India Watne: Playmaker
9/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 20, 2011
University of Montana sophomore India Watne of the Griz soccer team ranks 12th in the nation in assists in the latest NCAA statistics that were released Tuesday. Watne has five assists through seven matches, an average of 0.71 per match.
And you get the sense in talking to Watne that if this article was titled "India Watne: Goal Scorer," it wouldn't be nearly as special to the forward from Los Angeles.
"Honestly I feel better about assists than I do goals," she said Tuesday afternoon.
"I love being in the chain of events that leads to a goal. I get the ball from somebody else, I put it where it's supposed to be, and my teammate finishes it off.
"I love being in the middle of it when we put it all together. Only one or two of them come around each game, so they are really special."
Watne has had her share of special moments this season. She had an assist against Boise State in the season opener and added the double-overtime game-winner in the 108th minute against the Broncos, her first career goal.
She assisted on junior Ashley Tombelaine's goal in Montana's 2-1 win over Wyoming two days later, and at the Governor's Cup in Moscow, Idaho, over Labor Day weekend, Watne had assists on three of junior Erin Craig's four goals.
Watne scored the Grizzlies' lone goal in their 2-1 loss to Utah Valley Sept. 11, and she assisted on freshman Paytyn Wheeler's first-half goal last Sunday against North Dakota.
"Somebody told me one time, `Assisting is making your teammates look good.' I like being connected that way," she said.
"It's a really cool feeling knowing I put it where it was supposed to be. My teammate made the run and knew the ball would be there for them. I didn't put in the goal, but I was involved in the process, and I love that."
Montana has been shut out twice this season: both matches against North Dakota State. Watne has either scored or assisted in the team's other six matches.
"India reads things very well about when she needs to attack, and she's able to hit a ball with both feet, and that always helps," UM coach Mark Plakorus said.
"We tell our team that the server's job is to put the ball in a spot. She's looking for space and where she can play a ball based on where the holes are in the defense.
"She plays the ball, and it's their job to get on the end of it."
Watne's next chance to make her teammates look good will be Thursday when Montana (3-5-0) plays at Southern Utah (2-5-1).
The Grizzlies will conclude their trip to Utah with a match Saturday night against Utah Valley. The Wolverines won in the teams' first meeting at Missoula on Sept. 11 when UVU's Ashley Burdett scored with nine seconds remaining in regulation in her team's 2-1 victory.
