Oct. 1, 1999

By Kelly Hennessy
The Diamondback

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- Entering the season, Terrapin women's soccer coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski knew she could count on senior Emily Janss to provide much-needed experience in the backfield.

What she didn't know is that Janss could also be a top contributor in the midfield and up front.

"At the beginning of the season I saw that we were going to need some leadership in the back," said Higgins-Cirovski, whose Terps (3-6-1) play at 19th-ranked William & Mary (7-2) 4 p.m. tomorrow. "But as the season progressed, we saw ourselves getting beat by inferior teams. We were outshooting our opponents but we couldn't win."

That's where Janss comes in. Janss had played most of her career as a central defender, earning second-team All-ACC honors her sophomore and junior seasons. Now she plays in the central midfield, with the idea of her occasionally stepping up on offense.

The Terps need it. They have struggled without the offensive support of Keri Sarver and Emmy Harbo, the program's all-time scoring leaders who graduated last season. After starting the season with victories over George Washington and Maryland-Baltimore County, the team has been shut out five times, including Wednesday's 5-0 loss at Virginia.

Higgins-Cirovski has tried to create offense by playing Janss as a midfielder in her three-forward, five-midfielder, two-defender lineup. Once a stay-at-home defender, Janss is now responsible for setting up scoring opportunities and getting the ball to the forwards.

"One of her biggest strengths is her ability to distribute the ball around the field," freshman defender Lindsay Givens said. "She is a great communicator to have in the middle of the field. She really keeps things under control."

Janss said she learned the value of versatility while growing up in Brandon, Fla.

"When I was playing in under-10 leagues with the boys, they had me playing stopper," Janss said. "During high school I got really used to being moved around a lot. I was playing on a few different club teams and each coach used me for different things. Playing club [for the Tampa Bay Heather] I usually played outside midfielder."

In 10 games this season Janss has two goals and two assists while recording 13 shots. Janss, who started off the season with the game-winning goal against George Washington, has 11 career goals and seven career assists.

"It really doesn't matter to me where I am, as long as I am getting a job done," Janss said. "If I am in the back, it's keeping out goals, and in the midfield, it's staying active and focusing on playmaking."

As one of three team captains, Janss is also a leader off the field, particularly in training.

"All of the younger players definitely look up to her about how to play and how to act," Givens said. "She was my training partner over the summer, and right from the beginning she made me feel like I was part of the team. It can be so hard at the beginning, not knowing anyone and feeling intimidated. Janss made me feel comfortable right from the beginning."

While the Terps own a losing record, Janss remains optimistic.

"Between our ability to make decisions and our mental toughness, as soon as we put it all together for the entire 90-minute game, things will start to click," Janss said. "We have only shown how good we can be in a few games this season. In our 1-0 loss to UCLA, even though we lost, we played connected. And our win over Duke was a great example of what we are capable of."