By
Audrey DeAnda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Injury to Guinn forces Klein to make changes
Injuries caused UA head coach Cathy Klein to make some defensive adjustments during last weekend's matches.
Freshman forward Liz Bartlett was moved to defender in last weekend's matches against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount to replace junior Cassidy Guinn, who was sidelined with a bruised knee.
The position change gave Bartlett a chance to shine.
"Her game against LMU was her finest game as a collegiate player - she was relentless and she was tough," Klein said.
Though Bartlett played well in the defender position, Klein said the freshman will likely be moved back to forward for this weekend's tournament.
"I felt we suffered offensively because we had her in the back," Klein said.
Bartlett said that she's just trying to find her position on the team.
"The first couple of games were a little rocky for me because it was a whole different atmosphere than I'm use to," Bartlett said. "I just wanted to play and do the best we possibly could and just turn it around."
Guinn and senior goalkeeper Inger Airheart - who has missed time with an injured shoulder - are both probable for this weekend's matches against Long Island and Northern Arizona.
Junior forward Kristi Lorona seemed to come alive on offense last weekend, scoring three of the four Wildcat goals during its two matches in Los Angeles.
Lorona ended a scoring drought on Friday when she nailed her first goal of the season against Pepperdine.
In Sunday's match against Loyola Marymount, the junior helped Arizona jump out to an early lead, scoring just 49 seconds into the game. Almost two minutes later, Lorona notched her third goal of the weekend and put the Wildcats up 2-0.
Lorona's goals were the only goals UA would score against LMU and weren't enough to secure a victory.
Following the matches, Klein was quick to laud the junior's offensive efforts over the weekend.
"Kristi has always been that talented, she has always been capable of scoring those goals," Klein said.
Lorona is glad she was finally able to be offensively effective.
"It felt great, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders," Lorona said. "I've been pressuring myself because I haven't been performing to my capabilities."
Lorona said she can't take all the credit for her offensive burst this weekend.
"My teammates around worked really hard, they gave me great balls to finish," Lorona said. "I didn't do anything on my own, they really helped me out."
The weekend matches against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount marked the two latest examples of Arizona coming up short after leading for the majority of the match.
In five of Arizona's eight games, the Wildcats have allowed opponents to come back within the final few minutes to tie or win the game.
In Friday's game, Pepperdine scored with less than seven minutes remaining in the match to edge past Arizona, 3-2.
The Wildcats led almost the entire game in Sunday's match against Loyola Marymount before LMU broke down the Wildcats' defense and scored two goals within about one minute of each other to tie the game and send the match into overtime.
The Lions would end up winning the match, 3-2, after LMU scored nine minutes into the second overtime.
Klein is at a loss to explain her team's inability to finish games.
"We are giving no excuses - there are no excuses," Klein said.
Earlier in the season, Arizona allowed Pittsburgh to tie up the game with 16 minutes, which set the Panthers up for an overtime win.
The weekend prior to UA's trip to Los Angeles, the Wildcats lost a 2-1 lead against the University of New Mexico in the 83rd minute of the game. Despite blowing the lead, Arizona went on to win 3-2 in overtime.
Lorona said that the team's record is hardly indicative of the improvements the Wildcats are making under Klein's tutelage.
"In four of the six games we lost, we were up on (the opponents) with 10 minutes to go," Lorona said. "Obviously, we're capable of competing with them, it's just a matter of sucking it up and mentality staying strong.
"Instead of thinking the last 10 minutes is time for our defense to defend - we need to think it's our time to score."
