2011 Line-up

Is it too early to start suggesting line-ups for next year?

Erin Dees
Kendall, Choee, Cassie, Molly K.
Michelle O.
Taylor, Ellen P., Michelle C.
Michaela, Amanda

The attacking line is hard to figure out. Dani is too good not to play, but I really like the combo of Michaela and Amanda up front.

Two names among current players are likely to be in the lineup before some you mention, particularly Molly K: Sarah Bridges, who played outside back for a minutes this year--though I have no idea as to whether she is a realistic choice for the position and Haley Kreminski, who may or may not play before Amanda given how valuable she has been as a substitute. The recruits will also a say : Rebecca Kurle, a dynamo in Washington 3A preps, Emily Sippel, wracked by knee injuries but a former national team invitee, Malloy Leahy, a defender who may have a chance to start from the outset and given her heritage, may yet win another for the gipper and finally Cassie's little sister Lorielle, who I do not know much about.

How that jigsaw puzzle is put together is beyond me. I think you have done a fairly good job at laying out a possible starting lineup with exceptions.

I see a new left side with Sarah B at left back and Kendall at left mid. Great speed

Since Molly, Elinor and Nicole logged a total of 0 minutes playing time this season are we to assume they Redshirted?

Nicole redshirted. Dont think the others did

Elinore didn't play?

At any rate, they are eligible for a redshirt year if they didn't. Whether they will or not remains to be seen.
You don't actually appeal for your redshirt until after your senior year.
Remember that the NCAA only allows athletic scholarship money for four years, so if they got money this year, they wouldn't in the fifth year.

Of course, with scholarships being split up, they could just get more another year.

wrv wrote:... and finally Cassie's little sister Lorielle, who I do not know much about.

Kassi tells me that her little sister is a striker.

I think these 8 returning players should be starters based on where things stand today: Hailee, Cloee, Kendall, Kassi, Michelle O., Taylor, Michelle C., Dani.

The competition for starting keeper will be one to watch. Since Hailee started the playoff games, it is hers for now. We'll see how she and Erin develop by next fall under the eye of Bill Irwin.

Since we didn't see Molly play at all, she is a mystery but less likely than others to start; a more reasonable role would be as a sub who gets to play some. We saw Emma Nelson a fair amount at right back; she may not start next year but at the moment is first off the bench based on 2010 playing time (and may also play some mid).

Michele O. can play holding mid, but she has not been an every-game player over her two seasons. Someone else will have to be game-ready to take this starting slot at least for some games based on history. Who else might do well here?

I like Michelle C. a lot at attacking mid; she could earn the central slot. Taylor is a lock at right mid -- why tamper with perfection? It could be Sarah on the left if the coaches see midfield as her natural position. That's a youthful midfield trio but with lots of energy.

Pilots have more talented attackers than there are positions up front. The first four of Dani, Michaela, Amanda and Halley offer many options in terms of experience, strength, height, power and speed. How they develop and work together may determine who pairs up with whom. Michelle C. could be in the mix up front as well. Elinor did not play at all this season; this must be hard for her after being the scoring star in high school.

The freshman class will bring in star talent -- every recent class has been excellent and often surprising in terms of where the new players fit in and regardless of what position they played in H.S.

It's also possible someone may leave the school and/or the team; never fun to think about but sometimes things don't work out for everyone.

We'll have more fodder for discussion after the spring scrimmages.

Purplegeezer wrote:Remember that the NCAA only allows athletic scholarship money for four years, so if they got money this year, they wouldn't in the fifth year.

Didn't we go over this before the season started? I'm 99% sure that this is not correct. You could even get athletic scholarship money for six seasons if you were given a hardship waiver.

The only rule is this: in every sport, a team is allowed X number of athletic scholarships. As long as a player is eligible according to the NCAA, they can use that scholarship money as they see fit. Otherwise, you would run into ridiculous scenerios where team captains and all-Americans were not on athletic scholarship.

Well Stoney, there are other rules. here's one -- which involves progress towards a degree.

2.13 THE PRINCIPLE GOVERNING FINANCIAL AID [*]
A student-athlete may receive athletically related financial aid administered by the institution without violating
the principle of amateurism, provided the amount does not exceed the cost of education authorized by the Association;
however, such aid as defined by the Association shall not exceed the cost of attendance as published by
each institution. Any other financial assistance, except that received from one upon whom the student-

wikipedia has an explanation of the concept of the progress toward degree rule

The progress toward degree rule, commonly referred to as the 40-60-80 rule, is a piece of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legislation designed to increase retention and graduation rates of NCAA Division I student athletes. The legislation, that took effect for first time freshmen in 2003, states that by the beginning of the student-athlete’s third year of college enrollment, they must have completed 40% of the classes required toward a specific degree. This rate of progress toward a specific degree must continue so that by the beginning of the student-athlete’s fourth year, they must have completed 60% and by the beginning of their fifth year, they must have completed 80% of their required coursework toward a specific degree. This legislation, part of many academically oriented rules the NCAA has put into place over the past 20 years, was written in response to several calls for reform of "big time" college athletics including, most notably, the Knight Commission.

If you are enrolled in a four year program, that means you only get aid for progress toward that degree. you can't just hang around taking audit courses and get athletic scholarship money for it. You certainly can't remain eligible if you haven't met the 40-60-80 rule, which would seem to rule out money in your 6th year except in special circumstances like where you had to drop classes to take care of a relative (Coop?)

the exception allowed is that you can take courses toward a graduate degree, and some people apparently have done that (Rapinoe?).

In Basketball and football it's even harder, since you are a counter if you get any money and take up a scholarship roster spot.

Right.

I realize there are other rules, but there is definitely not a hardened-fast NCAA rule that you can only receive an athletic scholarship for four years.

My guess is that there are several ways to work around the "progress toward a degree" requirement... such as adding multiple majors or going for a business degree after getting a sociology degree or whatever.

I'm no expert on NCAA compliance, but think about it this way: redshirts are very, very common in sports like basketball and football, and you know there's no way all those athletes are not on scholarship.

I think Michelle C and Taylor will start at center mid and right outside mid. Probably, Kendall at left outside defense. Cloee and either Kassi or Michelle O. at central D. I think the pairing of Michaela/Danielle start at attacker, with Amanda/Halley the second pairing - giving the team a possession attacker and a speed attacker in each pair. I think it's possible one of the four attackers could end up playing elsewhere - maybe Amanda left outside mid? As PH said, Olivier might seem the natural at defensive mid, but she has a history of physical problems. I have absolutely no idea about right outside defense. That position, along with holding mid and left outside mid (assuming Kendall moves back to D) seem to be wide open.

I could see Kassie being an excellent outside defender. She has the speed and aggressiveness to push up into the attack when necessary, no?