Sheamus Dalton
Sports Editor
The women’s soccer team has left nothing to be desired in their first four games of the season. The Scots have notched convincing wins against Mount St. Joseph Academy, Washington & Jefferson College, Marietta College and Defiance College en route to their first 4-0 season start in six years.
The women’s team, currently ranked sixth among all teams in the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Region, has picked up right where they left off from last season. The girls finished 12-6-1 in 2012 with an unfortunate season-ending loss to Denison in the NCAC semifinal game. This left the Scots with a successful foundation on which to structure their youthful team for the upcoming season.
“I think that with losing eight seniors that really had a presence on the field has made everyone change their mindset and improve their game,” said defender Paige Madden ’14. “We have been working a lot of defense and working together as a team and I think that we have done really well for how young our team is.”
As Madden explained, the team is a primarily young squad consisting of eight first-years and nine sophomores. However, it has been the young players who have provided much of the early success; Kennedy Payne and Kathleen Kalafatis have led the Scots in scoring with three goals and one assist apiece.
Midfielder Isabel Abarca ’16 has been impressed with the play of the first-years thus far in the season. “They definitely bring an attacking mindset to the team and have scored a majority of our goals this season. The first-year class brings a high level of intensity and urgency that has inspired all of us to work harder as a team and in effect, has made us a strong team.”
While first-years have provided the initial spark that the team used in their first four victories, key returning players from last season will provide a backbone for the team as they move on to more difficult conference play.
Madden will be joined by Rachael Davis ’16 and Kimberly Seidell ’15 to recreate a defensive unit that only allowed six goals in eight conference games last season and only three goals this season. The Scots also graduated their only goalkeeper last year and the veteran knowledge that these upperclassmen bring to each game will be crucial in helping one of their three freshmen keepers tend goal successfully.
In the midfield, first-year intensity will be balanced by the return of Krysten Kamlowshy ’14, Jessica Friesen ’15, Lauren Hancher ’16 and Lily Mohre ’16. Collectively, Hancher and Mohre combined for 42 shots, five goals and five assists last season and will this year look to be the center of all attacking chances for the Scots.
Arguably the most significant loss the team felt in graduating its 2012 seniors is the spot left behind by forward Erika Kay. Responsible for nine goals and four assists last season, Kay will be replaced by a combination of first-years and upperclassmen. Kalafatis has lead the way in this effort early on but is supported by Abarca, Crystal Chavez ’15 and Katherine Tuttle ’15 in the attacking third. The Scots will look to improve on their positive 14 goal differential from last season with this core group of attacking midfielders and forwards.
This season, communication and chemistry will be qualities the women’s team will focus on to reach success against their difficult upcoming schedule. Cooperative and balanced play will be necessary between the successful returning players and the developing first-years who have lit up the pitch in the season opening matches. Madden finished her thoughts on the team this year by adding, “The upperclassmen have accepted their roles as leaders and it is translating well to the younger players.”