By
Audrey DeAnda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The UA soccer team is riddled with injuries after a weekend in which the team earned its first victory of the season and tied Evansville during a road trip in New Mexico.
Head coach Cathy Klein said just as the team seems to be healing, new injuries occur.
"(Inger) Airheart is out this weekend and Cassidy (Guinn) is doubtful," she said.
Airheart, a senior goalkeeper, will miss the weekend matches against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount after aggravating a previous shoulder injury in last Thursday's game against New Mexico.
The game versus the Lobos marked Airheart's season debut in net.
Junior Shannon Monti had been the Wildcats' main goalkeeper, starting in every game prior to the victory against UNM.
During halftime against the Lobos, UA head coach Cathy Klein decided to put in the senior because she had a "hunch" that the team needed a senior's presence in front of the net.
Airheart played almost all of the second half and 11 minutes into overtime before she was kicked in the shoulder, aggravating a previous injury.
She is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.
It is doubtful that Guinn will play this weekend after bruising her knee last weekend running into the goal post versus Utah.
Freshman midfielder Sierra Cristiano has recovered from a strained groin muscle that she pulled during last weekend's game against New Mexico.
"Cristiano has healed and is playing nicely," Klein said.
Since the beginning of the season, Klein has stressed to the team that the players need to develop a "warrior" mentality.
"It's a 'no-matter-what' attitude, day in and day out,'" Klein said.
Liz Bartlett, Kristi Lorona and Cristiano are very close to developing that mentality, according to the first-year head coach.
"They're not quite there, but I'm happy that they're moving towards that end," Klein said. "It's improving step by step, little by little."
Trying to shake a losing mentality, Klein has challenged her players to develop as "warriors" in 2000.
Before taking over the helm at Arizona, Klein was the head coach at both Creighton and Iowa State.
While in college, the Canadian-born Klein was a two-time All-American.
With six of the 10 Pacific 10 Conference teams ranked nationally, Klein recognized that the upcoming games are going to be a challenge.
Arizona State and California are each undefeated.
"They're all excellent," Klein said. "The Pac is tearing it up."
Klein, who is still trying to increase her team's intensity despite a slow start, is optimistic that the 1-4-1 Wildcats can compete with some of the conference's top teams.
"We're getting better, but the question is - are we getting better fast enough?" Klein said, "I think we clearly have the talent that's required (but) just not necessarily the winning attitude under pressure."
Klein tried to help the Wildcats develop coolness under pressure by running her players through new drills during this week's practices.
"We're pressure training them," Klein said. "We're giving them scenarios and making them solve them on their own."
Senior forward Keri Kennedy-Weber said the week of practice preparing for the upcoming games against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount have been very intense.
"She's asking everything from us, and if someone's not willing to give that to her, then don't step on the field," Kennedy-Weber said. "I think everyone has stepped it up and is giving her what she's asking."
