WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — There hasn’t been an official
announcement, nor T-shirts printed, but the frontrunner to be the
slogan of the 2009 Williams College women’s soccer team is
clearly this: The fire in the belly remains.
The current two-time conference champions return to the pitch
after a record 19-1-1 season in ’08, with its second NESCAC
championship and a trip to the national semifinals in hand as
well.
No less than 17 players are back from that team, giving head coach
Michelyne Pinard unprecedented depth as she heads into her eighth
season (83-23-15, .748 winning percentage).
“Our plan going into the season is to figure out who is
playing the best soccer and where we can place them on the field to
help the team the most,” Pinard said. “I don’t
think what we achieved last year is a part of our daily
consciousness. Rather, there’s a sense from the team that
they are capable of playing really great soccer and competing at
the highest level of Division III. That’s our goal.”
|
| Kara Duggan '11 |
Pinard’s toughest task in the preseason may be
determining a starting line-up. The list of veterans she has
returning is impressive. Up front, seniors Brianna Wolfson (11
goals, 9 assists, 31 points) and Sarah Walmsley (4g., 5a., 13 pts.)
lead the way along with sophomore Brett Eisenhart, who had a strong
first-year campaign with 4 goals and 4 assists for 12 points.
Junior Annelise Snyder (5g., 4a., 14 pts.) will also provide some
offense upfront.
Candidates for the midfield include junior Sara Wild (9g, 4a., 22
pts.),, junior Jackie Russo, junior Tyler Rainer and sophomores
Nicole Stenquist and Sachi Siegelman. Wild and Wolfson were First
Team All-New England selections one year ago.
Senior Christine Jones and sophomore Erin McGonagle provide added
depth in the midfield and in the back.
In the back, junior Kara Duggan anchors an experienced group that
includes juniors Lizzie Danhakl and Annie Neil and sophomore Anne
Marie Burke.
The Ephs allowed 13 goals in 21 games last season, and the
goalkeeping of senior Lauren Sinnenberg and junior Julia Schreiber
was instrumental in keeping opponents off the scoreboard.
Sinnenberg compiled an 0.61 goals against average with an .825 save
percentage and Schreiber was no slouch either, with a 0.62 GAA and
an .833 save percentage.
For her efforts, Sinnenberg was named First Team All-America for
Div. III by the National Soccer Coaches Association of
America/adidas.
“We have experienced players who can play in the back and I
think goalkeeper is one of our strongest positions,” Pinard
said. “The quality of all of our goalkeepers, including the
incoming first years, is high. We do need to find a ball winner in
the middle of the field who can dominate in the air and on 50-50
balls.”
|
| Sara Wild '11 |
The losses of All-American Gabrielle Woodson and All-New England
selection Caitlin Colesanti at forward and back, respectively, do
leave holes to be filled.
Williams netted 56 goals in ’08, a single-season school
record 15 coming off one foot or the other of Woodson, who also
displayed a knack for scoring in clutch situations. Still, Pinard
did not start the preseason worried about her team’s ability
to score.
“I think we have some young players who can be as effective
as Gabby was,” she said. “But they have different
styles. I think you can look for us to be even more dynamic as a
team offensively and less dependent on individuals.”
The first-year class is a deep, talented and exciting group that
includes Samantha Vilaboa (Norwood, MA), Chloe Kuh (Newton,
MA), Laura Wann (Palos Verdes, CA), Caitlyn Clark (Middleton,
MA), Bridget Gallagher (Cranford, NJ) Chelsea Davies (New York, NY)
and Kristine Nakada (Oakland, CA).
“We have a good incoming class but our returners have a lot
of experience and confidence,” Pinard said. “I
don’t think we’re depending on our first years, even
though they are a talented group.”
Of course, competing in the conference will be a tough enough test
for Williams. Amherst, Middlebury, Tufts and others will be gunning
for the top of the standings board.
“I think the conference is pretty unpredictable this
year,” Pinard said. “I say that every year, but several
teams, including us, lost significant classes. Every game will be
contested.”
|
| Brett Eisenhart '12 |
After a season-ending 3-1 defeat to Wheaton (Ill.) in a national
semifinal contest last year, Pinard kept her team in Greensboro to
watch the final between the Thunder and Messiah. It proved to be an
excellent lesson for the Ephs.
“I think there’s a sense we’re always a work in
progress,” Pinard said. “But there is also a sense
after being at the final four last year that, yes, we are good
enough to compete on the national level. I think there’s a
certain confidence and calm that comes with that – they know
anything is possible if they compete every single day.”
