Noles' sacrifice pays off

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Dec 7, 2007

[FLORIDA STATE] It's three years and three College Cups for Coach Mark Krikorian, so how do the '07 'Noles compare with his other two FSU teams?

"We are very comfortable with our team," Krikorian said at Thursday's press conference in College Station. "We feel as though we're playing the best soccer we've played all year -- maybe the best soccer we've played since I've been at Florida State."

FSU's flexibility has been a big key to its success -- in all three of its College Cup teams. Japanese international Mami Yamaguchi played in midfield her first two years with the Seminoles but returned to her natural attacking position in 2007 and has responded with 23 goals and 17 assists.

"But as we look back at it," said Krikorian, "if you look at the three years over all, the contribution that she's made it was equally significant each of the three years, it was just different roles that she took and her selflessness is shown now because she probably could have been a 20-goal scorer each of the years, but the needs of the team came first. Much like Becky Edwards, a midfielder by trade; last year she came in and played right back. This year she's moved over and played center back, so I think that's the spirit we have on the team."

The same spirit applies to the outside backs.

"Katrin Schmidt is an attacking midfielder who's a left back," said Krikorian. "Erica Sutton's a midfielder who's a wing and a right back and I think all of these players understand when you decide to be in a team sport, it's for the greater good so they're willing to sacrifice some of their own personal glory for the glory of the team."

NOTABLE. Florida State's program is only in its 13th season, but the Seminoles already rank eighth all-time with 20 NCAA Tournament victories.

STARTING LINEUP:
GOALKEEPER
18 Erin McNulty (FR Canada) 0.85 GAA
DEFENDERS
6 Erika Sutton (JR Arvada, Colo.) 5-3-13
19 Becky Edwards (SO Downingtown, Pa.) 3-3-9
12 Libby Gianeskis (SR Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 0-0-0
7 Katrin Schmidt (JR Germany) 1-10-12
MIDFIELDERS
13 Amanda DaCosta (FR Katonah, N.Y.) 5-8-18
10 Marissa Kazbour (FR Valrico, Fla.) 3-5-11
14 Kirsten van de Ven (SR Netherlands) 7-4-18
16 Holly Peltzer (SR Lake Mary, Fla.) 3-1-7
FORWARDS
25 Sanna Talonen (FR Finland) 17-5-39
11 Mami Yamaguchi (JR Japan) 23-17-63

KEY RESERVES:
4 Annie Stalzer (SO Palm Harbor, Fla.) 2-4-8
8 Lauren Switzer (SO St. Charles, Ill.) 2-1-5
28 Rachel Lim (FR Boca Raton, Fla.) 4-3-11