Players to watch

Chris Eylander

He stands at the end of the field, often overlooked by fans. He might only touch the ball a few times a game, but Chris Eylander is a pivotal part of the Husky men's soccer team's fast start this season.

Two seasons ago, Eylander was the backup goalkeeper for the men's soccer team. Now, the 6-foot-l-inch senior is making his way into the Husky record books.

The Sumner native notched 10 shutouts last season after he recorded just one in his first two years as a backup. Entering the 2005-06 campaign, Eylander was sixth on the all-time UW list for shutouts.

His strong play in his first year as the man protecting the goal rightfully earned him All-Pac-10 first team honors. The electrical engineering major also earned Pac-10 academic honors. He led the conference in saves and shutouts to go along with his academic skills.

And he's putting up the same successful numbers again.

Through five matches, Eylander has posted two zeroes, in addition to his 22 saves, and has helped the team jump out to a solid 6-1 start and into the national polls.

After last year, a fast start is exactly what Eylander and the Huskies need.

"That's probably the worst sequence of losses I've ever experienced, especially the last game against Portland," Eylander told gohuskies.com, referring to the Dawgs' four straight losses to close the year, capped by a shocking 5-3 loss in the first-round of the playoffs to the Pilots.

With a bitter taste from last season still lingering, Eylander is doing his part to move forward from a disappointing end to last year and to make the Huskies strong contenders for the Pac-10 crown once again.

Eylander looks to be well on his way.

--Adam Landres-Schnur

Kelsey Rasmussen

It's a position defined by pressure. Rarely is a soccer game not decided by the actions of a team's goalkeeper. Standing alone between the poles, the goalie, by definition, protects what every opponent shoots for: the goal.

Enter Kelsey Rasmussen. Already one of the all-time Husky women's soccer greats at goalkeeper, she must play even better to help a very young and inexperienced squad.

The junior from Gig Harbor has been a two-year starter in the net, and to put it simply, she has flat-out excelled. Her statistics will stop you cold: 1.13 goals against average and 10 shutouts. Five of those shutouts came in a row, with three coming in NCAA Tournament games. There's also the fact that she played in every minute of every game, becoming just the second Husky to accomplish that feat. With two years of eligibility remaining, she could rewrite every goalkeeper record in the Husky history books.

Rasmussen played in the McDonald's All-American High School game in 2003, an excelled when she came to college.

This season, she is one of eight letter-winners whose leadership will be called upon often by coach Lesle Gallimore.

And she has not disappointed. Through Sept. 24, she'd allowed 10 goals in seven games, keeping her low average intact.

In early-season games against Hofstra and Pacific, she preserved two 1-1 ties through two overtimes. In the Hofstra game, Rasmussen made a career-high 13 saves, one shy of the school record.

Gallimore has called Rasmussen a leader, and said that the keeper has an effect on her teammates that could mean more than saves this year, the effect of calming nerves.

--Sam Cameron

Alesha Deesing

The 2005 Husky Volleyball team is on another winning streak and their roster could not get any better. With talented players like Christal Morrison, Courtney Thompson, Sanja Tomasevic, Brie Haggerty, Darla Mhyre and Candace Lee returning to the court, the Lady Huskies are ready for another great season.

But there is one team member not known to the UW who is waiting on the sidelines, ready to bloom. She is ready to establish herself as a contributing member and potential leader to her team.

Introducing Alesha Deesing. The returning sophomore and middle blocker from Salem, Oregon, was a young freshman when the Huskies needed an extra hand against the USC. She scored 15 kills with a .467 hitting percentage and tallied seven blocks.

But Deesing didn't stop there. Overall, last season, Deesing played in 13 matches and started in one. She averaged 1.25 kills per game, 0.80 blocks per game, 1.68 points per game and ranked third on the team with a .309 hitting percentage. Against Montana, she tallied five kills, a .667 hitting percentage and three blocks.

This season, the breakout sophomore is showing no signs of letting down. Already she has played a huge role in the team's success, improving her numbers across the board. So far, she has averaged 2.73 kills per game and 1.58 blocks per game.

Only in her second year, Deesing is proof of the complete package the Husky Volleyball team brings to the court. She is part of the winning formula that mixes talent and experience.

Keep your eye on Deesing; she's just getting started.

--Kareem Cervantes