Oct. 31--Erin Chastain could see this coming, bit by bit, since taking over a DePaul women's soccer program that had failed to win a Big East match the season before she became head coach in 2007.
"We felt we had a group that could do some things this year," Chastain said.
Chastain, sister-in-law of longtime U.S. national team star Brandi Chastain, had the key defenders from a team that overachieved last season. The 2013 Blue Demons went 13-6-2 and made the NCAA tournament for the second time in the program's 19-year history, mainly because they allowed just .69 goals per game.
And there were newcomers who the coach was sure would provide the offense last year's team lacked.
"From Day 1 we knew this season was going to be something special," said sophomore Abby Reed of Rockford, a transfer from Indiana State. "We had so many people who could do diverse things on the field."
How special?
--Heading into Friday's regular-season finale against St. John's at DePaul's Wish Field, the Blue Demons (14-0-3) are one of two unbeaten teams among 332 in Division I.
--They already have clinched a first-round bye in next week's Big East tournament. A win over St. John's, a point behind DePaul in the standings, would give the Blue Demons their first league title in either the Big East or their previous home, Conference USA.
--A No. 8 ranking in the Soccer America poll is DePaul's highest ever. While a relatively weak schedule gives them a lower RPI (24), the Blue Demons likely are assured of a second straight NCAA tournament spot.
"I think some teams still underestimate us," Reed said.
--They ended Marquette's 27-match Big East home winning streak on a golden goal by Alexa Ben of Schaumburg.
"I am going to look back on this team and say we made DePaul a known name in the soccer world," Ben said.
Ben, who played for Eclipse Select the past two years, certainly has made one for herself by leading the team in points (eight goals, nine assists) and being named Big East rookie of the week three times and national player of the week once.
Although she probably is stretching a point to list her height as 5 feet, Ben has scored two of her last three goals on headers.
"She has great timing," Chastain said.
Reed, who set a single-season goals record (10) at Indiana State last season, has matched that in her first year at DePaul, which recruited her heavily after an all-state career at Boylan Catholic. She transferred to be closer to home.
"We knew she would come in and score goals right away," Chastain said.
Junior Elise Wyatt of British Columbia also has 10 goals for a DePaul team scoring at a school-record 2.3-goals-per-game pace.
Nina Kodros of Glenview, Sarah Gorden of Elk Grove and Rachel Pitman of England -- senior backs hardened by the travails of a three-win season when they were freshmen -- have remained a solid defense in front of junior keeper Alex Godinez of Denver.
The defense saved DePaul in its last game until Ben headed in a corner kick in the 59th minute for a 1-0 win over last-place Xavier.
"It's hard to continue to win games with the target on your back of being undefeated," Chastain said.
In their previous two games, the Blue Demons rallied for a 2-2 tie with Butler on Reed's goal in the 87th minute and lost a 2-0 lead at Marquette before Ben won it 3-2 seven minutes into overtime.
"I'm really proud of how far we've come," Reed said, "but I don't think we're satisfied yet."
phersh@tribune.com
Twitter @olyphil
