FEATURES

THE SPIRIT FEATURES: SAN DIEGO PLAYER PROFILE - ERIN MONTOYA

For someone who began the WUSA inaugural season on the San Diego Spirit bench, midfielder Erin Montoya has certainly come a long way in a short time. In only her second start of the season, Montoya, the former University of Santa Clara star (1994 -97), played an important role in rekindling Spirit hopes of getting back into the playoff race. For her efforts, she walked away with the ERA Max Hustle Award following the team's 3-1 triumph over the Boston Breakers in early June.

Spirit head coach Carlos Juarez took Montoya in the 12th round of the WUSA Inaugural Draft, calling her, "someone that adds spark to our attack" and it looks like it might have been steal. Montoya wasted little time in demonstrating her skills. During one of her first opportunities, the speedy flank midfielder scored a pair of goals in the Spirit's April 13 preseason tune-up victory over the University of Utah. Despite the effort, when the regular season opened on April 22, Montoya found herself on the bench. Rather than pouting, Montoya accepted her reserve role, but vowed to make the most of every opportunity thrown her way.

A team player in every sense of the word, Montoya says, "My job is to help the team in whatever way I can. Starting is awesome, but I'm O.K. with any role that I play.

We are all so excited (just to be part of the league) we can hardly believe it." As one of the league's smallest players at 5'3," the slightly built Montoya has to compensate in order to battle with opponents who are generally bigger and stronger. "I just play smarter," she says. "A few of us small ones have the speed, so we can keep up."

Through the first four games, Montoya came on as late game substitute, but when Jen Mascaro tweaked her knee against the New York Power on May 20, Montoya was thrust into the game with only 26 minutes gone in the first half. Unfortunately, the game marked what was perhaps the low point in the season for the Spirit, as the team in Montoya's words, "didn't click."

"I was excited to get a chance to try and help out the team, but unfortunately it didn't happen today," she said following the disappointing 1-0 loss. The Spirit broke a cardinal rule by allowing a goal moments before the half-time whistle and failed to get their attack untracked. The Spirit was also very ineffective in using its flanks and so Montoya had little to do. The flu sidelined her for the 4-3 loss to Carolina, but a week later when the Spirit hosted the Bay Area CyberRays, Montoya received her first start. This was her breakthrough game.

"Erin was great," Juarez said afterward. "This was her first start and she was going up against Brandi Chastain. She was solid. She was good on the ball, she got forward and she created some chances. Defensively, she was doing well too, but because she has been sick, she couldn't play the full 90 minutes." The effort earned Montoya her second start of the season the following week against Boston. It turned out to be the season's high water mark for both the team and for Montoya up to that point.

Although pleased with her play so far, Montoya deflected the praise to her teammates. "It's just a good feeling to know that you left the field having given it your all."

While the Boston game was critical to the team as a whole, it was particularly important to Montoya in her bid to become a consistent starter. She certainly didn't hurt her chances turning in her best performance of the season.

Using her speed, quickness and hustle to great advantage, Montoya was force in the midfield and sent a number of fine crosses in from the flanks. She also had a part in what may turn out to be the most important goal of the year.

After dominating throughout most of the first half, but failing to score, the Spirit allowed a goal just two minutes prior to halftime. Moments later however, the Spirit struck back when Montoya set up Traci Arkenberg with a well placed ball across the 18 yard box.

"The ball was coming from the far post and I was looking to get it back across somehow. I really didn't know who was there," Montoya said. Montoya's well-placed floater reached the head of Arkenberg. She headed the ball in and knotted the score at one goal apiece. It was Arkenberg's first goal of the season. The momentum it created clearly inspired the team. They returned to the field after the break with renewed energy and in the second half to ice the game with goals from Shannon Boxx and Mercy Akide.

Which way the season will go from here is anybody's guess, but regardless, Montoya is having the time of her life. Despite the fact that she sacrificed a job she loved teaching kindergarten students for the Milipitas School District and she now sees her husband Albertin far less than she would prefer, Montoya is living her dream every time she takes the field. "We love playing in San Diego," Montoya says, "We have the best fans ever."

NO LONGER A TECHIE, WYCINSKY FINDS A HOME IN SAN DIEGO

Missy Wycinsky knows all about DS3s and OCNs, which according to the former self-proclaimed "computer dork," are pieces of hardware used for telecommunications. As a matter a fact, if she wasn't playing professional soccer for the San Diego Spirit, her head would be buried in data transmission circuitry while working for a major telecommunications company. Thank the lord for the WUSA.

The business information technology major (with a minor in sociology) from that esteemed Virginia institution of high learning - The College of William and Mary - was seemingly stranded in a "real world" job before the WUSA became a reality. After years of playing soccer, Wycinsky had gone "legitimate" just in case this whole WUSA thing didn't work. Coming off a gruesome knee injury suffered in a college all-star game after her senior year, Wycinsky was prepared for the end of her soccer career, one which saw her score 75 goals for the Tribe as one of the nation's top strikers.

So while the pay might have been better helping people "reach out and touch" one another, in her white-collar job, there was no wearing shorts, no running around a plush green field for a living, no glory, no free soccer gear and certainly no sun.

"When I heard about the league, I know I had a long road ahead of me to make one of the teams," said Wycinsky. "I was still in the process of
rehabbing my knee and I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to come back and play the same way. Since I came back from my first knee injury (suffered in her freshman year of college), I knew I had it in me and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a part of history."

Wycinsky (pronounced (Why-SIN-Ski) accepted an invitation to the WUSA Combine in December of 2000 and played well enough to be drafted by the Spirit in 8th round and 62nd pick overall.

"The first thing the coaches said to me wasn't "hi" or "how have you been?" it was "how's your knee?" When I said it was good and I was ready to go, then the pleasantries flowed."

With a sound knee, her confidence back and a heart full of character that made her a three-time All-American, Wycinsky earned herself a spot on the Spirit roster along side international forwards Shannon MacMillan from the USA and Mercy Akide of Nigeria.

"Taking a pay cute wasn't even an issue because I had a chance to do what every young female soccer player dreams about, and that's get paid to play the game you love. It's been challenging mentally and physically, but it is everything I could have wanted and more. It's been more than fun. It's a dream come true."