Win builds confidence for CCSN women’s soccer

Victoria Sun

Monday, Aug. 27, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Now that the CCSN women's soccer team has earned its first victory, a 3-0 shutout of Riverside Community College on Saturday, head coach Ric Grenell is hopeful that game will be a reminder to his team of what it is capable of accomplishing.

"It's always nice to get that first win," Grenell said. "The kids gained a lot of confidence.

"Now they know they have the capability to score and the ability to prevent another team from scoring if they play as a unit."

The Coyotes (1-0) were a club team last year and begin intercollegiate play this season in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, led by defending junior college national champion Dixie, Utah.

With a team full of freshmen last season, CCSN compiled a 5-8 record with three losses at the hands of Dixie.

"Last year our (goal) was to go from being a nobody to an upstart," Grenell said. "This year we're trying to go from an upstart to a contender.

"We eventually want to be one of the best in the country so we're going to play a very tough schedule."

It's a schedule that includes four games against Dixie.

CCSN will host No. 17 Pima College of Tucson, Ariz., at 7 p.m. Saturday at the North Las Vegas Sports Complex. Other ranked opponents are: No. 11 Mesa Community College, No. 15 Santa Rosa and No. 18 Ventura College.

The difficult schedule will help offset the fact that Dixie is the only other school in the 11-member Scenic West that CCSN will face this season.

"In order to become a contender, you've got to play with the big boys so to speak, and imitate what they do," Grenell said. "It's going to be a learning year and a building year for us.

"If you can mimic success, sometimes you become successful."

Against Riverside, goalie Jeanette Perry (Bonanza High) recorded seven saves on nine shots. Marissa Stevens (Palo Verde) scored the team's first goal at the 28-minute mark, followed by Tara Brosnahan's penalty kick at the 56-minute mark and Melissa Recchio's (Bonanza) 25-yard score in the 82nd minute.

CCSN returns 10 players from last season including goalie Kelly Smith (Cimarron-Memorial), who was injured most of the season.

Joining Stevens as captains are utility players Dawn De La Torre (Bishop Gorman) and Amber Woodward (Bishop Gorman).