THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509030190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Old Dominion field hockey coach Beth Anders won't cast any leading roles in the Monarchs' upcoming production.
Instead, each player will have Academy Award-winning supporting roles played straight ``From the Heart'' - ODU's motto for the 1995 season.
``I think all the girls are willing to play their roles,'' Anders said. ``They went through nine days of preseason, practicing three times a day without complaint. They worked hard.''
Directing the Monarchs' cast, which won a fourth straight Colonial Athletic Association title last year, are tri-captains Kim Decker, a second team All-American senior goalie who posted 10 shutouts and a .665 goals against average, senior back Dani Derr, and senior midfielder Sam Salvia (6 goals, 4 assists).
Decker says that despite the loss of five key players, ODU should maintain its winning tradition.
``We have a standard here,'' Decker said. ``And we always will have that standard. We have our own expectations to live up to.
``We have a great freshman class, good experience and great attitudes. We've worked hard in the preseason. We're ready. We're not looking back in the past.''
A past that includes seven national titles and 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. A past that ended on a low note when ODU bowed to Iowa in the second round of the NCAA tournament and failed, for the second consecutive season, to make the Final Four.
``In anything, you have to learn from experience,'' Anders said. ``You can't be at the mercy of your emotions. You don't ever forget moments like that. But you've got to take the positive and hopefully it gave them enough tools to cope with the next situation.''
Now, the Monarchs are facing a No. 3 ranking by College Sports magazine with 12 freshmen.
``We're going to judge ourselves on ourselves, not what somebody else thinks,'' Anders said. ``I can't remember - and I know nobody's going to believe this - when I thought we were going to win a game without a problem.
``I think our goal is to take every game and practice as seriously as we can. Our goal is to get to the finals of the CAA and we definitley want to get back to the Final Four. That's in the back of our heads. But it's a process. And we have to be true to that process or we're not going to get anywhere.''
ODU will host Penn State, ranked No. 4 in College Sports Magazine's preseason top 10, in its season opener Monday at 1 p.m.
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN: Coming off their best season since the inception of the program, the Marlins plan to carry the momentum left over from last year's 7-4 finish to the 1995 season with a cast of veterans and an influx of new talent.
``We're looking strong,'' said Virginia Wesleyan head coach Terri Sawyer, back for her third season. ``This is the largest group I've had. They're all players and they have experience. We're already a step up from last season.''
Topping the list of returnees is first team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference pick and South Region All-American Monica Saltarelli. The junior forward led the Marlins with 12 goals and an assist en route to Virginia Wesleyan's 5-3 fourth place ODAC finish. Joining Saltarelli on the front line are junior Beth Tarver (3 goals, 3 assists) and sophomore Jen Thilbeault. Bobbi Losee, a second team All-ODAC goalie who posted four shutouts and notched 222 saves, will bolster the defense. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Tri-captain Kim Decker returns at goalie for the Monarchs after she
was second team All-American last season.
by CNB