Canada trip was big boost

Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team begins official practice for the upcoming season today.

But the Otahkians got quite a head start on the campaign with their recent 11-day tour of Canada that saw them play five games in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. Seventeen returning players faced teams of the Canada West Conference, a semi-pro team from the W League and under-19 national teams.

"We had a great trip. It was an awesome experience for the girls," said Southeast coach Heather Nelson, whose squad returned from Canada Saturday.

The NCAA allows teams to leave the country for summer exhibition tours once every four years. Nelson said the Otahkians started raising money for their excursion two years ago -- the entire trip was funded through private donations -- and Nelson being a native of Canada made that location a logical choice.

"I lived in both Vancouver and Victoria, so it was easy for me to make contacts, and there was also a comfort zone as far as travel," she said. "But the main thing, there is some excellent soccer played there and I knew this would really help us get ready for the season."

Strong in defeat

Nelson said the Otahkians actually had one of their best performances during the trip in a loss as they fell to the Australian under-19 national team 3-1 in their opening game, on Aug. 8.

"That was the best team we played and, even though we lost, we actually performed well," Nelson said. "And I'll be talking to five players off that team who have an interest in our program. That was another reason I wanted to take the trip, to maybe gain some recruiting contacts."

Southeast's other loss was to the Gorge Soccer Association 2-1. Wins were by default over the Burnaby Canadians after they were unable to field an entire team; 2-1 over the University of Victoria; and 3-0 over the University of British Columbia.

"Overall, for this early in the season, we played well," Nelson said. "I'm excited."

Nelson was particularly excited to see the three Otahkians coming off serious knee injuries look fit and play well. Redshirt freshman Lisa Schweppe led the Otahkians with three goals in Canada. Sophomores Jennifer Unrein and Jen Cross also performed well, Nelson said.

"It was great for those three especially, after their injuries, to be able to come back and play like that," Nelson said.

Junior Valerie Henderson added two goals in Canada while sophomores Diana Poovey and Michelle Frossard both had one goal and one assist.

Goalkeeper Beth Guccione was strong in the nets, but that won't do the Otahkians any good this season. Guccione has completed her eligibility but played with the team in Canada, as did Nichole Thiele. They were the only seniors on last year's 16-2 Southeast squad that won its first Ohio Valley Conference championship.Goalie position open

Nelson said goalie is one of the few positions totally wide open as practice begins. The candidates are sophomore Amanda Wrzos, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, and freshman Lauren Fabbro. As incoming players, they were prohibited by NCAA regulations from making the Canada trip.

"That's the one spot we'll really be looking at," Nelson said. "It's completely up for grabs."

The Otahkians open the season Aug. 30, hosting Indiana in the first round of the Southeast Labor Day Tournament.

There is also a good chance Southeast will play the powerful Busch Soccer Club from St. Louis in an exhibition game Saturday at 7 p.m. at Houck Stadium, although final details are still being worked out.