2006 PAC Women's Soccer Preview

The 2005 PAC women's soccer season saw three-time defending PAC champion Westminster (2002-04) post an 11-1 regular season conference record to capture the top seed for the PAC Tournament, only to be upset by fourth-seed Grove City via penalty kicks in a tournament semifinal contest. The other semifinal also saw an upset, as third-seed Thomas More recorded a penalty kick win at second seed Washington & Jefferson. The Saints then went on to post a 2-0 championship win over the Wolverines to capture their first PAC title in any sport. Despite being upset in the PAC semifinals, Westminster received a Pool B bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Lady Titans posted a 5-1 opening round win over Notre Dame (Md.) before falling at eventual national runner-up College of New Jersey in the second round.

The 2006 campaign should be another exciting year for the PAC, as Thomas More (which was listed among teams receiving votes in the D3Kicks.com preseason Top 25 poll) looks to defend its title against several strong competitors.
           

BETHANY BISON (6-10-1 Overall, 5-6-1 PAC in 2005)
After just missing out on a berth in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament last season, the Bethany College women’s soccer team is aiming towards cracking the league’s top four in 2006.

A total of 14 letterwinners are back this season for third-year head coach Melissa Hudson, who led the Bison to a 6-10-1 record last year. It was the most wins for the program since 2002 and their 5-6-1 mark in league action was the most PAC victories since BC claimed their last conference title in 1999.

With so many returning and a stellar freshman class coming in, Hudson and assistant coach Maggie Kuhn are very optimistic coming into the year, although they will need to replace the graduated Pennie Thomas, a First Team All-PAC pick in ’05 after she notched team-highs with 10 goals, seven assists and 27 points.

“We are very positive and excited about this year,” said Hudson, whose team tripled its win total from her first to second year at the helm. “We only lost one senior and have 10 freshmen coming in, with six or seven of those having the ability to start right away. While losing Pennie does hurt because she was our main goal scorer, the players coming in have the ability to fill her role and now we have depth at every position.”

A host of players will be trying to fill the scoring void that Thomas’ departure created. Junior Rachelle Smith was BC’s fourth-leading scorer last year with six goals and 14 points, while sophomore Emily Bota could slide in up front after missing significant time last year with injuries.

Among the newcomers who could work their way into the line-up include freshmen Jena Hatmaker and Lindsay Thompson, as well as transfer Rachael Katsur. The sophomore forward registered seven goals and 18 points to finish as the third-leading scorer for Pitt-Greensburg a year ago and could provide an instant spark to the Bison offense.

“Even without Pennie, we have some scorers coming back,” said Hudson. “Rachelle was one of our top scorers a year ago and we think she’ll have a nice year again. And Emily could be big for us. She would have had a chance to do more last year except that she missed six weeks because of injuries, so we’ll be anxious to see what she can provide.”

In the midfield, Hudson should be pretty deep, with four returning players who saw lots of time last year, as well as a couple very good recruits. The top midfielder back is sophomore Ruthie Pettle, who started all 17 games and tallied four assists.

Among those vying for the other spots in the midfield are junior Kelly Frey and sophomores Lindsay Meggas and Kristen Stewart, as well as freshmen Kortni Collins, Megan Cook and Lisa Wabrick.           

“Our top player back in the midfield is Ruthie,” said Hudson. “She was a steady contributor who can make things happen. Kristen was a good outside midfielder last year as well. And we are excited about what the freshmen could bring to us, especially Kortni, who is 5-10, can really run and will be a physical presence in the middle.”

In the back is where Bethany will have its most experience. Senior Jen Burin (left) was forced to move to the midfield last year because of injuries and stepped up with eight goals and 21 points to earn Second Team All-PAC honors. This year, she slides back to sweeper to anchor a defensive line that will also feature fellow seniors Meredith Coyne, who started all 17 games last season, and Katie Mills, who played in 13 contests.

Others expected to battle for time are junior Brittany Lipinski and freshman Gina Austrino.

“We are looking for huge things from Jen Burin this year,” said Hudson. “She’s a thee-year starter who’s healed from all her injuries, so she should be ready to go this year. And we’ll have Meredith and Katie back there as well to give us a strong defensive front that will be very hard to beat.”

One spot that the Bison will have a new face is at goalkeeper, as junior Jessica Alloggia will be studying overseas during the fall semester. The two-year starter posted a 2.11 goals-against average and recorded a pair of shutouts last season.

To fill the keeper position, a battle between sophomore Courtney Teets, who played in two games last year, and freshmen Rachel McConnell and Amber Yarnell will go on throughout preseason.

“Losing Jess for the year while she’s in Spain will be tough but we have three good keepers ready to step in for her,” said Hudson. “Courtney is back, plus we have two solid freshmen, so the spot is up for grabs in camp.”

Although it is a new year, the Bison will use their multitude of tough losses last year, which included two in overtime and four one-goal defeats overall, as motivation this year to make it to the PAC Tournament.

“Our number one goal is to make the conference tournament,” said Hudson. “We were in fourth place for most of last year until the final week. That really motivated us in the off-season to be that close, especially after getting some wins last year that we haven’t in the past few years. We need to work on turning those close losses into wins or ties and we will be in better shape at the end of the season.”

 
GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (6-12-3 Overall, 6-4-2 PAC in 2005)

With only six upperclassmen on the roster, one might think that the Grove City College women’s soccer team would be inexperienced entering the 2006 season. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Grove City returns nine starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship match for the sixth consecutive season. The Wolverines return five players who saw significant action at midfield, along with three starting defenders and a pair of veteran goalkeepers.

Seniors Lindsay Bowman, Maia Siber (right) and Jessica Van Sickel are all returning starters. Bowman moved from forward to defender early in the 2005 season and helped solidify the Wolverine defense in her first year as a full-time starter.

Siber has been a fixture at midfielder since earning a starting spot midway through her freshman season. She finished third on the team with five goals last year.

Van Sickel is a two-year starter at defender for Grove City. She has 36 career starts to her credit and has helped Grove City post 15 shutouts over the past two seasons.

The Wolverines will also rely on a trio of juniors in 2006. Midfielders Alix Flowers and Bethany Peck both became full-time starters in 2005 after serving as part-time starters as freshmen.

Junior Bethany Smith has appeared in 32 matches during her first two years at Grove City. She is looking to break into the starting lineup up front this season.

The Wolverines also welcome back six sophomores who played extensively as freshmen last season. Midfielder Laura Shipley earned Second Team All-PAC honors after starting all 21 matches in 2005. She tied with Siber for third on the team with 11 total points.

Sophomores Anne Koller and Katie Wolff also return after solid freshman seasons at midfield. Koller made 14 starts in 2005 and scored a pair of goals. Wolff, meanwhile, played in 20 matches as a freshman. She made two starts.

Also back is sophomore defender Sara Griffin. Griffin made 15 starts during 2005 and will again be an integral part of Grove City’s defense. Junior Trisha Griffith and sophomores Kara Beevers and Rebecca Hurley all saw significant time as reserves in 2005 and will compete for starting positions this year.

In goal, sophomores Diana Pragel and Bethany Preston are both back after playing extensively as freshmen. Pragel started six matches before being sidelined for the season by injury. Preston recorded 127 saves and limited opponents to a 1.53 goals-against average in 17 total appearances.

Grove City opens the 2006 season Sept. 1 at home against Medaille. Five of the Wolverines’ first six matches are at College Field this year. In addition to the PAC schedule, Grove City will also face regional foes Allegheny, Baldwin-Wallace, Carnegie Mellon and Muskingum in non-conference play this year.

THIEL TOMCATS (0-19 Overall, 0-12 PAC in 2005)

The Thiel College women’s soccer team looks for improvement heading into the 2006 season with eight returners and a solid group of six incoming players.

Thiel finished the 2005 season 0-18-0 overall and 0-12-0 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) action.

Absent from third-year head coach Kevin Wilhelm’s squad is goalkeeper Ashley Dunsmore, who Dunsmore has started all 83 games during her Tomcat career and is the program’s all-time leader in saves, with six hundred and forty one, and shutouts, with ten. Also gone this year is junior back Katie Carpenter, who has transferred to Arizona State University, and sophomore midfielder Ashley Williams, who is currently serving in the military.

Leading the returning players is senior back Lindsey Curtis and junior back Jenna Gowin. Curtis has started all 61 games of her career while Gowin has made starts in 38.

"Lindsey and Jenna are our rocks at the back. We are glad to have two players in our back four with so much experience, let alone our two captains,” said Wilhelm.

A player Wilhelm is excited to get back on the field is sophomore midfielder Jamie Dawson, who suffered a knee injury early in 2005.

"Jamie is a big asset that was sorely missed in 2005. She works from box to box on both sides of the ball. We are looking for her to create for us this year,” said Wilhelm.

A number of returning players saw significant minutes for the Tomcats in 2005, led by sophomore midfielder Sara Farley (left), who started 17 games. Junior forward Syrell Rodriguez and sophomore forward Samantha Holbrook each appeared in 16 games while sophomore midfielder Kayla Zukowski saw action in 11 contests.

"All of these players showed great improvement last year. We believe that this year their contributions will be much greater. We are especially looking for Kayla and Sara to do big things this year,” said Wilhelm.

The Tomcats open the season on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Hilbert College. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (14-4-3 Overall, 7-3-2 PAC in 2005)
Coming into the 2006 season, the Thomas More women’s soccer team will have plenty of motivation. Despite back-to-back 13-plus win seasons and a Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship, the NCAA committee left the 2005 Saints (right) out of the national tournament for the second straight season.

           
All but four members of the 2005 team return looking to ensure inclusion into the postseason field. The team is driven by the fact that they have obtained a great tradition of success in those past few years, including the program’s only tournament bid in 2003. The recent tradition mixed with the hunger to get back to national prominence has provided the team with all the inspiration needed. This year’s senior class is the last group to experience the tournament first-hand and have been thriving to get back.

           
In order to get back to the national tournament, it will be defense that will have the biggest impact. The entire back row, minus one defender, returns after posting a school record 15 shutouts, including another school record of eight consecutive. They allowed just two goals over the last 15 games of the season.

           
The last line of defense returns two members that saw significant minutes, including second-team All-PAC honoree, junior Carlin Scrudato. The two-year starter led the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a goals against average of 0.31 and with a save percentage of .925. Junior Theresa Heberling posted solid numbers, playing in 11 games with one start. She had a goal against average of 0.72 in her time between the net. For two consecutive seasons, the two have been pushing each other to greatness and this season shouldn’t be any different. To a credit to both players, they have put team success ahead of personal goals.

Led by senior Kandice Eckerlin, the back row limited the number of shots the goalkeepers faced. Eckerlin was the first defender to win PAC player of the week in several years. Her greatest skill is limiting the number of solo defensive opportunities she faces by getting the rest of the defense organized. For the past three seasons, she has been the most consistent player for the Saints.

Joining Eckerlin will be senior Kelly Sebastian and Samantha Smith. Sebastian will return for her senior season after missing the last six games of the season due to an injury. Smith, who played forward last season, will move utilize her speed and quickness in helping defend the goal. However, her offense prowess can make her one of the most dangerous defenders in the PAC.

Juniors Lisa Stricker and Emily Eismann will also see action for Thomas More. Sophomores Nicole Rapier, Lindsay Dickman, Stephanie Brown and freshman Stacy Knapp could push for minutes.

The biggest lost came at the midfield as must replace its leading distributor in Emily Kellner. Senior Kari Poling, a two-year starter, will start in the central midfield. Her greatest talent lies in setting up the team’s forwards for good scoring opportunities.

Sophomore Kirsten Leininger turned in a tremendous freshman season after sitting out the previous two. Her mix of athleticism and technical ability makes her an important player in the midfield. Sophomore Kristina Behne will press for minutes at the central midfield position. She has great vision and dispenses the ball well. Freshmen Kristen DePaoli and Kaitlyn Cohen will add themselves into the mix.

With the return of the school’s all-time leading scorer in senior Cathy Santillo, the attacking presence of the Thomas More offense is loaded. Santillo has missed the last year and a half due to an injury. She has scored 51 goals and accumulated 116 career points. Her ability to strike the ball makes her treacherous in offensive sets.

For the past two seasons, the offense has been led by junior Emily Hagedorn, who was named first team All-PAC. She racked up team-highs in goals (14) and points (30). Her knack of being in position to score on reception of the pass has been paramount to her success.

Senior Julianne Brown tied for the team lead with nine assists last season, and was second on the team with 29 points after scoring 10 goals last season. She earned first-team All-PAC honors last season following the season. Sophomores Katie Hughes and Mindy Cooper, along with freshmen Brittany Jones and Jessica Slade, will add some offensive punch for the Saints.

Thomas More opens the regular season at Anderson on September 1 before starting the defense of the PAC title with a home game with Washington & Jefferson on September 30.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (10-9-2 Overall, 8-3-1 PAC in 2005)
A year removed from receiving its first postseason tournament bid and posting its highest Presidents’ Athletic Conference finish in school history, W&J head coach Melissa Joseph will have to deal with the loss of two of the top three scorers in the program’s existence in Jen Pergola and Toni Lynn Simonini.

Four seniors (Katie Orient (left), Amy Fallon, Rachel Moses and Micala Priola) will take over as the team’s leaders following the graduation of six seniors a year ago who graduated with the most wins in school history.

Moses and junior Marie Majkut are the squad’s returning leading scorers with two goals and two assists, while Orient will anchor the defense for the fourth-straight season. Orient, a two-time First Team All-PAC selection, will be joined in the backfield by junior Autumn Meredith, who was also a 2005 First Team All-PAC choice.

Senior Micala Priola, junior Liz Monzi and sophomores Megan Ferderber, Julianna Priola and Beth Reefer return as midfielders. Micala Priola scored the game-winning goal for the Presidents last season during their upset victory at Westminster.

Sophomore Jackie Foltz returns as the team’s starting goaltender after notching a 9-8-2 record a year ago in 18 starts. She amassed a 1.82 goals-against average and 119 saves.

 
 

WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (6-13-1 Overall, 2-10 PAC in 2005)

The Yellow Jackets of third-year head coach Jim Rue boast 12 returnees, including eight returning starters, as Waynesburg looks to improve on its 6-13-1 record (2-10 PAC) from last season.

Three of the team's top four scorers return in 2006, led by sophomore forward Juliann Amato who posted teams-high totals in goals (eight), assists (five) and points (21) en route to All-PAC second team recognition as a freshman in 2005. She will be joined by a pair of midfielders in senior Erin Mali (six goals, four assists, 16 points) and sophomore Ashley Johnson (five goals, two assists, 12 points) to lead the Yellow Jacket offense. The team must find a replacement for graduated forward Brittiny Bennett, who graduated afterranking second on the team in scoring (seven goals, four assists, 18 points) last season.

Other key returnees in the midfield area include senior Morgan Smoke (three points in 2005)and sophomore Meghan Randolph (two points in 2005). However, defensively the team must replaced departed anchor Chelsey Ziegler.

All-PAC honorable mention junior goalkeeper Amy Mills (right) also returns. Mills started 18 of 20 games in goal for the Yellow Jackets in 2005, ranking second in the conference with 127 saves while posting a 1.72 goals-against average.

Rue has brought in a talented 15-player recruiting class as Waynesburg looks to move up the PAC standings this fall.

WESTMINSTER TITANS (17-5-1 Overall, 11-1 PAC in 2005)
Having 10 of 11 starters returning on a team that won three conference titles in the last four years should make the Westminster College women’s soccer team the team to beat this year. However, despite having nearly the exact same lineup on the pitch in 2006 as they did last year, the Titans are approaching the seasons with a different mindset.

“We are very happy to have everyone returning,” said fifth-year head coach Girish Thakar. “But in college soccer anything can happen. We don’t know what to expect from the other teams. The past few years all of the games in the PAC are getting closer and closer.”

The unknown was a pitfall for Westminster last year as the Titans’ run of three consecutive Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championships came to an end in the first round of the league tournament despite their No. 1 seeding.

Is there a new sense of urgency for the Titans this year?

“I think so,” Thakar said. “We feel we are one of the best teams in the conference. We’ve always been the target and now (that we didn’t win the PAC last year), we want to turn that target around on the other teams.

“They’ll be up for the challenge."

Juniors Mallory Bugel (left) and Brittany McKee top the list of returning starters as reigning first-team all-PAC selections.

Bugel led the league in nearly every statistical category, including goals (21), points (50), and shots (121) en route to PAC Player of the Year honors. She had 13 more goals than any teammate and nearly more than the team’s second-, third- and fourth-leading goal scorers combined.

The only major offensive category Bugel did not lead in the league was assists, and that was held by senior teammate Christa Andamasaris with 11. Andamasaris, a reserve forward as a junior last year, amassed 31 points, including three goals, and earning a second-team all-PAC nod.

Other second-team all-PAC players that return this year for the Titans are senior forward Sarah Calderone and sophomore midfielder Abby Montgomery. Calderone (8 G, 3 A) and Montgomery (6 G, 7 A) were the team’s second and third leaders in points last year with 72 and 65, respectively.

The remainder of the returning starters include senior midfielder Anna Maria Sparacino, junior midfielder Kaitlyn Hardman, junior defender Kristen Martin, sophomore midfielder Christina Adams, and sophomore midfielder Jessica Losteter, the latter receiving an honorable mention for the all-PAC team. 

The one void the Titans will have to fill in 2006 is the one left by first-team all-PAC goalkeeper Whitney Griffin, who as a freshman last year led the league with 11 shutouts.

The hunt for a new starting goalkeeper will be "open season" according to Thakar, as senior Kari Cole will compete with a group of promising freshmen.

SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS (11-7-1 Overall in 2005)

After four playoff appearances in the past four seasons, the Lady Bearcats established themselves as a traditional contender in the NAIA’s American Mideast Conference.

Moving to the NCAA Division III level and the Presidents' Athletic Conference, coach Keith Harmon hopes that his team can do the same thing in its new digs.

“It’s our first year in the PAC,” he said, “and we’d like to win right away and establish that winning tradition.”

Despite losing a trio of All-AMC performers in Chris Basilone, Erin Mannella, and Nicole Mannella, Harmon remains optimistic that his team can continue its recent run of success.

Last season, the trio scored 24 of the team’s 57 goals, and Harmon will look to youth to make up for this void.

Sophomore Kylie Simonini (right), who burst onto the scene a season ago with 13 goals en-route to being named Honorable Mention All-AMC, looks to once again pick up a bulk of the scoring and should anchor a position at forward.

Simonini will be joined up front by two of her classmates, Adrianne Groth (7 goals, 10 assists in 2005) and Shelley Teems (6g, 7a), forming perhaps the fastest front line in the conference.

“Kylie has all of the capabilities,” Harmon said, “and we’re hoping that Groth and Teems can also pick up some of the offensive slack since Nicole Mannella left.”

Anchoring the defense will be senior stopper Ashley Shasko, a three-year starter.

The remaining positions in the back, however, will be hotly contested.

Senior Kate Andyjohn, who started 10 games a season ago, and sophomore Sarah Lindsey will compete for time at outside back, along with senior Alex Brunory, who missed all of last season due to injury, and incoming freshman Ashley Bartko.   

The sweeper position is also up for grabs between sophomores Sharlie Regan, Anna Wagenhofer, while Harmon also believes that newcomer Cat Gagnier can make immediate contributions in the back.

The position left with the biggest question mark is midfield, due to the loss of Basilone and Erin Mannella, both NAIA All-America selections, as well as three-year starter Lindsey Baudoux. 

“We have a huge hole to fill at midfield,” Harmon said.  “Right now, it’s wide open.”

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