Spring soccer ends on high note

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior forward Megan Canaday goes up for a header while fighting off an NAU defender. The Wildcats finished their spring exhibition season with four wins and two losses.

"We had a pretty successful weekend," UA assistant coach Bruce Caris said. "It was great to see the kids do things in the games that we have worked on all spring."

The Wildcats (fall season 3-12-2 overall, 0-7-2 Pacific 10 Conference) finished the spring season with four wins and two losses, successfully achieving a team goal set prior to spring play, freshman forward Kim McGehee said.

"We set many goals over spring," she said, "and we have definitely achieved the goals. One of our focuses was to win the majority of our games, which we did."

The Wildcats defeated Ft. Lewis 3-1 Saturday and the New Mexico women's team 2-1 Sunday afternoon, with a 1-0 loss Sunday morning to Colorado College.

Freshman forward Kristi Lorona scored the first two NCAA goals of her Wildcat collegiate career in the game against Ft. Lewis.

"It was a great feeling to score," she said. "It was kind of a relief. I played harder, but my teammates helped a lot, they gave me perfect passes.

"They set me up and I created chances."

Lorona's goals were off assists by McGehee and sophomore midfielder Kendra Gefvert. Freshman Marisa Padula captured the third goal for the team.

In the second game, UA was shut out by Colorado College.

"It was a good match," he said. "But we just didn't get the ball in the net."

Sophomore midfielder Brooke McManus used her head to make sure that wasn't a problem in the final game of the weekend, connecting her forehead with McGehee's throw-in to knock the ball into the back of the net for the Wildcats' first goal against the New Mexico women's team.

"Kim has a tremendous throw-in," Caris said. "She can throw it across the field."

McGehee also contributed to freshman midfielder Twila Kaufman's goal late in the game that broke the 1-1 tie to give the Wildcats the win.

The New Mexico women's team was a select group of collegiate and ex-collegiate players, Caris said.

"We've gotten a lot better," McGehee said comparing the team's fall and spring play. "We've learned to work together.

"With the forwards, we're not individual forwards anymore, but more together and a lot more aggressive. We're just all working together and now our offense is a lot more effective."

After practicing five times a week, with two practices a day on some occasions, the team will take a brief break - two days, Caris said - now that spring play is officially over.

The Wildcats will have a chance to focus on studies before the summer program is handed out at the end of the month, with no official playing practice scheduled, but conditioning two times a week and lifting three times a week.

"It's been like night and day," McGehee said of the team's change from the fall. "We're just working and training so much harder now."

Kate Longworth can be reached at Kate.Longworth@wildcat.arizona.edu.