2008 PAC Women's Soccer Preview


BETHANY BISON (4-12-1 Overall, 2-4-0 PAC in 2006)
With 12 returning players and a new head coach in Barry Christmas, the Bethany College women’s soccer program is striving towards improving from last year’s 4-12-1 record and possibly earning a berth in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament in 2007.


Although he had a late start with his new team, as he wasn’t named head coach until March, productive spring training sessions and a strong recruiting class helped Christmas and the Bison make positive strides towards the upcoming season.

 

“Our spring training went well and provided me with an opportunity to build a relationship with the team from a coaching standpoint,” said Christmas, who had been the Bethany men’s assistant for two years prior to earning the women’s head position. “The enthusiasm of the players was pleasing and their willingness to apply themselves to a new environment was encouraging. The positive attitude the players demonstrated towards accepting change was a credit to them.

 

“As the training sessions progressed, the quality of play improved and this will hopefully be an indication of how our fall season unfolds,” said Christmas.

 

Christmas will have a chance to mix a large recruiting class with his group of returning players, as 14 newcomers will round out the Bison roster. A class that size, which Christmas credits the efforts of assistant coach Maggie Kuhn for maintaining the recruitment efforts, means there will be a lot of competition for playing time during camp, especially at keeper. Two veterans return, including senior Jessica Alloggia, a two-year starter who missed last season while studying overseas, and junior Courtney Teets, who notched two shutouts last season.

 

“We have a fairly large incoming class which is a credit to Maggie, who managed to keep the recruiting going when there was no head coach in place,” said Christmas. “The incoming class will create competition for places all over the field, which is an environment in practice that will enable Maggie and I to motivate players to be driven at all times. Having a starting spot will not be a guarantee, as we will have options at our disposal.

 

“The first example of our options is in the goalkeeper role, which is great for us,” said Christmas. “Courtney had experience last year, Jess returns and we have freshmen who have played at a solid standard in Sam Doby, Alicia Wayne and Eileen Campbell.”

 

The defensive corps in front of the net will be a blend of experience and youth. Two seniors are back to headline the group, including Meredith Coyne (left) and Brittany Lipinski, both of whom played in all 17 games a season ago. An injury to sophomore Amber Yarnell will keep her out this season, which paves the way for an eager trio of freshmen to earn time in the back.

 

“In front of the keeper, our defense will be marshaled by seniors Meredith and Brittany,” said Christmas. “These two will have the responsibility to help ease our freshmen into our defending system. We will miss the energy and work ethic of Amber, who will miss the season due to injury, but freshmen Sarah LeDonne, Brittany Granger and Nicole Bearden will compete for time and give us depth.”

 

The midfield is where the Bison look to be the most experienced. Juniors Ruthie Pettle, who had two goals and two assists last season, Rachael Katsur, who assisted on two goals, and Kristen Stewart, who finished with one goal and one assist, will provide the most experience. Sophomore Megan Cook (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Central), who started all 17 games as a freshman, is also back, and as many as five newcomers will be vying for time as well.

 

"In the middle, we will be expecting Ruthie, Lisa Wabrick, Megan and Rachael to shoulder much of the creative responsibility,” said Christmas. “Assisting with the workload in the engine of the team will be Kristen and Sarah Zavatski. Freshman who will create the competition for places will be Alex Frankhouser, Jordan Kirby, and Michelle McGinley.”

 

Where Bethany will be a little thin in terms of college experience is up front. Sophomore Kortni Collins is the leading returning scorer from this spot, as she notched two goals and one assist in 2006, but Christmas is high on sophomore Jena Hatmaker, who notched one goal in seven games as a freshman. With junior Emily Bota and senior Kelly Frey back as well to go along with three freshmen, there should be plenty of competition for Bethany’s goal-scoring opportunities.

 

“In attack, Jena has the potential to be a game winner,” said Christmas. “She is a strong physical presence who can create space for herself to shoot or bring supporting players around her into the game. Kortni gained valuable experience last season and, with that to draw upon, she too can create problems for opposing defenders. Complimenting these two with her pace will be Emily and Kelly will also be looking to contribute on the goal scoring front. Incoming freshmen who will also be attacking options are Kayla Wirick, Brittany Hodge and Roya Rabie.”

 

The Bison have narrowly missed out on PAC Tournament play each of the last two seasons, finishing fifth both years. So while it’s a fairly easy goal for Christmas and his team to set to break through and reach the conference tourney, the program will be setting other goals as the season goes along.

 

“In the last two seasons, Bethany just missed out on a berth in the playoffs finishing one spot outside the top four, so an obvious goal for this season would be to get into the tournament,” said Christmas. “I think goal setting is important, so the players and coaching staff can set criteria to measure the success of the season against.  I am aware that it is a result driven scale for the most part, but we will discuss in detail as a program where we see ourselves going and helping change the attitude of players to believing we are top four material.

 

“That process won’t happen overnight, but if we can stay healthy and ensure we are difficult to beat by being organized defensively in our early schedule prior to entering conference play and stick together in periods of adversity, then I feel the ingredients are there to make positive strides forward.”




CHATHAM COUGARS (4-10-2 Overall, 0-5-1 PAC in 2007)
The Chatham University soccer team, led by fifth-year head coach Jaime Retersdorf, will enter its second season of Presidents’ Athletic Conference competition in 2008.  The Cougars finished their initial campaign with a 4-10-2 overall record and a 0-5-1 mark in the PAC. 

 

Chatham lost two of its top three scorers from a season ago and will look to junior Kristie Brannon, who tallied four goals in 2007, to pace the offense.

 

The Cougars return five additional starters including a pair of midfielders in junior Karian Wise and sophomore Aleda Elkin (right) , as well as defenders in junior Courtney Korzeniowski as well as sophomore Ashley Bates. Junior Kristin Podboy returns to the field after making 15 starts in goal a season ago. Senior Amie Matthews, who appeared in 15 contests, including a pair of starts, and sophomore Megan Gallagher, who made 10 appearances, will provide valuable experience for Chatham.

 

Coach Retersdorf is also looking for strong contributions from the 11 newcomers that round out the squad, including sophomore midfielder Jen Mullen, who appeared in 13 games for NCAA Division II Concord University a season ago. 

 

Chatham opens the season at the Alvernia College Labor Day Tournament, against the host school, at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 30.  The Cougars do not open PAC play until October 7, when they will travel to Washington and Jefferson College.





GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (2-15-1 Overall in 2007)
The Geneva women’s soccer program has the pieces in place to make some serious strides forward in the 2008 season.  Coach Linda Sumner was handed the team in 2007, but with only two weeks to prepare for training camp.  There is some room for improvement as last season yielded a 2-15-1 overall record.  This year could prove to be a different story, when you take into account the added preparation and the returning nucleus of the team.  “There’s no doubt that last year was a learning experience for many players, as well as myself,” said Sumner. “The majority of our games last season were decided by one or two goals.  If we can improve on closing those games out, there’s potential to add a lot more to the win column.”

 

Geneva lost three seniors and tri-captains to graduation, but will welcome back just as much experience.  The Golden Tornadoes will return two out of their top three scorers on offense in Amanda Caler and Amanda MunschKelsey Anderson will also return for her senior season to add some depth and experience.  Coach Sumner will seek to revamp the 2007 offense based around the performance of the more experienced players.  “Coming in with this year’s group of girls, I feel a lot more comfortable with our offensive unit.” said Sumner.  “When you combine the added preparation and the commitment of the girls, I think you will see some clear improvements.”

 

If there is a silver lining in the struggles of last season, it was the performance by Amber Weaver and the Geneva defense.  Weaver has put her mark on every win that the Golden Tornadoes have seen over the past three years. The 2008 season will be the final installment of a standout career by a standout goalkeeper.  Coach Sumner will seek to surround Weaver with a group of players that will help produce some wins. Hopefully we can capitalize on that this season.”

 

Perhaps the most exciting piece of the 2008 women’s soccer puzzle will be the addition of over 15 new faces to the program. The recruiting efforts of  Sumner have certainly paid off in quantity and the hope is that the Golden Tornadoes will find quality within those same numbers. “I believe we were very successful in our recruiting efforts this year,” said Sumner. “We have outstanding women, who will have a great experience at Geneva, both on and off the field. We had some significant holes to fill from last year and I am confident that a number of these new faces will be up to the challenge to step in and contribute immediately.”

 

It will be essential for some new production as the Golden Tornadoes will be once again competing in the very challenging Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Geneva has also put together an impressive list of non-conference opponents that will challenge this team from day one. “We are hopefully more familiar and more prepared for our conference opponents this season,” said Sumner. “Our ladies have a better feel for the level of competition and I believe that will make a difference in how all of us approach things on game day. It will always be a challenge, but I believe this group is up for those challenges.”



GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (16-4-1 Overall, 5-2 PAC in 2007)
With 19 letterwinners and a nine-player senior class returning from a successful 2007 season, the Grove City College women’s soccer team is primed to reach even greater heights this campaign.

 

Coming off a record-setting 16-win season, Grove City welcomes back its top four scorers, several veteran defenders and two senior goalkeepers who have combined to play over 5,500 minutes in goal.

 

The Wolverines hope that this combination of talent, experience and depth will carry them to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference title and a third trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament since 2002.

 

In 2007, the Grove City defense emerged as one of the region’s finest as the Wolverines chalked up 11 shutouts. The core of that unit returns as Grove City returns three starting backs in 2008.

 

Senior Kristin Colley and junior Courtney Sicher are both back at the center back positions while senior Sara Griffin (right) is a three-year letterwinner at outside back. Junior Jenny Inouye started two matches at outside back in 2007 and will challenge for one of the vacant starting positions.

 

Sophomores Nicole Gaab and Laura Novosel are also expected to battle for time at defender.

 

Whoever starts at defender will be backed up by a veteran goalkeeper this season. Seniors Bethany Preston and Diana Pragel combined for 11 shutouts last year and will battle for the starting job in goal this fall. Pragel has 17 career wins while Preston owns 12 victories, including nine in 2007.

 

Grove City is well-stocked at midfielder as numerous veterans return. Seniors Esther Harclerode, Anne Koller and Laura Shipley have all played extensively during their careers at Grove City. The Wolverines also return junior Elise Bender, a Second Team All-PAC selection in 2007.

 

Also back at midfield is sophomore Emily Ostlund. Ostlund made an immediate impact at the offensive end in 2007 by leading Grove City with 15 goals in 2007. She earned First Team All-Region from the NSCAA.

 

At forward, Grove City returns several players who will help share the offensive load. Senior forward Stephanie Wild registered a dozen goals and picked up her second straight First Team All-PAC honor last season.

 

Juniors Michelle Peck and Lauren Woodring also return after each starting all 21 matches last year. Each scored six goals last year. Senior Trish Griffith is also back at forward. Junior Hannah Yang, a First Team All-PAC selection as a freshman in 2006, returns after missing the 2007 season.

 

Head coach Melissa Lamie is entering her 16th season as Grove City’s head coach. She is currently the conference’s all-time coaching wins leader in women’s soccer as well as Grove City’s all-time wins leader in women’s soccer.

 

The 2008 schedule will feature a rugged non-conference sector in addition to the always-challenging Presidents’ Athletic Conference slate.

 

Grove City opens the season with home matches against Medaille and Mount St. Joseph Aug. 29-30.

 

The non-conference schedule also features matches with Baldwin-Wallace, Carnegie Mellon, John Carroll, La Roche, Mount Union, Penn State Behrend and Rochester. Grove City will open PAC play Oct. 4 against Thiel. The regular season will wrap up Nov. 1 at home against Geneva.

 

           


SAINT VINCENT LADY BEARCATS (11-5-2 Overall in 2007)
After an 11-5-2 finish a season ago, which equaled the school record for wins in a season, the Saint Vincent women's soccer team will look to a number of new faces in hopes of continuing its recent successes.

While a number of new faces dot the team's 2008 roster, one newcomer will stand out the most.

The 2008 campaign will be the first for the Lady Beacats under new head coach Becky Stewart. Stewart replaces Keith Harmon, who will shift his focus to the Bearcat men's team after becoming the winningest coach in Lady Bearcat history over his 11-year reign.

Stewart brings a wealth of experience with her to Latrobe. A graduate of Clarion University, where she was a two-year starter on the soccer field, Stewart went on to assistant coaching gigs at Bemidji State University and Mount Union College before accepting the job at SVC in March.

"I actually played against Saint Vincent while I was at Clarion, and I always remembered the beauty of the campus," Stewart said. "I love the campus, I love the location, and I've realized it's just a great place to be."

Joining Stewart in her first year at SVC are seven freshmen, and the coach is confident that her team's newcomers can make an impact right away.

"Overall," Stewart said, "we have a lot of potential. We're really young, but I think the new players should all be able to develop, and quite a few should be able to help us out from the start."

One position that a freshman is slated to occupy right off the bat is in goal, following the graduation of two-year starter and SVC's single-season shutout record holder Jessica Urban. Entering the season, first-year player Kirstie Mills will have the task of replacing Urban, and Stewart feels confident in her new keeper.

"I'm very comfortable with Mills in goal," said Stewart. "Like any freshman, she has some room to improve, but she has good size and looks very confident. I expect nothing but good things from her."

In front of Mills, the Lady Bearcats return a pair of experienced defenders in Jessica Legg and Ashley Bartko. As a freshman last season, Legg gained valuable experience, starting 16 games, and often had the challenge of marking the opposition's top scorer. Bartko has started every game of her career for the Lady Bearcats, playing both midfield and defense, and Stewart has high hopes for the junior.

"Bartko has the mentality to lead everyone in the back," said Stewart. "She's physical, she's smart, and she always seems to make the right decisions. She will control our back line."

Another returnee in which Stewart has high expectations is senior Kylie Simonini (left). The forward has led the team in goals in each of her three seasons at SVC, earning a pair of PAC Coaches Honors as well as a selection to the All-American Mideast Conference team as a freshman. She enters the season as the fourth all-time leading scorer in team history with 83 points, and with 33 goals, she is just 11 away from the school record.

"I didn't get to see Kylie play until our preseason," Stewart said, "but with what I've seen, I'm very happy with what we have up front in her. She has speed, she is a great passer, and she can finish. I don't see why she wouldn't have another big year for us."

Simonini will be joined in front by sophomore Leanna Seminsky, who missed the final 18 games of last season with injury, and a pair of freshmen in Sara Bana and Emily Ianachione.

Two-year starter Alex Shasko will lead the midfield corps. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, scoring eight goals with four assists en-route to receiving PAC Coaches Honors. She was well on her way to a similar performance a year ago, scoring five goals in the first 10 games of the season, but was sidelined for the final three weeks of the season due to illness. Now back to her old form, Stewart expects big things from the junior.

"She is going to be big for us in the middle," said Stewart. "She's another smart player with exceptional foot skills. We've been working with her and encouraging her during preseason to become more comfortable with playing offensively, and with her track record, I think she'll be big contributor for us on offense."

Another seasoned veteran, senior Katie Messinger, will join Shasko at midfield. Messinger has played in every game over the course of her career, making 37 starts, and has been a very consistent defensive midfielder while also proving her worth to the offense, as she enters the year with nine goals and 12 assists for her career.

Messinger's classmate, Abby Chabitnoy, will occupy the outside mid position. Chabitnoy spent the first two seasons of her career in goal, earning All-American Mideast Conference accolades as a freshman, but flourished after being moved to the field due to an injury-depleted lineup last season. Freshmen Logan Gamelier is also slated to start at midfield after a highly decorated high school career at Seneca Valley.

While some coaches may be less than comfortable fielding a roster composed of nearly half freshmen, Stewart is confident in the make up of her team.

"I know that our upperclassmen will be more than good leaders," Stewart said. "Our freshmen are easy to lead. They're all good people who want to learn and want to get better. I think our team is a perfect mix."

Being new to the college and to the PAC, Stewart is unsure of what exactly to expect from her conference opponents in 2008.

"I'm not exactly sure what to expect," she said. "I know the conference has a lot of consistently strong teams, and this year, we will come into every game ready to play. We will never underestimate anyone."

The Lady Bearcats open up the 2008 campaign on September 6th, taking part in a two-day tournament at Case Western Reserve University.


 


THIEL TOMCATS (2-13-2 Overall, 0-6-1 PAC in 2007)

The strengths of 2008 women’s soccer team begin in goal with sophomore keeper Jill Harry returning between the posts.  Harry, an all-PAC Second Team selection a year ago, led the league in both saves and saves per game in her rookie campaign a year ago.  On defense, senior Cayla Zukowski, an all-PAC honorable mention and 14-game starter in 2007, in addition to sophomore Vicki Woodward

 

Shifting to the offense, senior captain Jamie Dawson along with senior Tahnee Gruskiewicz will bring experience to a Thiel offense that handled defensive pressure well a season ago.  Juniors Ashley Williams and Sarah Thompson as well as sophomore Rachael Finch will be counted on by second year head coach Jeurell Smith to furnish a spark on offense.

 

The program has also brought in a talented crop of 10 freshmen, many of whom will be counted on to contribute throughout the course of the season.
 

 

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (16-3 Overall, 7-0-0 PAC in 2007)
Two straight conference regular season championships were followed by two consecutive home defeats in the conference tournament.  It’s time for the Thomas More women’s soccer team to redeem themselves by claiming the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championship.

 

The Saints return four All-PAC players – juniors Kristen DePaoli and Kaitlyn Cohen, along with sophomores Angie Kersting and Megan Hobbs – that they hope will spearhead an effort that returns them to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history. Kersting was named second team all-region selection a season ago.

 

The Saints appear better equipped to make the run at the NCAA Tournament, though youth could still be a speed bump.

 

“We are going to be young again,” said head coach Jeff Cummings. “We have 20-plus field players, and only seven are not freshmen or sophomores. However, I think we are going to be deeper that the past two teams." “I expect us to play twenty field players in every match. That will allow us, with the sibbing rules, higher levels of pressure on the ball everywhere on the field.”

 

As evidenced by three defensive players on the PAC team, Thomas More path to success will come from its ability to lock down opposing offenses. The Saints limited opponents to a PAC-low eight goals in 18 games in posting a 17-2 record. 

 

DePaoli, Cohen, Kersting are joined by senior Mindy Cooper along the Saints’ last line of the defense. The quartet also teamed to yield the fewest shots on goal. Cooper is in line to be a four-year starter for the Saints. In addition, Stephanie Hufford returns in goal after posting a 9-1 record in 10 games. She allowed five goals with four shutouts.

 

The Saints also return four starters in the midfield, headlined by Hobbs. The sophomore led the team with seven assists, which ranked her fourth in the PAC. She will be joined by senior Kirsten Leininger, junior Stacy Knapp and sophomore Toria Cross.

 

“Our defense is what is going to give us a chance to win games until we figure out who is going to score,” said Cummings.

 

 Keeping the opponents from scoring could be more important with the loss of PAC Player of the Year, Brittany Yeggy. The forward was second nationally in goals last season with 27 goals. Replacing her production will be done by an inexperienced committee. Along with the departure of Yeggy, the graduation of Emily Hagedorn leaves the Saints without their leading scoring in each of the past four seasons.

 

“I’d be shocked if anyone scored 20 goals for us,” said Cummings. “We need five or six people to score seven or more goals. In the short term, it’s scary. It’s going to be a battle (to who will score) and it’s probably gonna change daily.”    

 

Only one forward, senior Samantha Smith, has more than six career starts. However, all of her 15 starts came two years ago during her sophomore campaign. During that season, Smith had three goals and five assists. She only tallied one goal and one assist last season.

 

Sophomores Brandi Carmichael and Megan Keck are the other two forwards returning from a season ago. Carmichael was second on the team last season with six goals, while Keck added two goals and three assists.

 

The group should get a boost from Wilmington College transfer Deanna Goshdigian. She played in 13 games with two starts two seasons ago for the Quakers.

 


 

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (9-10-3 Overall, 4-3 PAC in 2007)
The Washington and Jefferson College women's soccer program and second-year head coach Pete Curtis look to bounce back from an up-and-down 2007 campaign. The Presidents were able to make a late season push, one that catapulted them into the conference championship game for the first time in school history, but finished with a 9-10-3 overall mark. 

 

Seven seniors will lead W&J in 2008; four of which are returning starters from last season: goalie Jackie Foltz, midfielders Beth Reefer and Madison Manius and defender Megan Ferderber

 

Manius and Reefer will be expected to make string offensive contributions.  Manius returns as the team's leading scorer from a year ago, after totaling 17 points on eight goals and one assist.  Reefer looks to provide another threat from the midfield after tallying seven points last season (3g, 1a). 

 

Foltz and Ferderber will bolster a defensive unit that set a new single season school-record with 11 shutouts.  For the fourth consecutive season, Foltz will handle the duties in goal for W&J. Throughout her career, she has amassed a total of 306 saves and has posted 19 shutouts. 

 

Seniors Julianna Priola, Colleen Torsney and Samantha Sosko (right) will provide veteran leadership in the midfield. 

 

Curtis will also be expecting big things from a strong junior class, especially from the quartet of returning midfielders including: Karly Hresko, Tiffany Sherred, Jessica Swartz, and Spencer Ahrenholtz.  Ahrenholtz led the junior group in scoring as a sophomore, recording three goals and one assist.  Swartz and Sherred both chipped in with one goal a piece, but will be looking to put the ball in the back of the net more consistently this fall.  Hresko developed into a solid starter in her first year on campus in 2007.  Curtis is expecting her to increase her leadership role in the fall. 

 

The Presidents open the 2008 season by traveling to Pitt-Greensburg on August 31st for a 6:00 pm battle with the Bobcats. 




WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (7-9-2 Overall, 4-3 PAC in 2007)

The 2008 Waynesburg University women’s soccer team will certainly have a much different look for the 2007 squad that finished 7-9-2 overall and 2-4-1 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play under the leadership of head coach Jim Rue.

 

Out of 24 women on last year’s roster, only 14 are back this year and 14 newcomers are included in this year’s batch of talent. The youthful Yellow Jackets feature just four seniors, one in each portion of the field.

 

FORWARDS

Up front, senior Juli Amato is back after starting 13-of-16 contests she played in last season. In 2007, Amato tied for second on the team in goals (4) and scored the second-most points with nine. Amato was also second on the team with 25 shots.

 

Sophomore Brittney Brown also returns after scoring three goals in 2007 and adding two assists, which tied for first on the team last year. The Bethel Park native started 12 of the 18 games she appeared in.

 

Juniors Heidi Zeak, Catherine Moore and Julie Adamo will look to provide some veteran depth for the team up front.

 

MIDFIELDERS

After a phenomenal freshman season, Peters Township graduate Danielle Danhires returns to the Yellow Jackets after leading the team in goals (7), points (16) and shots (29). After her impressive rookie year, Danhires was honored as a first-team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference pick.

 

Joining Danhires in the middle of the field is Kati Stafiej, a senior captain who, like Danhires, started all 18 games in 2007. The native of Jeannette, Pa. scored a goal and an assist last season.

 

Juniors Alisha Dean and Tiffany Davis are also back after starting a combined 35 games last year and appearing in all 36, providing even more veteran presence for the Jackets. Yet another junior, Jenna Eppler, tacked on a pair of goals in 15 starts for Waynesburg in 2007.

 

Sophomore Brittany Spitznogle is yet another option at midfield and looks to be a player on the rise. Last year, the Waynesburg native and Jefferson-Morgan grad tied Amato with four goals last year on 17 shots.

 

Overall, the midfielders look to be perhaps the deepest, most talented group of the Waynesburg women.

 

DEFENSE

Senior Amanda Serjak, who will also serve as a team captain, returns to lead the defense. Last year, Serjak scored an assist while starting all 17 games she appeared in. Junior Maggie Oltman scored a goal in one start and 17 appearances last season. Sophomore Sarah Spicuzza and Tonya Tanner both bring varsity experience with them from 2007. Sophomore Amy Macurdy, who could also see time at the midfield position, scored one goal after appearing in 17 contests last year. Junior Maddie Oltman and sophomore Sarah Spicuzza bring even more experience to the back line.

 

GOALIE 

Rue, along with assistant coaches Pedro Sanvicente and Becky Snow, have several options at goalie led by senior Page Yeich. Last year, Yeich started 13 of the 15 games she appeared in. Yeich, a native of Pennsville, N.J., put together a 3-5 record in net and had a .781 save percentage.

 

There is also a trio of freshmen who will be competing with Yeich for the starting job and for playing time in Shay Smith, Katrina Kelly and Jaime Williamson.

 

FRESHMEN

Along with his core of returners, Rue is excited about his crop of first-year players, which is the largest of his tenure.

 

“I am very pleased with the talent I’ve seen to date,” Rue said. “We have depth and talent with the trio of freshmen goalkeepers, while the field players should get plenty of experience on the field this year as they compete for starting positions.” The depth and high school resumes of the rookies have already made such an impact on Rue that they has him aiming high this season and for seasons to come.

 

“The future of our program is bright,” Rue said. “The results of this year’s squad depend on how quickly these players mesh with one another in performing the roles they are assigned by the coaching staff.”
 


WESTMINSTER TITANS (15-5-3 Overall, 6-1 PAC in 2007)
Here's the precedent that is set before the 2008 Westminster College women's soccer team: In the last six years the Titans have made five trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament and won five conference titles including the last two.
 

Certainly, the Titans have built a reputation of winning, but what exactly do you expect from a team that's lost several integral players to graduation?

 

"We are a Westminster team," said seventh-year head coach Girish Thakar. "It will be very disappointing if we are not contending for a title."  Westminster returns five starters and 15 letter-winners from a team that posted a 15-5-3 record, won the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title for a second straight year, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 2 Messiah in the second round.

 

Thakar likes to think his team can be just as successful, but losing six starters, two of which were first-team all-PAC and all-region selections, will be a tall order. Westminster will have to move on without Mallory Bugel, who despite an injury-plagued senior year finished her career ranked fifth in team history with 37 goals and fourth with 102 points.

 

"It's difficult to tell," Thakar said. "Every year we've had players lost and were forced to regroup. We've seemed to do a good job at competing every year."
 

Players like senior forward Christina Adams will make "regrouping" seem easy. Adams was a first team all-PAC selection who led the team and ranked second in the PAC with 37 points (13 goals, 11 assists) last year. Adams was also named to the all-Great Lakes Region team.

 

Senior midfielder Abby Montgomery returns to the team after an injury kept her out the entire 2007 season. Montgomery is a two-year starter who scored seven goals in 2006.

 

 A third senior that returns to the squad is defender Jessi Losteter. A three-year starter, Losteter was an honorable mention for the all-PAC team last year and a second-team pick in 2006.

 

Returning in net for the Titans will be junior goalkeeper Lindsey Mellott , who ranked second in the PAC last year with a .906 save percentage and seven shutouts.

 

The other two starters are sophomores Sarah Nee and Emily Fitchwell. Nee ranked second on the team last year with 21 points (7 G, 7 A) in 18 starts, while Fitchwell started 16 matches and scored two goals, including one in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over Manhattanville.

 

Other reserves who saw significant action last year include juniors Lauren Graeser and Meredith Sabol and sophomores Krista Goralczyk, Kristin Kajari and Emily Winn, all of which played in at least 17 matches. Graeser made 10 starts and tied for third on the team with 15 points (5 G, 5 A).

 

"It's going to be interesting," Thakar added. "We don't have a lot of older leaders, but we still have a talented group and we have some girls who came off the bench last year who were ready to play."  



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