Women's Soccer Preview:
With a week and a half of practice under their belt the St. Thomas Aquinas Women's Soccer team will kick off the 2009 season at 5 PM this evening as they face LeMoyne College in the AIC Classic. The Lady Spartans will play host team American International tomorrow at 2 PM. "This tournament will be a true test for us, commented first year Head Coach Nicole Ballou, it will help us prepare for the season we have ahead." Ballou took over at the helm in November of 2008 and is excited about the opportunity ahead. "We still have a lot of work ahead of us but it is our goal to improve the quality of the program and lay the foundation for our future success," stated Ballou. Goal Keeper Coach Oscar Galvis and Mike Looney look to assist Ballou this season as they also joined the Lady Spartans Coaching Staff for the first time.
Newcomers:
Along with the new look on the sideline the Lady Spartans added six new faces to the roster, starting with the return of senior goal keeper Jeanette Gibson who took a season off to focus on track and field. Sophomore transfer Tori Matt, a Junior College All American at Broome CC, adds a new dimension and scoring threat to the front line of the Lady Spartan offense. Sarah Rusciano a junior transfer from NJIT, who will sit this season out, will play a viable role on the sideline providing leadership along with her Division I experience. The Lady Spartans also brought in three promising freshmen; Michelle Dugan who will be an impact player in the midfield, Nicole Campion who adds depth in goal and Aimee Gomez who will redshirt this year but adds athleticism and toughness to the squad.
Returners:
The Lady Spartans who were pre-season ranked 7th after finishing 3-12-2 last season return thirteen players. Included is leading scorer Katherine Dapolito who tallied eleven goals in her rookie campaign. Dapolito was named to the ECC 3rd Team All-Conference last season and is expected to have another solid year in midfield. Sophomore Liz Gronwoldt who added five goals and two assists as a freshman along with Junior Nicole Biolsi (four goals, two assist) round out the Lady Spartans top returning scorers. Sophomore's Michaelle Kelly and Christine Kennelly each added a goal in their first season and return with fellow classmates Amanda Nespolini in the backfield and back up goal keeper Julia Karl.
STAC a more veteran team then in the past have six seniors on the roster, most of who make up the defensive line for the Lady Spartans. With defense a major focus this season there are high expectations on the shoulders of upperclassmen Renee Remmers, Liz Pagnani, Ashley Nevins, Kelly Rose and Natalie Steciuk who are looking for strong finishes to their careers. Junior Maria Morgana rounds out the defensive line for the Lady Spartans and will help limit shots on goal.
Upcoming Games:
The Lady Spartans will play eight of their first ten games on the road, including a close to home game at cross town rival Nyack College on Wednesday September 2nd at 4 PM. STAC will host back to back home games September 15th against Post University then again September 18th against Bloomfield College. The squad will begin conference play on September 30th when they travel to Molloy College for a 7 PM game.