2009 Penn State Behrend Women's Soccer Preview
The Penn State Behrend women’s soccer team is gearing up for a fresh assault on the AMCC Championship in 2009. After missing out on the AMCC Championship game for the first time since 2002, the Behrend Lions are hungry for a new start in 2009.
Behrend posted a record of 7-12-1 in 2008 and lost in the AMCC semi-final in double overtime. “A lot of teams would be happy with making the conference semi-final, but for us it was a disappointing season as we have become used to greater success,” said sixth year Head Coach Patrick O’Driscoll. “The 2008 team was very talented, it just didn’t happen for us last year.” Within the 2008 season there were three overtime losses and a eight games lost by a single goal.
The blue and white have a balanced line-up this fall with three seniors, four juniors, and seven sophomores returning to the team. “I really sense a strong drive within the players to reach our goals in 2009. We are coming off an excellent spring season where the younger players gained a lot of experience,” continued O’Driscoll. “They seem more comfortable within our style of play and have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed at this level.”
Entering this season a pair of senior captains will push the team. Brittany Barbato (State College/State College) and Kayla Frost (Venetia/Peters Township) will anchor the team from the midfield and goalkeeper positions. Barbato has played in 44 games throughout her Behrend career. She has outstanding leadership skills and provides stability in the midfield. Frost is a top notch goalkeeper. She has a pair of AMCC All-Conference honors under her belt and returns after missing almost all of last season with an injury. In 2007, she posted a 1.24 goals against average and earned nine shutouts. Also providing a veteran presence is senior goalkeeper Beth Lacy (Erie/Harborcreek). Last season, Lacy stepped up in goal starting 13 games, registering a 1.03 GAA and producing five shutouts. Lacy and the Behrend defense ranked second in the AMCC in shutouts. “Our goalkeeper position is very strong,” said O’Driscoll. “Kayla Frost is back now and will be competing with Beth Lacy for the starting spot. Beth had a very strong end to the fall season and we are fortunate to have such great depth at this position.”
Key returning players for the Behrend Lions include three All-AMCC selections from the 2008 season. Sophomore Lindsey Steinsdorfer (Pittsburgh/North Hills) and junior Caitlyn Elser (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) are two all-league midfielders who will be asked to pick up the Behrend Lions offense. Steinsdorfer and Elser finished second and third on the roster for points with 18 and 17 respectively. Both found the back of the net eight times and will drive the offensive attack. Kelly Thill (Wexford/Pine-Richland), a junior defender, is critical to the defense and will provide support in the back. Thill was selected as the program’s Most Valuable Player after a breakthrough 2008 season. Junior Jaclyn Stottlemyer (Charleroi, PA/Charleroi) played in all 20 games last season and will be another asset for the blue and white.
“Caitlyn and Kelly have matured into outstanding players for us. Kelly holds things together for us defensively and Caitlyn and Jackie are two of the hardest workers on the team,” said O’Driscoll. “Their high ability levels combined with their commitment to the program makes them key players for us in 2009.”
Adding depth to the roster is junior midfielder Dana Cerminara (Cranberry/Seneca Valley) who worked in six games last season. The sophomore class will also be instrumental to the Behrend success in 2009. Four of the six played in 19 of the 20 Behrend games last season and will lean on the year of experience. Caitlyn Bleggi (New Castle/New Castle) and Kelsey Donegan (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny) are two defenders that will protect the goal. Bleggi was selected along with Steinsdorfer as the program’s Rookie of the Year. Four forwards, Glennis Robash (Mars/Mars), Heather Klimuszka (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena), Erin McCreary (Pittsburgh/Seton-LaSalle), Emily Lewis (Washington/Bishop Cavevin), will play up front and attack the goal.
Eight new freshmen will join the Behrend Lions in 2009. “I always feel that we bring in quality players to our program, but this freshman class may be one of the best we have had here at Behrend,” O’Driscoll said. “They all come from quality high school and club programs, and many of them were leaders of their high school teams. Several have the chance to significantly impact our team as freshman.”
These freshmen should add depth to an experienced Behrend Lions squad. Among those competing for time are midfielders Meredith Gipson (Murrysville/Franklin Regional), Megan Hazel (Painesville, OH/Riverside), Danielle Pelensky (Erie/Harborcreek), and Valerie Wagner (Pittsburgh/Montour). Julia Schroeck (Fairview/Fairview) is a first-year forward. Defending the goal will be Christina Nguyen (North Huntingdon/Greensburg Central), Kourtney Gasparovic (West Mifflin/West Mifflin), and Elese Merkovsky (North Huntingdon/Grayslake North).
“Last season proved that the AMCC is a more open conference than it has been in the past with many teams capable of winning it all,” O’Driscoll said. “We know that it will be a battle to win it but this is the goal we set for ourselves every year. With the additional year of experience these players have and the influx of talented new players I feel we will be in the mix of things come playoff time.”
The season begins with three straight games on the Behrend Fields. Washington and Jefferson, a 2008 NCAA Tournament participant, travels to Erie to play on September 2, in the opener for both teams. Then on September 5 and 6, Behrend hosts the Herb Lauffer Memorial Soccer Tournament with Baldwin-Wallace, Geneseo, and Juniata appearing. Then the blue and white will compete in the very competitive Fredonia State Tournament. The blue and white will also battle Allegheny, Grove City, and Westminster in non-league action before opening AMCC play at home against the Frostburg State Bobcats on Saturday, September 19. “We try to schedule the strongest teams we can in the non-conference portion of the season,” said O’Driscoll. “By playing these colleges, we feel we are well-prepared for AMCC play.”
Behrend has won six of the twelve AMCC conference crowns, and will be striving to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the past four seasons. Last year during a three game stretch in league play, Behrend ripped through Franciscan, Pitt-Greenburg, and Pitt-Bradford by a combined 13-0 score, but had tough 1-0 losses on the front and back ends of this run. Then Behrend then avenged a regular season one goal loss to La Roche, by ending the Redhawks season in the AMCC first round in double overtime before falling to the eventually league champions of Altoona, 1-0, in double overtime. The 2009 schedule features ten league games split evenly at home and on the road.
The Behrend women’s soccer program will continue to rely on its past traditions and use as a motivating force entering 2009. Behrend has competed in ten of the 12 AMCC championship games since the conference’s inception in 1997 and historically boasts a 169-91-21 mark. The blue and white won four straight AMCC championships during the 1997-2000 seasons and have won two of the past three league titles.
“Within our program we talk about focusing on the things we can control like having a good work-rate, a positive attitude, and a team-first philosophy,” closed O’Driscoll. “As long as our players continue to work on these things I feel we stand an excellent chance of having a successful 2009 season.”