August 27, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT MONROE
PAGE 15
SPORTS
Soccer team taking season one step at a time Coaches, players working toward conference wins by Zack Brown
The ULM soccer team started the 2012-2013 season with a new coach and high expectations. Roberto Mazza enters his first season as ULM’s head coach after previously coaching at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Mazza has two mature returning starters Alyssa Wooden and Taylor Bonetti. Bonetti plays outside midfield and coaches are look to move Wooden from top to a back defender. At Pine Bluff, Mazza developed players in his system in three and four year periods. Those players did what he asked and made it to the NCAA tournament twice in three years. Mazza said succes at ULM
photo by Emi McIntyre
First-year head coach Roberto Mazza fields questions from his players following a soccer practice.
wouldn’t happen overnight. “Right now we are striving to get to the tournament and win the first conference game in two years,” Mazza said.
Mazza said he believes players have already bought into his system, but they have to do things they’re not use to. “It’s about putting the product
on the field and everyone doing the things it takes to get in the conference race,” said Mazza. Last season injuries plagued the team’s season. Senior captain Emily LyBarger and Taylor Epperson both went out with knee injuries, and Alyssa Lopez missed a lot of time due to a neck and shoulder injury. Center back Antonia Land has taken on the leader role for the Warhawks this season. Land is a very vocal player, and her voice allows her to direct all over the field. Mazza said, “The girls listen to Antonia’s commands and she has taken a lot of leadership from back there.” Karlea Fehr is another player who has already made a huge impact, scoring four goals in the first two games. In the first exhibition matchup at Northwestern State, Fehr got a hat trick and then scored the only goal against Central Arkansas at the
Warhawks’ home opener. Senior Kaitlin Morin is a transfer from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, previously playing under Coach Mazza. Mazza said, “The girls are very supportive of Kaitlin and have taken her under their wing.” Mazza believes the Warhawks lost the first game to a weaker team due to poor performance. “I’m looking for more energy and less mistakes. Games like that are important for this program so the girls can see what went wrong. If you always win, things get hid under the carpet. That’s the type of game that will fire the girls up for the next upcoming games.” The team dropped its first game of the season to Centeral Arkansas. The next home game is Sept. 23 against North Texas at 1 p.m. contact Zack Brown at brownzt@warhawks.ulm.edu
Natatorium membership spikes following Olympics by Adam Hunsucker
The 30th edition of the Summer Olympics may be over, but the flame of competition still burns around campus. Inspired by the gold-medal performances of the U.S. swim team, many are flocking to one of ULM’s famous landmarks: the Lake C. Oxford Natatorium. In the month of July, the nat saw between five and 10 new memberships a week. LA Gold, a local youth swim team, has also seen an increase in participation from kids looking to emulate their Olympic heroes. “We’ve gone from 20 swimmers to 50 since the Olympics,” LA Gold assistant coach Madison Raborn said. Raborn, a senior at ULM in kinesiology, is thankful for the interest created by the games. “It really highlights the sport and shows kids they can do something else other than play video games,” Raborn said. This renewed enthusiasm is not lost on aquatics Director Caleb Read. “The Olympics is a common theme we’ve heard among new members,” Read said. “People have been watching and want to get in the water and try it out.” The nat gives fitness enthusiasts another option during the dog days of summer. It offers patrons the best
of both worlds; a fully equipped aquatic center and a place to escape the oppressive Louisiana heat. You can find students and teachers alike enjoying the pool, including theater professor Kyle Zimmerman and his six-year old son, Brandon. “It gives my son and I something active we can do, especially on hot days,” Zimmerman said. The fatherson duo use the facility at least Read once a week, where they enjoy shooting baskets in the pool and jumping off the diving boards. The diving boards are very popular and tend to bring out the inner six-year old in everyone. Other amenities include lap swimming, water aerobics and swimming lessons. Membership is open to all ULM students and is included in the university’s student fees. The nat also works with ULM to provide students with employment opportunities and safety training through the Red Cross. “Ninety percent of our lifeguards are ULM students,” Read said. After closing in July of 2011, the natatorium reopened in January as a
“We’ve gone from 20 members to 50 since the Olympics.” Madison Raborn, senior, LA Gold coach joint venture between ULM and the YMCA. In that time, the university administration and YMCA staff have worked together to renovate the facility. Read described the partnership as a “good working relationship” that will only improve. Students voted down a referendum in April to turn the nat into an event center, ensuring it’s future as a community institution. “We’ve seen a ton of community support since we reopened,” Read said. “That support helps us stay open.” The natatorium is open during three time blocks Monday through Friday; 6-9:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30-8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday the Nat is closed. photo by Emi McIntyre
contact Adam Hunsucker at hunsucam@warhawks.ulm.edu
Madison Raborn, a senior at ULM and an assistant coach for the LA Gold swim team, coaches his team after practice Friday in the natatorium.