thought that we would have split this weekend, Klein said. "Obviously we did not, we weren't even close."
One of the main reasons for the defeats was the lack of offense for the Wildcats, who were outshot 42-16 in the two games.
Junior forward Kristi Lorona led the team with five shots on goal while Kaufman scored the lone Arizona goal. Defensively, Monti was consistently faced with a barrage of shots during the two contests.
Neither Monti nor Klein minded the challenge - in fact, Klein said that Monti played like a warrior. .
"It is always fun," Monti said. "Something for me is that they always told me is that I am too nice, so for her to finally say that I am becoming more warrior-like ... it makes me want to be more or a warrior next time and it makes me more confident that I can be."
Despite the two defeats, the Wildcats remain a very talented team. The team's problems may stem from its inexperience and youth.
"I kind of perceived this group as a bunch of freshmen, a bunch of first-year transfer kind of thing," Klein said. "In my coaching career, I have never been so surprised as to what happened because in my heart, I really feel we are talented enough."
The injury bug has bitten the Wildcats once again - junior midfielder Tiffany Sabado and freshman midfielder Liz Bartlett sat out practice yesterday nursing injuries.
During the weekend, Sabado suffered an ankle injury and Bartlett was struck on the head during a contest. Both are doubtful for this weekend's games against Pittsburgh and Utah at Murphey Stadium.
"(Bartlett) has been our most outstanding freshman," Klein said. "(Bartlett and Sabado) are potentially warriors now that we are looking to someone else to develop."
Samantha Bartlett - Liz's twin - did return to practice Monday after missing significant time due to a bulging disc in her neck.
"It feels great. I'm excited. No ounce of pain, no nothing," she said.
