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Playing by Heart

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat UA's junior goalie Inger Airheart makes a save during practice last week. Airheart is the only Wildcat to make the All Pac-10 first team, and against UTEP on Sept. 23 she broke the school record for minutes played.

As junior goalkeeper Inger Airheart continues to break UA soccer records, her focus and determination lay dedicated to the success of the team. Airheart, who is the only UA soccer player ever to be named to the All-Pacific 10 Conference first team, passed ex-Wildcat Jen Weibel for most minutes played in a career during the game against UTEP on Sept. 23.

"It is a reflection of the type of person she is for the team," said head coach Lisa Fraser. "Inger is a really good leader, she leads by both vocally and by example."

Airheart's leadership has translated into success for both her and the teammates. She remains fiercely loyal to improving the program and leading it in the right direction.

"We are completely going in the right direction," Airheart said. "We have got good personnel, good players, and everything that can lead us and continue to succeed, especially since we are so young,. We have stepped up our play, we have played top-15 teams strongly, we are doing so much better."

Airheart says that this year's team reminds her of the 1997 UA team she played on as a freshman.

The 1997 team was the most successful in program history garnering an 8-11-1 overall record. Airheart set the school records in fewest goals allowed (31), lowest goal against average (1.50) and most solo shutouts in a season (six) that year.

"There is a lot more leadership on the team than last year, and people are taking to their roles more this year," Airheart said. "A lot of people lived with their roles my freshman year as well, and just did what was best for the team. I think we are getting back to that."

With sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Monti pushing her for time, Airheart has found a new role of sharing playing time.

Downplaying any notion of a rivalry, Airheart tends to focus on the team.

"We do whatever is best for the team, it is no big deal to either of us," she said. "I don't think we care at all. Whatever is best that day is what we should go with."

Monti also displaces the idea of any friction between the two.

"We get along, and we are definitely friends."

With the season in full swing and Pac-10 play starting this week, Airheart is looking for the Wildcats to keep up the strong play on both the offensive and defensive ends.

"Our defense is doing really well this year, we are kind of mixing it around with players and everything, but everyone is adjusting to it well," Airheart said. "They play hard, physical games against some very, very good opponents."

Offensively, Airheart has been impressed by how well the scoring this year has been spread out throughout the team, as well as the pace the games have taken so far this season.

As the season progresses, Airheart is looking to keep up her consistent play for the Wildcats.

"It's really been important to me to try and keep my game up the best I can," Airheart said. "I know I have to improve still, but it's really important to me to try and play consistent all four years and hopefully I can do that."

She is also looking for the team to improve its play as Pac-10 play begins.

"For us to play a hard, consistent game for a full 90 minutes should be our goal this season," Airheart said. "We need to come out as hard as we can at the whistle and just give everything that we have until the final whistle is blown. If we do that each game, then we will surprise a lot of people in the Pac-10 this year."

Her consistent play was apparent over the weekend as she recorded her first shutout of the season against Pepperdine and held Wyoming to only one goal, and the Wildcats came away with two important victories.

Airheart's numbers this year are even more impressive as she leads the team with a 1.76 goals against average and has recorded 31 saves so far.

"She is a solid goalkeeper; she is really reliable and never lets the ball get away from her," said junior forward Chrissy Sanford.

As far as team aspirations, Airheart has only one goal.

"My number one goal is to get to the (NCAA) tournament, period," she said. "That is just the biggest thing that I want because that just spells success for our team, and individually. There aren't many individual goals that I have, as long as our team does the best we can do, that's all I am worried about."