Women's Soccer aims for CAC title game
The Salisbury University women's soccer team lost one key player in each area of the field with a great amount of experience and leadership from the 2008 season. But the group coming back for 2009 is filling the holes and battling hard in practice to earn their playing time.
While the players work for starting jobs, they are also trying to come together to form that cohesive unit that differentiates a good team from a tournament team.
"One player can be a huge part," head coach Jim Nestor said. Nestor is beginning his ninth season at the helm of Salisbury women's soccer. "They can keep the whole integrity of that unit together, so that is what we're doing right now is finding that right player."
Forwards
Up top is just one example of where the Sea Gulls will have a number of options. Julz Vendola (Kittery Point, Maine) will return after playing in just six games in 2008 due to injury. She will be joined by returners Christina Eury (Germantown, Md.), Sam Ondrejcak (Waldorf, Md.) and Sarah Jessilonis (Pasadena, Md.), who scored a team-high seven goals last year.
Newcomer Sarah Pfundstein (Crofton, Md.) is a player that will be pushing the returners for playing time.
Salisbury scored just 27 goals in 17 games in 2008, going stretches were scoring was hard to come by. With a number of returners and, in particular Vendola, Nestor is looking for a little more offense in 2009.
"I think with Julz coming back, that will be a big help," Nestor said. "She's such a creator, she has good moves with that ball that she sets other people up very well."
Midfield
Two-thirds of the midfield is solid, with returners Sarah Koenig (White Plains, Md.) and Mara Hauf (Baltimore, Md.) holding a tight grasp on starting positions, while the final spot is still in limbo, though it's not for a lack of options.
Nestor is confident in returners Brenna Stuhler (Madison, N.J.) and Danielle Crowley (Flanders, N.J.) along with freshman Bonnie Sandone (Downingtown, Pa.) while still trying to find the right fit into the line.
Defense
In the back of the field, the Sea Gulls will return a number of outside defenders, including Kira Mangone (West Windsor, N.J.), Colleen Galligan (North Salem, N.Y.) and Hillary Grove (Hagerstown, Md.). But they lost one of their key leaders in the middle in Kelli Salter.
"We're a little quiet back there right now," Nestor said. "We have good players, it's just finding that leadership quality and directive quality that needs to come out in some of these other players."
Returner Corrin Marrazzo (Newtown, Pa.) looks to be the front runner for taking the role in the middle of the defense, though the coaching staff has been impressed with the play of freshman Erin Mooney (Solomons, Md.).
The leadership loss in the back is compounded by the fact that the Sea Gulls will have a new face in the goal this year. Samantha Kaufman (Germantown, Md.) was listed as a midfielder in 2008, playing in nine games and scoring three goals. She has been converted to a goalkeeper for 2009 and will be joined by freshman Melissa Orgera (Arnold, Md.) vying for playing time in the net.
Schedule
While Salisbury will be playing a difficult non-conference schedule, beginning with Virginia Wesleyan, the Capital Athletic Conference slate will be just as important because of the strong teams from top to bottom.
"We feel that in the CAC, the parity is so strong that you have to play your A-game," Nestor said. "We start the season with strong competition, and when you look at our schedule, there is no real weak opponent."
With the shift in the post-season format where just six CAC teams make the conference tournament, making the tournament is a bit harder, and getting a higher seed (and possibly a first-round bye) is very important.
Summary
The Sea Gulls played in back-to-back CAC championship games, winning one, before getting knocked out in the semifinals last year. This year, it's all about getting back to that title game.
"Right now we're focusing on taking it one game at a time, first and foremost, and let's just get back to that CAC championship game and do it from there," Nestor said. "We feel we have the talent, but we have to play well together."
