New goalies face pressure of replacing a standout

Thirteen shutouts, a 0.44 goals-against average and Ohio Valley Conference player of the year -- just a few of the accomplishments Lauren Fabbro and Amanda Wrzos will have to compete with as they look to replace goalie Beth Guccione.

"I have some big shoes to fill with Guch," Fabbro said. "It's just an honor to be able to play as a freshman on a team like this."

Fabbro, a freshman out of Carmel, Ind., and Wrzos, a sophomore transfer from Eastern Michigan, both are entering their first year at Southeast and will be key figures when Southeast opens the season at home at 7 p.m. today against Indiana State.

Wrzos had 57 career shutouts at St. Viator High School in Hoffman Estates, Ill., including 19 her senior year. Fabbro led Carmel High to back-to-back state championships in 1999 and 2000.

After using only one goalkeeper all of last season, Nelson said this season the goalies will be competing in practice for playing time.

"If one starts playing well, it will be up to them lose the position," she said.

Helping smooth the transition for the goalies will be new goalkeeping coach Guccione, hired to the coaching staff over the summer.

Nelson said with Guccione on the staff the new goalies will have the chance to learn from one of the best goalies around.

"The benefit is that Beth is their coach, so they'll have a lot of confidence in what she is telling them," Nelson said.

The pair of goalkeepers will also benefit from having all four starting defenders back from a squad that led the nation in goals-against average.

When the Otahkians take the field tonight they will have last season's OVC Defender of the Year, senior Jenny Hamilton, anchoring the defense, along with sophomores Marla Gianino and Erin Slattery, two first-team all-OVC players, up front. Only the starting goalie will not have seen significant playing time last season.

Nelson said that she fully expects her team to compete for the OVC championship, and feels that this team has the chance to be even better than last year's team.

"What makes this team different is we have more depth, which will serve us very well," she said. "If a player is having an off-game we can turn to our bench with little or no change in ability."