Oct. 16, 2001
by Baylor Athletic Media Relations student assistant Justin Cange
Upon first look at Baylor?s 2001 roster, one thing sticks out. Actually 13 do -- as in the number of freshman on the 30-woman roster.
To say the 2001 Bears are a young team is more than an understatement. Along with the 13 freshman are 12 sophomores, meaning that more than 80 percent of this year?s team is playing with no more than one season of experience.
Still, freshman starters Ginny Rosario-Tull, Kristin Ruef and April Robertson have provided the majority of the offense thus far this season.
The three have accounted for 10 of the team's 18 goals while still adjusting to the different aspects of soccer at the college level.
"It's definitely a much faster game," Rosario-Tull said. "We?re learning to play a more physical game at this level. A much more physical game."
Rosario-Tull has made the adjustment into a faster game well. The forward from Mansfield, Texas is second on the team in goals scored and total points. Her two goals against Oklahoma State helped the Bears snap a four-game skid and gave them their first conference victory of the season.
Leading the team with five goals is Robertson, a forward from Round Rock, Texas. Robertson scored in four straight games earlier this season and has been a critical element to the young offense. She, like Rosario-Tull, admits that play has become more physical.
"I feel like our game is still developing," Robertson said. "We?re learning how to take the hits as well as give them back."
Baylor quickly learned that their Big 12 opponents would continue the trend of physical play when they opened their conference schedule against teams like Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M.
"We played three of the top teams in the conference right off the bat, and we felt confident about winning," Ruef said. "We need to get wins under our belt and be ready for when we'll play those teams again in the [Big 12] tournament."
Ruef, a forward from Plano, has been at the center of the Baylor attack, seeing action in each of the Bears' first 11 games.
All three freshman agree that the team's co-captains and only seniors have helped them adjust and feel a part of the team.
"Alyson (Miles) and Rachel (Kacsmaryk) are totally encouraging. They're also proud of what we?ve done," Rosario-Tull said.
The team has gotten the opportunity to gel on weekend road trips, like when the Bears traveled to California to play Loyola Marymount and San Diego.
"Our captains are role models for us and for the rest of the team," Ruef said. "We're very appreciative of them."
With all the experience that the girls are getting in their first season with the team, the expectations will no doubt remain high throughout their career at Baylor.
When asked about their long-term goals while playing for the Bears, each agreed that they would like to develop as players and become leaders. As a team goal, they figure they?ll have four years to get Baylor back to the top of the Big 12 and keep them there.
