Minnesota State University Reporter

Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Womens Sports

Media Credit: Andrea Harrell

Media Credit: Andrea Harrell Marti Klinsing (standing) and Lauren Butters fight for possession of the ball in practice a day before MSU's season opener at home.

As the Minnesota State soccer team gets set to open its season today against No. 14 Metro State (Colo.), Peter McGahey's debut as Mavericks head coach would figure to be the big story.

Not only is it McGahey's first game on the bench at the Pitch at Gage Towers, he was an assistant for the men's program at Metro in 1997 and 1998.

Still, with stories swirling around McGahey, his players are focused on winning their season opener, which starts at 4 p.m. The Mavericks play Regis (Colo.) at 1 p.m. Sunday.

"It's important for our team just to start out strong and get a positive start to the season," said junior midfielder Gina Paletta.

The Mavericks look to pick up right where they left off in 2007, when MSU was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally with a top ranking in the Central Region, a perfect conference record and a 17-3-1 overall record.

But for the first time since 1995 - the first season in program history - the Mavericks will start the season without Chris Miskec.

"The quality of our student athletes and the character of our team gives us as a coaching staff tremendous confidence," McGahey said.

Though neither Metro nor Regis are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference - which MSU is joining this season - but both teams share the same region as the Mavericks.

MSU has been paired with teams of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for postseason regional play.

In addition to RMAC members Metro and Regis, the Mavericks will travel to Colorado to face Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado School of Mines next weekend before MSU begins NSIC play.

It should be a good test for MSU to see where it stands when playoffs come in November.

"There's very good soccer in the RMAC," McGahey said. "It's going to be interesting to see how the Northern Sun compares."

Metro is led by defenseman Nicole Cito - a Daktronics and NSCAA All-American who played in all 22 games for the Roadrunners in 2007.

Junior forward Becca Mays returns from an All-American season of her own when she scored a team-leading 19 goals and 46 points.

RMAC Freshman of the Year Madison McQuilliams had 11 goals and 28 points.

The Mavericks return 10 of 11 starters from last season.



Tyler Buckentine is the Reporter managing editor

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