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April 22, 2002
OXFORD, Ohio-With the objective of gaining experience versus the highest level of college soccer, Miami University's women's soccer program concluded its spring season on April 21 by tumbling to Big Ten power Purdue, 1-0, and tying 2001 NCAA Tournament qualifier Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 0-0, at West Lafayette, Ind.
"The weather made it difficult to say the least," Head Coach Bobby Kramig said of the team's final day of spring competition. "It was windy and rainy, and there was standing water in some parts of the field. Given our aggressive style of play, it was a challenging day of soccer for us."
Though last Sunday's results were not all the team had hoped for, according to Kramig, the team could take a great deal of pride in staying competitive against a difficult schedule that included four 2001 NCAA tournament teams and a number of big-name opponents.
Miami opened its spring over Feb. 23-24 when it traveled to Memphis to compete against a highly competitive field. In its first spring test, the RedHawks battled to a scoreless first half before succumbing, 2-0, to national powerhouse Florida. The Red and White rounded out its first spring tournament by blanking Tulane, 1-0, and falling, 1-0, to Southeastern Conference foe Vanderbilt.
On March 30, Miami traveled to Bloomington, Ind., to face a traditionally strong Indiana program, tying the Hoosiers, 1-1. A week later, Miami competed against defending Big Ten Champion Illinois and 2001 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 qualifier Cincinnati in Cincinnati. The RedHawks knocked off the Illini, 1-0, and fell 4-0 to the Bearcats.
"Obviously, our priorities in the spring are a lot different than in the fall," Kramig said. "We look to develop certain aspects of our game that were deficient in the fall, get some of our younger players some playing experience and expose the team to the highest level of competition possible."
According to Kramig, aggressive scheduling in the spring has been key to the program's success over the past two seasons.
"We've gotten to a point where our kids are prepared to play anyone, anywhere and at any time," Kramig said. "What's impressed me is the confidence and poise we've demonstrated against these teams. A lot of teams don't like to travel or try to schedule down in the spring. We want our kids to get as much exposure as possible at the highest level of college soccer. I think that has really helped set us apart from other teams in the MAC."
Kramig also was pleased during the off-season by the dedication of the team to taking its game to the next level.
"I noticed terrific improvement in a number of our younger players," Kramig said. "I was most impressed with the degree of professionalism and commitment to getting better the entire team showed. There's no question, we're at a higher level as a soccer team than we were in the fall. I'm very proud of how well this team did."
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