Before the fall of 2000, the Sun Devil soccer program received its first-ever top-10 recruiting class that included five players from different parts of the country.
Now in their final home matches of their careers, four of the original five remain, and the Sun Devils (8-4-3, 2-2-1 Pac-10) are still in the hunt for the Pac-10 title as they prepare to host Oregon (8-7. 2-3) tonight at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
Defender Temryss Lane
Temryss Lane came to ASU with aspirations of adding to her already impressive résumé. In high school, Lane was not only the 1999 Player of the Year, she also owned a list of awards that would make your head swell.
After a freshman campaign in which she started 20 matches, she played only 12 in the following season due to a knee injury that, to this day, limits her playing time. She started just three games last season and zero in 2003.
Although her playing time has decreased dramatically, her passion for the game has not. In the 11 games she has played this season, she has three shots on goal and is constantly in her opponent's hip pocket.
Defender Haley van Blommestein
There is no doubt that Haley van Blommestein had soccer in her blood. Her father, Brian, was a professional soccer and rugby player and has tutored dozens of Division I soccer players, including her older sister, Auna, who played for Washington.
Missing only two starts in 74 career matches, van Blommestein spent last summer starting for the semiprofessional Seattle Sounders. In her ASU career, she has tallied 13 points on three goals and seven assists, and has been a pain in the side of many opponents.
Defender Amy LePeilbet
If it had not been for a broken nose during her freshman year, Amy LePeilbet would have played and started in each of ASU's last 77 matches.
This season, LePeilbet has doubled her career goals from three to six while playing a huge role in leading the team's stingy defense, which is allowing 1.14 goals per game.
LePeilbet earned her first Pac-10 Player of the Week award on Oct. 13 after netting an ASU-record 55-yard goal against Stanford, a team that has given her more than a couple of memories.
"My sophomore year here, we beat Stanford," she said, recalling her most memorable moment. "We weren't the most amazing team at that time. We were still building. But we had so much heart, and I remember [junior Kathleen Dely] scoring at the very end, and everyone going crazy. It was awesome."
Forward Patrice Feulner
One of ASU's least recognized contributors, Patrice Feulner set the tone for what Sun Devil soccer will be in the future. She never has missed a match and is second on the ASU all-time scoring and points list (27, 70), third for career game-winners (9) and tied for sixth in assists (14), while tallying three career hat tricks.
Offensively, 2003 hasn't been as productive on paper as seasons in the past as Feulner has netted just one goal. Unfortunately, there isn't a statistic for leadership and field presence.
Quite often, focus rests on Feulner and sophomore forward Liz Bogus. It's as if they're in a playground game of keep-away, and the defense is locked in on keeping the ball out of the duo's possession. This strategy has led to solid seasons from many younger players who have contributed 26 of the team's 30 goals.
Each senior brought a distinct spice to the game, and each will leave huge shoes for head coach Ray Leone and assistant Mike Calise to fill. Calise has been a very successful recruiter, but replacing Lane, van Blommestein, LePeilbet and Feulner will be a challenge that might be unrealistic.
The seniors' final match in Tempe will be at 1 p.m. Sunday against Oregon State (6-8, 2-2-1).
Reach the reporter at damien.tippett@asu.edu.
