Growing pains

    After finishing a lackluster 2005 season with a 5-11-2 record, good enough for a fourth-place tie in the Big Sky, the Portland State soccer team appears ready to make a much better impression in 2006.

    With 10 seniors graduating at the conclusion of the 2005 season, there was definitely a gaping void to fill on second-year head coach Tim Bennett’s roster. Bennett was up to the challenge in his first year recruiting for Portland State, assembling the best recruiting class in the Big Sky, according to revered collegiate soccer magazine Soccer Buzz. The recruiting class consists of 12 position players and two goalkeepers, recruited from Oregon, Washington, Alaska, California and Canada.

    As for the returning players, the Vikings have six starters and nine overall coming back from last year’s squad. Of the returning players, three in particular will need to play extremely well if the Viks plan on making a Big Sky tournament appearance this season. Two of these Vikings, junior defensive star Juli Edwards and senior midfielder Kari Otani, were recognized as first-team Big Sky Conference performers last season. Edwards was the leading scorer for the Viks, booting four goals and adding three assists. Although the always-active Otani never found the back of the net, she totaled 23 shots, 10 of which were on goal. The other especially important piece to the Vikings’ puzzle is senior forward Jamie Blakesley, who suffered from numerous injuries last season, causing her to miss 11 of 18 contests. In addition to her overall team impact, Blakesley is chasing a couple of individual marks. She is currently second on the school’s career list for points per game at 0.78, and career goals per game at 0.43.

    Considering the new additions and returning talent, the Viks have the necessary components to be on their way to a top-three Big Sky finish and their second tournament appearance in three seasons.