Speed puts UCI on the fast track

Barry Faulkner

For the first time in his 10 seasons as UC Irvine women’s soccer

coach, Marine Cano’s Anteaters have an abundance of something he

can’t teach.

With unprecedented funding, that translated into the most

scholarship dollars the program has ever been afforded, Cano and his

staff accomplished something he suspects few opponents will be able

to this fall: reel in a collection of speed that Cano believes can

help the ‘Eaters shift upward in the Big West Conference standings.

“This is our best recruiting class since 1995,” said Cano, whose

squad opened its season Friday with a 1-0 overtime loss to

Pepperdine. “This was the first time we went out recruiting, when we

didn’t have to play ‘Let’s Make a Deal.’ ”

The talented newcomers, combined with some solid veterans, give

Cano great optimism that the Anteaters can improve upon the

fourth-place finish projected for them by Big West coaches.

“We were picked fourth, which I like,” Cano said of the preseason

conference coaches’ poll that ranked UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly San

Luis Obispo and Cal State Fullerton Nos. 1-3, respectively. “But I

don’t think anyone really knows about us.”

Cano knows he needs to improve his offense from last year’s 8-10-1

season, though he hardly neglected the defense.

“We brought in a lot of attacking players and I think we

solidified our goalkeeping with two excellent freshmen,” Cano said.

“Our goalkeeping is the strongest it has been in my 10 years here and

we’ve had some pretty good goalies. We’re loaded. We’ve never had

three players [junior returner Chelsea McCarthy, as well as freshmen

Marissa Welliver and Katie Lorier] of this caliber at the same time.

McCarthy missed the initial start Friday due to a sore shoulder,

but she will be counted upon heavily this season, Last year, she made

59 saves in 14 games and posted three shutouts with a 1.38

goals-against average.

Cano said Welliver, an Aliso Niguel High product, was the best

prep goalkeeper on the West Coast last year, then matched McCarthy’s

“phenomenal” preseason.

Speed up front has been added in the person of freshmen forwards

Lauryn Birkenshaw (Aliso Niguel High) and Britney Webster (Capistrano

Valley High), about whom Cano could hardly contain his excitement.

“We really wanted Britney, because she is big, strong and fast,”

Cano said. “Birkenshaw [who sat out last year while attending Irvine

Valley Community College to bolster her academics] is the fastest on

our team and she gives us something we’ve never had at a right wing

spot. She has the speed to get behind good defenses and to score

goals.

“You need speed to win at this level and we’ve got speed. We’ve

always been able to be fit, but, now, we have fitness and speed.

We’re going to be able to use an all-out attacking style.”

Potential finishers also include senior Hayley McNallen (six goals

and three assists last season, the former tops among returners) and

sophomore Kim Lloyd (three goals last fall).

“We need 10 to 15 goals out of Hayley this year,” Cano said.

The midfield, which Cano terms “not up to snuff yet,” features

junior Lachelle Manzano, whom Cano said was still two weeks away from

a major role after recovering from ACL surgery. Sophomore Joanna

Irwin, as well as freshmen Jodi Borba and Dayna Knowles are also

expected contributors in the midfield.

Cano has confidence in his back line, anchored by senior captain

Caroline Kabe. Kabe had four goals and four assists, best among

returners, last season and her experience on the field should prove

invaluable, according to her coach. Junior Allison Spencer joins Kabe

as the starting center backs and Cano said Spencer’s ability to win

balls in the air is exceptional.

“Then, I think I have the two best backs anywhere,” Cano said of

juniors Tara Weldon and Julie Scheppele. “They are fast and strong

and, I believe, can put a stop to attacking wingers.”

Cano expects a balanced Big West field, but his big push is to

finish in the top four, which would put the Anteaters into the

four-team postseason conference tournament. The tournament, the Big

West’s first since 1997, will determine which school gets the

conference’s lone automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

“We haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1997, when we won

the conference tournament,” Cano said.