By: Thea Rosengarten, sports information assistant
August 7, 2008

Sixth year head coach Steve Smucker anticipates a successful campaign for the women's soccer team this fall. With a deep and talented incoming freshman class, the Beavers are ready to regroup, push the limits and surprise the competition with their improved performance on the field.

Last season the Beavers went 5-10-1 overall and 2-6 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference; however, Bluffton was on the verge of a winning season as four of the losses were decided by one score. The Beavers' defense limited opponents to an all-time low 34 goals in 2007.  "Starting from day one, the ladies must get rid of the losing mentality, and when we are ahead by one we must keep, lead and seal the game," said Smucker. "The key to improvement on the field for the 2008 season is consistency-to play and complete 90 full minutes of soccer." Bluffton will need to fill the shoes of Eva Voth and Jessie Good who anchored Bluffton's defense which limited opponents to an average of just two goals per contest.

The philosophy that the Beavers will subscribe to in 2008 is one that places great emphasis on both academics and athletics. Both areas require hard work, determination and commitment. Bluffton will be counting on senior captains Elyse Burckhart (Telford, PA/Souderton), Amy Dahl (Perrysville/Loudonville) and Allison White (Lima/Shawnee) for leadership both on and off the field this season. Also back on the pitch for the Beavers are the two top scorers from a year ago. Junior Meghan Forquer (North Canton/Green) and sophomore Nicole Frey (Wauseon/Wauseon) combined for 10 goals and three assists in 2007. With 13 newcomers and many positions open, there will likely be several freshmen with the opportunity to step up, see playing time and make an impact on the team from day one.

New to the schedule this year are non-conference tilts with Oberlin and Pikeville and at Thiel. This season the Beavers will host conference rivals Franklin and Manchester as well as HCAC heavyweights Rose-Hulman and Tranyslvania. They will travel to Mount St. Joseph, Anderson, Hanover and Defiance. Although the Heartland will again be a competitive conference, the Beavers are working hard to prove that they can move into the upper echelon with a berth in the post-season tournament in 2008. "I am very excited about the season, we have a lot of potential and we plan to surprise people," concluded Smucker.

-BEAVERS-