1997_08 The Daily Collegian August 1997

              THE DAILY
+ COLLEGIAN
O       Monday, August 25,1997
Sports
COMER
The Western Athletic Con¬
ference has placed three vol¬
leyball teams in the 1997
USA Today/AVCA Top 25
women's pre-season coaches'
poll. Brigham Young re-
• ceived the highest ranking at
the eight spot with 1,000
points while Hawai'i ranked
Pith with 802 points and
Colorado State ranked 24th
with 162 points.
BYU is coming off a 27-7
record in 1996 that included
winning the WAC Mountain
Division as well as the first-
ever WAC Tournament. The
Cougars also advance to the
NCAA Mountain Regional
championship match before
losing to Hawai'i, 3-0. BYU
returns nine letterw inners this
season, including five start¬
ers, and opens its season in
the 1997 S_taie Farm-
NACWAA Classic at
Stanford University.
Hawai'i enters the '97
campaign ranked 11th in the
nation despite having to.re¬
place five starters which in¬
cluded two All-Americans.
Last season, the Rainbow
Wahine finished 35-3 and
• was the runner-up to Stanford
in the NCAA tournament.
Colorado State returns all
six of its starters from last
year's 23-11 team. The Rams
advanced to the second round
of the NCAA tournament be¬
fore losing to Stanford.
The complete rankings are
as follows:
1. Stanford
2. Perm State
3. Nebraska
4. Florida
5. Long Beach State
6. Michigan State
7. Washington State
8. BYU
9. Texas
.....       MParifir	
Women's soccer readies for season
By Allison Barnett
The Daily Collegian
After weeks of physically and
mentally challenging practices, the
Fresno State women's soccer team
is finaHy ready to open their 1997
season against Chico State at Bull¬
dog Stadium on Friday, August .29
at7p*?m.
"We are very excited about this
season, we think that we are a much
improved team especially in the
area of speed." said coach Peter
Reynaud, who is in his 17th season
of collegiate coaching.
The Bulldogs have picked up
three players who have changed the
speed of the team.
Freshmen forwards Lisa
Andrews and Jill Pearson and
former Buchanan High standout
Conine Atkins are very fast accord¬
ing to Reynaud.
Other standouts this season in¬
clude seniors and co-captains
Christina Bell and Erin Berry.
"Christina Bell, who played a
more defensive roll last year, is tak¬
ing on a more offensive role this
season. I think she will be a force
to reckon with on this team."
Reynaud said.
Women's soccer team stretches
Chico State.
"Erin Berry is also a mature
player and a hard worker. She will
also be very important to this team."
Reynaud said.
The Bulldogs home opener
against Chico State is the first of
11 home matches slated onto the
schedule this season. This is the
most to appear on the schedule
at the beginning of practice. The team opens its season versus
since the program began in 1995.
This year the Bulldogs seem to
be a more talented and mature team
than in the past, which Reynaud
thinks will make a difference in
their performance.
The team's priority is a \vinning
season. WAC playoffs and'maybe
a spot at the NCAA playoffs are
sure to follow.
The Fresno State women's soc¬
cer team will take on Chico State.
The evening will also serve*as the
1997-98 Kick-Off. A representative
from each of Fresno State's 20 var¬
sity teams will kick a ball to a mem¬
ber of the women's soccer to rep¬
resent the new athletic season.
Men's soccer starts new era
11. Hawai'i
12. UC Santa Barbara
13. Texas A&M
14. Ohio State
15. USC
16. Loyola Marymount
17. Notre Dame
18. Wisconsin
19. Washington
20. Arizona *
21. UCLA
22. South Florida
23. Colorado
24. Colorado State
25. Arkansas
— Sports In forma tio n
New season means
new coach for men's
soccer team
By Gary Chapla
The Daily Collegian
As the dawn of a new era arrives,
sodoes, Fresno State men's soccer.
On Aug. 7th. the Bulldogs got a
new coach. Fresno State named ex-
Washington Husky assistant, Dave
Chester, as its new*head coach.
It has been a while since the
"Red Wave" has reached the
"Promised Land" - the Final Four
that is. In fact, it has not happened
since 1986, when Jose Elgorriaga
was still coaching. Now, just
maybe, the tides have turned.
Fresno State soccer now enters
a new era. An era now filled with
hopes and wishes. An era called -
the Chesler era.
Chesler takes over for John
Bluem, who landed a coaching job
^atOnidSlateUnTversltynasnhonthi
Chesler becomes the program's
fourth head coach. Bluem (1991-
96). Elgorriaga (1980-90), and Bob
Bereskin( 1970-79) precede him at
that post.
"The fans and community are
great here," said Chesler. "There is
such tremendous support here and
that is one of the reasons why I
chose to coach here;."
Yes, there is a rich sense of ca¬
maraderie here.
Recognized as one of the larg¬
est collegiate soccer draws in the
nation, Fresno State has played be¬
fore over 300.000 fans since 1981.
Because of his new head coach-
ing job, Chesler realizes that he
must make an impact, though in due
New Fresno State men's soccer coach Dave Chesler directs
practice.
time. This year the team begins with
a No. 11 national ranking given by
the National Soccer Coaches asso¬
ciation of America
A coach must coach around his
players' abilities and weaknesses.
Chesler knows that
A coach can't just come right on
in and make drastic changes.
Chesler also knows that.
\   •
"This year's team is 66% new
and or inexperienced to collegiate
level," Chesler said. "There are
some players that are apprehensive
but the inexperience may hurt a
little.*'
He told this year's team that if
they will practice and play to their
■*
Please see COACH page 7.
Fresno State defeats
Sacramento State 1-0
in exhibition match.
By Luis Hernandez.
The Daily Collegian
It wasn't what the Fresno State •
men's soccer team expected —
much less desired — 100 minutes
of scoreless play against the Sac¬
ramento State Hornets in the Ro¬
tary Cup last Saturday night at
Bulldog Stadium.
Thank God for old familiar
faces.
Craig
Tomlinson,
Fresno
State's lone
returning
forward
- from last
year's squad,
scored off an
Craig Tomlinson assist by
Matt Will¬
iams 10 minutes in the first sud¬
den overtime period to give the
Bulldogs a 1-0 win over the Hor¬
nets before 1,186 fans.
With the victory, Fresno State
extends its winning streak to 11
games in their annual pre-season
exhibition match.
Tomlinson's goal put an end to
an unfamiliar and awkward situa¬
tion — they never had to be ex¬
tended beyond 90. minutes of play
in the Rotary cup.
The goal came in a quick three-
versus-two Bulldog counterattack.
"Matt Williams did a good job
of holding the ball," Tomlinson
Please see SOCCER page 7.