2007 Women's Soccer Preview
8/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Under the direction of first-year head coach Kazbek Tambi, the 2007 Seton Hall women’s soccer team prepares to begin a new era of Pirate soccer. The team will return to a newly renovated Owen T. Carroll Field after playing its 2006 season off campus and will host its first ever home game under the lights on the artificial field turf.
“I’m really excited about starting my first season,” said Tambi. “Having our new field in place and having assembled a uniquely qualified coaching staff, I am thrilled at the prospect of shaping this program. My coaching experience on the men’s side for nine years at Seton Hall was invaluable, and my goal will be to create a training and game environment which will closely resemble the high level men’s game.”
“I am thrilled that we’re getting into the regular season now,” said Tambi. “I started working with the girls last spring for the first time, but I really don’t know what to expect given that it’s my first year with this new group. I think it will take a couple of games for me to get a real sense of where we are at, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and to try to make the necessary adjustments that will enable us to have a strong season.”
Joining Tambi on the sidelines this year will be top assistant Esmeralda Negron. A two-time All-American at
“Esmeralda was formerly one of my youth players at the club level, so I know her very well,” said Tambi. “More importantly, she knows what kinds of things are important to me philosophically, in terms of style of play. We are on the same page.”
“The other important item is that Esmeralda is still a tremendous player,” said Tambi. “She’s a national-level, professional-level player, so she can be a tremendous role model on the field during training sessions everyday. She can set a standard higher than the current college standard. I think that will be another important role she plays in our program.”
Also assisting the Pirates this season will be Fredy Guiran. A two-time First Team All-American at
“We are very lucky in that we have someone who has played at the highest professional level in men’s soccer,” commented Tambi. “On the field, Fredy can demonstrate a speed of play, technical proficiency and knowledge level that is far superior to the highest level of women’s collegiate soccer. And I think that will go a long way in helping to develop our players.”
After qualifying for the BIG EAST Championship last year for the first time since the 2000 season and the fifth time in school history, the team returns a strong nucleus despite losing eight seniors to graduation. Off the field, the Pirates enjoyed a successful season as well, with Jen Michewicz, Katie Herr and Megan Fenton earning Academic All-District honors. Michewicz was also named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American and Seton Hall’s Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Herr was named the ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. This year, under the leadership of captains Amanda Becker, Kathy De Tata and Beth Troutman, the squad looks well positioned to improve on last season’s mark.
“You look for leadership from the upperclassmen because they’ve been through many more battles than the rest,” said Tambi. “With that being said, we’re looking for everybody to step up at this time. The nice part about having a new coach and a brand new season is that they are all coming in with a clean slate, without any preconceived notions of who had the best season last year or who didn’t fare so well. On day one they’re all going to come in with a blank slate and paint their own picture.”
“Initially we’ll look for the upperclassmen to set the standard, but at the end of the day we have 22 players and we’ll be asking them all to step up, regardless of their class,” continued Tambi. “Leadership is not something unique to a certain age.”
The forward line will be led by the senior duo of Kathy De Tata and Alli Donofrio. De Tata is the team’s leading returning scorer, having tallied seven points in 2006, while Donofrio was second in line with six points last season. Both players tallied two game-winning goals last season and the team will look to them offensively once again in the 2007 season.
After gaining valuable experience her rookie season, sophomore Kaitlyn Rogers returns to the Pirates as one of the top offensive threats. As a freshman she tallied four points, including one game-winning goal. Sophomore Mackenzie Yoke and freshmen Maddy Kill and Kassandra Palmer add depth to the forward position and will push for playing time.
The Pirates return the midfield trio of seniors Beth Troutman, Ashley Reinecke and Kristen Ponichtera. Troutman, who has been a solid contributor for the Pirates over the course of her career, returns for her final year after being hampered by an injury in the 2006 season. Reinecke has started every game in her career in the midfield while Ponichtera is a valuable asset to both the midfield and the back line.
Junior Cassie Gioia and sophomore Katie Andreski add depth to the midfield; both saw action in more than half the games in the 2006 season and are ready to contribute to the transition down the field. Freshmen Shannon Desmond, Nicki Gross and Keri O’Donnell are all highly touted recruits that could make an immediate impact in their rookie campaign.
The team returns a solid back line for the 2007 season. After posting the best goals against average in the history of the program a year ago, junior Anne Anders and sophomore Megan Mills will anchor the defense once again. Senior Maeve O’Donnell, who was hampered by an injury in 2006 but started all but one game in 2005, will also provide experience. Sophomore Kirah Hiltz saw action in 15 games her rookie season, scoring a pair of goals along the way.
Senior goalkeeper Amanda Becker returns to the Pirates as the starting goalkeeper. Becker is coming off a successful junior season where she set the single-season school record with a 1.23 goals against average. Becker will be supported by senior goalkeeper Erin St. Angelo, who saw action in one game in the 2006 season, and freshman Elizabeth Bond.
“I was pleasantly surprised during the spring,” said Tambi. “The work ethic the players brought to every practice was excellent. The team chemistry was outstanding, and we have a great bunch of personalities that I got to know during the spring. Hopefully the things we worked on in the spring, with the influx of some really good freshmen, will help to create a good cohesive unit.
The 2007 season promises to be a must-see for Pirate soccer fans. With a solid foundation already in place, Seton Hall will aim for even greater heights as a new era begins in
