‘Eaters seek third dimension

Soccer enthusiasts know it as the 18-yard box. But UC Irvine women’s coach Scott Juniper has taken to calling it the final third — as in the final frontier.

Let Juniper, whose third season at the Anteaters’ helm begins tonight at host Arizona State, explain:

“In 2007, our focus was to make sure that we defended properly first,” Juniper said. “We had 10 shutouts in 21 games [outscoring foes, 29-16, and posting an 11-7-2 record].

“We wanted to push on in 2008 and we improved our ability to possess the ball in all thirds of the field [though they managed only 16 goals, six fewer than their opponents, en route to an 8-9-2 record, 2-4-2 in the Big West Conference].

“Now, I think the team is evolving to where that focus can be that final third and how we perform there.”

UCI, picked in the coaches preseason poll to finish seventh in the nine-team Big West, does have four of its top five scorers back, including senior Kate Berrini, who had a team-best four goals and 10 points (two points for a goal and one for an assist) in 2008.

Tanya Taylor, a junior forward, was second on the team with eight points, including two goals, and was a second-team all-conference honoree.

Juniors Milana Shabestari (six points) and Alyssa Humphrey (five points) are also back, but Shabestari may miss the first two weeks due to a minor injury and Humphrey is being pushed up front by members of a talented and promising freshman class.

“We’ve added several players who are going to help us at that end of the field,” said Juniper, who lists Dana Sanderlin and Mar Rodriguez as potential scoring threats on the front line.

Juniper also touted midfielders Devon Delarosa and Jackie Samis, as well as defender Sydney Dougherty as freshmen who might make a difference.

“Every single one of the [eight] freshmen are going to compete for playing time, without exception,” Juniper said. “They play without fear and without expectation and we’re going to try to take as much advantage of that as we can.”

Coming off a season in which the ’Eaters underachieved, according to Juniper, there are few expectations for 2009, outside of the UCI locker room.

But Juniper believes the pieces are in place to surprise anyone who disbelieves.

“We’ve got to be a team. We’ve got the talent in the program now and I think we’ve got the experience. If we can pull together and be the best team we can be, we think we cam be competing at the top of the Big West Conference,” Juniper said.

With the departure of former seniors Kat Lemieux and Rachel Flemming, as well as Shea Roberts, who transferred to Sacramento State after being one of three ’Eaters to start all 19 games last season, UCI will be rebuilding its four-member back line.

So, Berrini, Juniper said, may be shifted to defender, in order to help fill that void.

Danielle de Seriere, who posted nine shutouts as a freshman in 2007 and added three shutouts in nine starts last season, is the lone returner in the net.

Erica Quevedo, who had three shutouts in five starts last season, is no longer in the program.

Berrini, de Seriere and Humphrey share captain duties, while junior defender Nikki Forrest and sophomore forward Carly Crowder are additional returners expected to play large roles.

Juniper said Taylor is a superstar waiting to be recognized.

“She is, arguably, one of the two or three most dangerous players in the conference,” Juniper said. “She’s explosive and her pace is incredible, with or without the ball. No one has figured out how to defender her consistently.”

Also among the newcomers are assistant coaches Heather Hathorn and Peter Boyer, both of whom Juniper has praised.