By GREG STILES

Phoenix High senior Liz Rennick hopes to be part of an incoming class that will reverse the Beavers' fortunes.

Oregon State struggled through a 2-15-2 campaign and barely had enough players to make it through the season.

In a short span of four seasons, the Beavers fell from a 13-5 NCAA playoff team in 1994 -- followed by a 14-6 performance -- to the cellar of the Pac-10 this past year.

But it wasn't until after OSU coach Tom Rowney had recruited and signed freshmen that he was given his walking papers.

That may be a blessing for the 18-year-old Rennick -- one of the Beavers' six signees -- as the Beavers rebuild under Steve Fennah. Fennah guided Jesuit High of Portland to four straight Class 4A state championships.

"I hear very good things about her," Fennah says.

The new coach gets his first look at Rennick this weekend when she joins the Three Rivers team out of Oregon City at the Snickers State Cup finals in Portland.

Oregon State had difficulty scoring last fall. Captain Jona Maukonen, who made her mark at South Medford as an offensive juggernaut, was cast in the relatively thankless role of sweeper.

Rennick might be part of the offensive solution. Rennick scored 25 goals as a junior when Phoenix advanced to the semifinals. But her production fell off to 16 goals last season when she was surrounded by a much younger supporting cast.

Rennick was a four-time Skyline Conference all-star and a three-time unanimous selection. Last fall, the 5-foot-8 midfielder was chosen player of the year.

"She has such tremendous touch and control," says Phoenix coach Dan Sporrer, "more so than anyone we've had in the program and last year, more than anyone in the league.

"She drew double- and triple-teams, but she's the kind of kid that can dribble through two or three kids and find the back of the net. She can find a little bit of space 30 yards out and find the back of the net."

Sporrer is quick to add that the Pirates' first major-college recruit is strong, fast, competitive and "doesn't back down."

She's played midfield for the Pirates but is listed as a wing on OSU's chart.

"They need a lot more offense," Rennick says. "They need a go-getter. It's going to be competitive in practice."

Fennah says there will be 10 new players next fall.

"The squad was too small with 15 or 16 players," Fennah says. "North Carolina (winner of 13 NCAA titles) has 30 and (highly successful) Portland has over 20. In the future, we want 24 to 25 players.

"We feel pretty good about the recruits coming in and have managed to pull in a couple of walk-ons and a couple of transfers since then."

The other five prep signees are: fullback Nikki Ferchland of Lake Oswego; fullback Olivia Jackson of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash.; forward BreeAnna Jolin of Robert Service High in Anchorage, Alaska; midfielder Leila Kaady of La Salle in Milwaukie; and midfielder Jennifer Vander Arend from Our Lady of Peace in San Diego.