Dec. 16, 2005

2005 Soccer Final Weekly Release in PDF Format
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THE BEAR FACTS
After starting the season with three wins and a tie, the University of Northern Colorado finished the year equally as strong, winning four of its final six games.

In total, the Bears won seven games during 2005, more than double the amount they won a year ago. That number bodes well, considering they return 23 of 24 players who saw action this season.

Following the season, several Bears were honored on the Division I All-Independent squad, including freshman Jessica Zimmerman, who was named Offensive Player of the Year.

In her first year with the program, Zimmerman led the team in goals (9), assists (9) and points (27). Her nine assists would have tied for the lead in the Big Sky Conference, a conference the Bears will join in 2006.

Zimmerman was joined on the all-independent team by sophomore defender Megan Miller. Five UNC players earned honorable mention selections, including Megan Bellendir, Laura Hassebroek, Marika Johnson and Chrissy Marvin.

Northern Colorado will play a full Big Sky Conference schedule in 2006 and also move into the renovated Jackson Soccer Complex.

NORTHERN COLORADO NOTES

Zimmerman Named D-I Independent Offensive Player of the Year; Five Others Named to All-Independent Team: Freshman Jessica Zimmerman was named the 2005 Division I All-Independent Offensive Player of the Year after putting together an impressive freshman season. Zimmerman led the team and all independent players with nine goals, nine assists and 27 total points. She was joined on the all-independent team by sophomore defender Megan Miller. Four other Bears (Megan Bellendir, Laura Hassebroek, Marika Johnson and Chrissy Marvin) were named honorable mention selections.

Trio of Bears Named to D-I Independent All-Academic Team: Three Bears were named to the 2005 Division I Independent All-Academic Team. They were Kady Hydrick (3.58 gpa in finance), Megan Bellendir (3.71 gpa in interdisciplinary studies) and Whitney Salter (4.00 in communications). It marked the second consecutive year that Hydrick had been named to the team.

Salter Earns Academic All-District Honor: Sophomore Whitney Salter was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII team. Salter has a 4.0 gpa in communications and was one of 11 student-athletes from District VII named to the team.

Bears Exceed 2004 Win Total: With the 2-0 win over South Dakota State (Oct. 17), Northern Colorado reached its fourth win of the season, exceeding its win total from the 2004 season. The Bears finished the year with seven wins, four more than the 2004 season.

Bears vs. The Big Sky: Northern Colorado, who officially joins the Big Sky Conference in 2006, finished the 2005 season by playing five teams from the Big Sky and compiling a 1-4-0 record in those games. That includes a 2-1 win at Eastern Washington, a 3-1 home loss to Portland State (the 2004 Big Sky regular season champions), a 4-1 loss to Weber State (the 2004 Big Sky Tournament champions), a 2-0 loss to Idaho State and a 3-0 loss at Northern Arizona. The only Big Sky teams the Bears did not play this season are Montana and Sacramento State.

Bears Record Back-to-Back Shutouts: With a 2-0 victory over South Dakota State (Oct. 17), the Bears notched their first shutout since a 0-0 tie at Southern Utah on Oct. 29, 2004 and first shutout victory since a 1-0 overtime win at Montana State-Billings on Oct. 26, 2003. The Bears made it back-to-back shutouts on Oct. 21 by defeating Cal State San Bernardino 3-0. It was the team's first back-to-back shutout wins since Oct. 16 & 19, 2002 when they shutout Colorado Christian and South Dakota State by identical 1-0 margins. UNC is 40-27-3 all-time in shutout games under head coach Tim Barrera.

Garrett Nets Shutout In Second Career Start: Freshman Dana Garrett recorded her first career victory and shutout on Oct. 17 at South Dakota State (a 2-0 UNC win). Garrett was making only her second start after starter Chrissy Marvin was injured in the Colorado game (Oct. 9). Garrett recorded her second shutout against Cal State San Bernardino (Oct. 21) and is now 2-2-0 as a starter.

Zimmerman Named Offensive Player of the Week: Freshman Jessica Zimmerman was named the Division I Independent Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25. She scored a goal and added two assists as the Bears defeated Cal State San Bernardino and fell to Northern Arizona.

Zimmerman Earns Newcomer of the Week Honors For the Third Time: Freshman Jessica Zimmerman was named the Division I Independent Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 18, the third time this season she earned the award. Zimmerman had a goal at North Dakota State and then assisted on the game-winner at South Dakota State.

Freshman Impact: The Bears 13 freshmen this year made a big impact in 2005. The freshmen have scored 14 of the team's 25 goals (nine by Jessica Zimmerman, three by Whitney Hawkins, Teresa Prais and Patricia Wong).

Marvin - Goal Stopper: Junior goalkeeper Chrissy Marvin had a breakout season in 2004 on her way to team MVP honors. In her first-year as a starter, Marvin had 123 saves (only three off the school record) and ranked 19th nationally in saves/game (6.83). She currently ranks fifth in school history in career saves (198), after registering 66 in 2005. She also has a huge left foot, as her kicks sail most of the field. As a sophomore, she actually assisted on a pair of goals (ranking her second on the team in assists) off free kicks from midfield. She added an assist in the Bears 2005 season opener to push her career assists total to three. Marvin was injured in the Colorado game (Oct. 9) and has missed four games before returning to the pitch.

Division I Independents: Once again this season, nine NCAA Division I Independent women's soccer teams have joined forces to award Player of the Week awards and compile individual and team statistics. The teams are Colorado College, Francis Marion, IPFW, Longwood, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Carolina State, South Dakota State and Utah Valley State. Awards and statistics will be released on each Tuesday of the season beginning on Sept. 6. An index of award winners and other information on D-I Independent soccer can be found at: http://uncbears.collegesports.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/071905aaa.html.

Home Sweet Home: With the move to Division I, the Bears have had to play a lot of games on the road the past few seasons. In 2003, the team had only two regular season matches and they played six home matches at home a year ago. This year they played five regular season games (three of which were before Labor Day) and finished 2-2-1. The Bears hold a 29-12-1 (.702) record at home in the Tim Barrera Era. Overall, the team is 87-36-12 (.689) at home in its 21 seasons of varsity soccer.

SEASON NOTES

The Continued Move to Division I: The 2005-06 sports season marks year No. 3 in the "reclassification" process to Division I for the Bears. On May 10, 2002 the UNC Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a move for the Northern Colorado intercollegiate athletics program to NCAA Division I. The 2002-03 sports year marked the last season for the Bears in the North Central Conference and the NCAA Division II level and was an "exploratory" year in the move. 2003-04 was the first season of the four-year reclassification period and last season (2004-05) marked year No. 2. The program officially becomes a Division I school (and eligible for NCAA Championships) in 2007-08.

Bears to Join Big Sky Conference in 2006-07: As the Bears continue the reclassification to Division I, they have finally found a conference home. On July 1, 2006, the program will officially become a member of the Big Sky Conference and will compete against a full BSC schedule in 2006-07. The department's programs (with the exception of women's volleyball - which got a waiver from the NCAA) will not be eligible for Big Sky championships or NCAA berths until 2007-08, the program's first full year of Division I competition. On the soccer pitch, the Bears will compete against the other seven (of eight) Big Sky teams that sponsor soccer: Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Sacramento State and Weber State (Montana State does not sponsor women's soccer).

Soccer Bears Get New Home: With the move to Division I and the Big Sky Conference, a student referendum was passed in April 2005, which gave $16 million dollars in improvements for Northern Colorado athletic facilities. Part of that money will go to giving the Bears a true soccer stadium, as renovations on the Jackson Sports Complex will begin in May 2006 and be completed by August 2006 in time for the Bears to begin their first Big Sky season. The stadium, which was home to UNC football from 1926-94, will get a reconfigured and reconditioned playing surface, a new scoreboard, lights (allowing the team to host their first-ever night game), an upgrade to the bleachers and the creation of new team rooms and training staff offices. The Bears have played their first 21 seasons of varsity soccer on the Butler-Hancock Soccer Fields on the west UNC campus, an area directly outside the Butler-Hancock Athletic Center (home of the main athletic offices).

Bears Welcome Two New Assistants: The Bears welcome two new assistant coaches to the program in 2005. Tracy Chao (Wake Forest, 2003) played four years for Wake Forest, helping her team to three NCAA Tournament trips. Chao, a defender, was moved to goalkeeper her sophomore year, became the first ACC goalkeeper to shutout North Carolina and won team MVP honors. Chao, a native of Raleigh, N.C., is the first full-time assistant coach for the program. The other new face is graduate assistant Bree Edwards (UCLA, 2000). Edwards helped UCLA to four NCAA Tournaments and a 62-18-2 overall record in her time in Westwood. A native of Bellevue, Wash., Edwards was a Parade All-American in high school, and the first Parade All-American soccer player to attend UCLA.

Hawaiian Connection: This year's roster features three student-athletes from the Aloha State. Erin Kikumoto, Jordan Weeks and Patricia Wong are all freshmen on this year's roster and continue in a long line of Hawaiians that have played soccer at Northern Colorado.

First-Ever Meetings: Nine of the Bears 18 regular season matchups this year are against teams they will be playing for the first-time: Charleston Southern, Idaho, Portland State, Drake, Weber State, Wright State, Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Francis Marion. In total, the Bears are playing five Big Sky Conference teams in 2005 (Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Northern Arizona, Portland State and Weber State), including four of those for the first-time ever; UNC becomes a member of the BSC in 2006-07. Which team on this year's schedule have the Bears played the most? North Dakota State - The teams will be meeting for the ninth time this year on Oct. 14 in Fargo.

Butler-Hancock Field Finale: The Bears 3-0 loss to Colorado on Oct. 9 marked the 135th and final regular season game ever played at Butler-Hancock Soccer Field. The Bears move across campus to Jackson Soccer Stadium next season.

Colorado Makes an Appearance in Greeley: When Colorado played in Greeley on Oct. 9, it marked their first-ever appearance in Greeley during the regular season (although they did play an exhibition game there). Colorado won 3-0 and leads the all-time series 3-0.

Bears vs. Colorado Teams: Northern Colorado has struggled against in-state teams recently, losing six of its last eight games versus in-state rivals over the past three seasons. The wins in that time period came against Division II Regis (2003) and Air Force (2005). UNC does not have another game against a Colorado team this season.

Askins and Phillips Honored on Senior Day: Natalie Askins and Lindsey Phillips were honored on Oct. 9 before the Colorado game as they participated in the final home game of their careers. Although both have junior eligibility, both will graduate this year and not return in 2006. Askins has played in all but one game this season; Phillips has not seen action due to injury. After falling to CU 3-0, the Bears are now 5-2 on "Senior Days" (or the final regular season home game of the year) in the Tim Barrera Era. The other loss was to Colorado College at the end of the 2003 season.

Miller Named D-I Independent Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Sophomore defender Megan Miller was named D-I Independent Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4. Miller helped key the Bears defense in games against Wright State and Idaho State the previous week. Miller played in all 200 minutes of the Bears weekend games, helping the team to a 0-1-1 record last week. In a 1-1 tie with Wright State, she helped limit WSU to nine shots and only one attempt in overtime. In the Bears 2-0 loss to Idaho State, she was instrumental in limiting ISU to only four shots all game (and only two on-goal).

Goal Explosion: Northern Colorado scored three goals in its season-opening victory over Air Force (Aug. 26). It marked the first time they had scored three goals in a game since Oct. 15, 2004 when they scored three times against South Dakota State. Overall the Bears had scored three or more goals in a game only four times over the past two seasons before accomplishing the feat against Air Force. It marked the first time the Bears had scored three or more goals against a full Division I team since they began the reclassification process to Division I in 2003. You have to go all the way back to Oct. 7, 1992 (a 5-1 win over Air Force) to find the last time they scored three or more goals against a full D-I team. Why are three goals so important? The Bears are 45-0-0 all-time under Coach Barrera when scoring three or more goals in a game.

Zimmerman Shines in Debut: Greeley native and freshman Jessica Zimmerman made an immediate impact for the Bears in her collegiate debut. Against Air Force (Aug. 26), Zimmerman assisted on the Bears first goal (by another freshman, Teresa Prais) and then scored two goals in a 31-second span of the second half to push the Bears to a 3-1 victory over in-state rival Air Force. Zimmerman's five points in her debut was the most ever by a Northern Colorado freshman in their debut. Scoring goals is nothing new to Zimmerman, who scored 108 goals in her prep career, including 38 as a senior, at Greeley Central High School.

Zimmerman Named D-I Independent Newcomer of the Week in Consecutive Weeks: Freshman Jessica Zimmerman was named Division I Independent Newcomer of the Week on both Sept. 7 and Sept. 13. Zimmerman won the award the first time after scoring a pair of goals and adding an assists in a win over Charleston Southern and a tie against Creighton. She earned it the second time after scoring the game-winning goal with just 50 seconds left against Eastern Washington on Sept. 11.

Golden Goal: Freshman Patricia Wong's golden goal in double overtime against Charleston Southern (Aug. 29) marked the Bears first golden goal victory since Oct. 17, 2004 when the Bears topped North Dakota State (thanks to a goal from Jody Alvarez).

Overtime Madness: The Bears have had two games this year go to overtime, as they topped Charleston Southern (Aug. 29) in double overtime and tied Creighton (Sept. 4). The Bears are 21-16-20 all-time in overtime games and 5-4-5 under head coach Tim Barrera. The double overtime victory was the first since Oct. 8, 1997 when they beat Southern Colorado 1-0 in double overtime.

Season & Home Openers: Following a 3-1 victory over Air Force (Aug. 26), Northern Colorado is now 14-6-1 (.675) all-time in season openers and 3-4 all-time in season openers under head coach Tim Barrera. The win snapped a two-year losing streak in home openers, including a 1-0 loss at Air Force a year ago. UNC is also now 14-6-1 (.675) all-time in home openers, extending their record to 9-2 in home openers over the past 11 years. The Bears are 5-2 in home openers under Barrera.

Bears Top Rival Air Force: With a 3-1 win in the season-opener over Air Force (Aug. 26), Northern Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak to their neighbors to the south. UNC had won the first two meeting in the series but had lost four in a row dating back to the 1992 season when the Bears won 5-1 in Greeley.

Home Field Unbeaten Streak Ends: Northern Colorado saw its five-game unbeaten streak at home, including wins over South Dakota State and North Dakota State last year and Air Force and Charleston Southern this year as well as a tie against Creighton in 2005, end on Sept. 18 with a 3-1 loss to Portland State. It was the first loss for the Bears at home since losing to North Texas on Oct. 8, 2004.

Bellendir and Miller Named to Drake's Clash All-Tournament Team: Sophomores Megan Bellendir and Megan Miller were named to the All-Tournament team at Drake's Clash at Cownie on Sept. 22-23 in Des Moines. The Bears finished the event 0-2 after losing to Drake and Weber State (who claimed the team title).

Prais Returns to the Lineup: Freshman Teresa Prais scored a goal in the first half of her first collegiate game (Aug. 26 vs. Air Force). However, she suffered an injury and missed the next seven and a half games. She made her return to the pitch on Sept. 30, as the Bears tied Wright State 1-1 at the Air Force Invitational.

Late Games: The Bears played a pair of night games at Drake's Clash at Cownie, their first night games of the season (UNC lost both). The Bears also played a night game at the Air Force Invitational, tying Wright State 1-1 in a night game. Overall the Bears are 2-7-2 in games starting at 5 p.m. or later under head coach Tim Barrera. The Bears had lost their last four night games before tying Wright State.

Northern Colorado Coaches Radio Show Now on Wednesday: Fans came now attend the Coors Light Northern Colorado Coaches Show each Wednesday afternoon at Noon at Old Chicago (2349 W. 29th St.). The event, which used to be on Monday's, is open to the public and the cost of lunch is only $7, as fans hear about the happenings of UNC Athletics from in-season coaches. KFKA's Troy Coverdale serves as host and the show airs on tape-delay on Newstalk 1310 KFKA at 7 p.m. that night.