Sept. 2, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
at Houston (1-1) * Houston, Texas * Friday, Sept. 5 * 7 p.m.
vs. Utah (2-0) * Waco, Texas * Sunday, Sept. 7 * 7 p.m.
After a successful opening to the 2003 season at home last weekend, Baylor faces its first road test Friday as they head to Houston for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Cougars. The Bears then return home for a game against Utah at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Houston (1-1) split a pair of games in Waco last weekend at the Baylor Classic, defeating Eastern Washington 1-0 but dropping a 2-0 decision to North Texas. In contrast, Baylor beat EWU 2-0 and squeaked past North Texas 4-3 in overtime.
Like Baylor, Utah won its first two games of the season at home. The Utes beat Colgate 3-2 on Friday and topped No. 17 Michigan 4-1 on Sunday. Utah comes into the weekend receiving votes in the NSCAA/adidas poll and in SoccerBuzz.com's poll. The Utes face No. 6 Texas A&M Friday at 7:30 p.m. in College Station before heading to Waco.
Last Time Out
* FRIDAY: at Baylor 2, Eastern Washington 0
Baylor opened its 2003 season with a convincing 2-0 shutout over Eastern Washington in the 2003 Baylor Labor Day Classic Friday at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. The victory was the first win at Baylor for head coach George Van Linder.
Baylor won the game in the air - scoring both goals on head balls - and the Bear defense shut down the Eagles, allowing only two shots. Baylor struck first in the 15th minute when Ginny Rosario-Tull headed in a cross from Kandyce Farr, and doubled the lead with 30:46 left in the second when Brittani Zonker lifted a long ball to the top of the box and Tiffany Boshers jumped above the Eastern Washington (0-1) defenders to flick it past goalkeeper Tiera Como.
Senior goalkeeper Monica Housden posted the shutout for Baylor and was rarely tested, recording one save. Housden is 1-0 in the net on the young season. Baylor outshot EWU 21-2 on the night.
* SUNDAY: at Baylor 4, North Texas 3 (OT)
Bethany Vick scored a put-back goal in the fourth minute of overtime to give Baylor a 4-3 sudden-death victory over North Texas in the championship game of the 2003 Baylor Labor Day Classic Sunday.
Vick gathered in the rebound of a blocked shot from North Texas goalkeeper Briana Buchanan about 10 yards from the goal and punched in the game-winner with 6:05 remaining in overtime to give Baylor the win.
After a wild first half produced six goals (including two each by Baylor's Ginny Rosario-Tull and North Texas' Melinda Pina) and a 3-3 tie, the teams played 45 scoreless minutes in the second half to force overtime.
Working Their Way Up the Charts
Several Bears are aiming to continue making their ways up the leaderboards in the Baylor recordbook in 2003. Most impressively, senior Emily Fukuchi and junior Ginny Rosario-Tull are tied for fourth in school history in career points. Rosario-Tull ranks fourth in career goals, as well, while Fukuchi ranks fifth.
Notable records:
Career Points: Emily Fukuchi (t-4th, 36), Ginny Rosario-Tull (t-4th, 36)
Career Shots: Ginny Rosario-Tull (5th, 99), Candace Reilly (t-6th, 85)
Career Goals: Ginny Rosario-Tull (4th, 15), Emily Fukuchi (5th, 14), April Robertson (t-6th, 9), Kristin Ruef (t-6th, 9)
Career Multi-Goal Games: Ginny Rosario-Tull (4th, 3), Emily Fukuchi (t-5th, 2), April Robertson (t-5th, 2)
Career Multi-Assist Games: Ryan Lee (t-4th, 2), Emily Fukuchi (t-5th, 1), Kate Hensman (t-5th, 1) Kristin Ruef (t-5th, 1)
Career Game-Winning Goals: Emily Fukuchi (t-4th, 4)
Career Game-Winning Assists: Candace Reilly (t-6th, 4), Emily Fukuchi (t-6th, 4)
Baylor Picked 10th in Big 12 in Preseason Poll
Baylor was picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 Conference this season as the league's coaches compiled their annual preseason poll. Texas was picked to win the 2003 Big 12 title, followed by defending conference champion Texas A&M and defending conference tournament champion Nebraska. Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State placed ahead of the Bears, with Texas Tech rounding out the field in 11th place.
The Bears finished the 2002 season in 10th place in the Big 12.
Bears in the Pros
Former Baylor all-America goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse completed her third season as a member of the Woman's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2003. Greathouse, an all-American for Baylor in 1998, spent all of 2001 and part of 2002 season with the Washington Freedom. She appeared in five games for the Freedom early in the season, but was released and signed by the San Jose Cyber Rays, with whom she completed the rest of the season. Greathouse spent all of 2003 with San Jose, appearing in two games.
Greathouse is one of three Baylor-related players to have participated in the WUSA's first two seasons. Courtney Saunders, a1998 all-American at Baylor, spent the inaugural season with the Philadelphia Charge, while former assistant coach Rebecca Hornbacher was a member of the Boston Breakers in 2001.
Head Coach George Van Linder
George Van Linder is in his first season as head coach of the Baylor women's soccer program in 2003.
He comes to Baylor from SMU, where he led the Lady Mustangs to four straight conference championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Under Van Linder, SMU finished in the Top 25 three times and compiled a four-year mark of 59-21-10 (.711) and a conference record of 24-3-2 (.862).
In 2002, SMU finished with a 13-6-4 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as well as winning its fourth-consecutive WAC championship. The Mustangs finished the year with a No. 20 national ranking by the NSCAA.
Van Linder was named the 2000 WAC coach of the year after leading the Mustangs to a 13-5-1 record and their second-straight conference title.
In 1999 he led SMU to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and a No. 17 national ranking with a final record of 17-6-1. For his team's outstanding accomplishments, Van Linder was tabbed Central Region Coach of the Year by Soccer Buzz at the conclusion of the season.
Prior to his stint at SMU, Van Linder spent five seasons at Butler, the final three (1996-1998) as head coach of the women's program. He was named the 1996 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year after he led Butler to the MCC regular-season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 22 in the final poll, the highest national ranking in program history.
Van Linder also has worked extensively with the Olympic Development Program. He coached the Indiana youth squad from 1994-98. He spent 1999 and 2000 working with the North Texas ODP team. Van Linder led the 2000 squad to a second-place finish at the national championships. With his proven success as an ODP coach, Van Linder has spent the last four years working with the top high school players in the Southeast as the Region III Olympic Development Staff Coach.
Van Linder is a native of Galesburg, Mich., and a 1990 graduate of Western Michigan University where he played on the soccer team for two seasons. He and his wife, Chris, are expecting their first child early in the soccer season.
Van Linder Adds Pair of Assistant Coaches
Head coach George Van Linder added two other new faces to the Baylor coaching staff for this season with the hiring of assistant coaches Jean Delaski and Mario Rincon.
Delaski comes to Baylor from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, where she served as head women's soccer coach for five seasons. During that time, she led the Jaguars to four conference tournament appearances. Delaski was named Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year in 2000.
Prior to her time at IUPUI, Delaski played four seasons at Butler University (1993-1996), where she first played under Van Linder as a senior. A four-year starter, Delaski was a first-team all-Midwest Collegiate Conference defender in 1995 and helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back MCC titles in 1995 and 1996. Delaski spent the 1997 season as a graduate assistant at Butler under Van Linder before taking the head job at IUPUI.
Delaski also has worked as an assistant coach for the Indiana Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program from 1997-2002 and served as director of the IUPUI Soccer Camp for three years. She played in the women's USISL pro league for the W-1 Jackson Calypso during the summers of 1997 and 1998. During the summer of 1999, she competed with the Indiana Blaze.
Rincon joins the Baylor program from Duke, where he spent the 2002 season as an assistant with the Blue Devil women's soccer team. At Duke, Rincon's responsibilities included recruiting, scouting, travel and working with the team's goalkeepers. His 2002 Blue Devil recruiting class was ranked eighth in the nation.
Prior to Duke, Rincon spent one year as an assistant with the Miami women's soccer program. His coaching resume also includes three years as a women's assistant at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., three years as head boys' coach at Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton, and years of club coaching with the Team Boca Soccer Club. Additionally, Rincon has worked as a member of the Olympic Development Staff in Florida (1997-2000, 2001-2002) and in North Carolina (2002-2003).
Rincon also served one year as a team administrator and scout for Major League Soccer's New York/New Jersey Metrostars. During that time, he assisted in evaluation for the MLS draft and advance scouting, as well as coordinating the team's travel arrangements.
Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field
The 2003 season marks the fifth year for the Baylor soccer team at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. The former Baylor Soccer Stadium was retitled during the 2000 season in honor of the late Betty Lou Mays of Amarillo, Texas. Mrs. Mays was the wife of Troy Mays, a 1945 graduate of Baylor; the two were longtime supporters of Baylor athletics.
The stadium seats 3,000 fans, making it the largest soccer-only facility in the Big 12. Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field is is set in the plush backdrop of the Brazos River on University Parks Drive. The field is part of the Jim and Julie Turner Riverfront Athletic Park, which includes the Baylor Ballpark, Getterman Stadium and the Baylor Tennis Center. All four venues share the parking lot with the Ferrell Special Events Center.
