Aug. 29, 2003
The Villanova women's soccer team will kick off its 2003 season on Friday, Aug. 29, hosting the Lehigh Mountain Hawks at 4:00 p.m., at the Villanova Soccer Complex. Click on the pdf link below for a complete version of the Wildcats' game notes.
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NO. 22 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (0-0 OVERALL, 0-0 BIG EAST)VS.
LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-0 OVERALL, 0-0 PATRIOT LEAGUE)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2003
4:00 P.M.
VILLANOVA SOCCER COMPLEX
TOP STORIES OF 2003:
-The Wildcats are ranked No. 22 in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25 Poll and No. 23 in the Soccer Buzz Preseason Top 25.
-Senior goalkeeper Chrissy Dolan was named Big East Conference 2003 Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, while junior forward Laura Johnson was named to the Preseason first team All-Big East.
-Head Coach Ann Clifton's 2003 recruiting class was ranked as the 28th best class in the nation by Soccer Buzz.
-The Wildcats return nine starters from a 2002 team which tied the school record for wins in a season (14) and earned its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
-Villanova was picked to finish third in the Big East Mid-Atlantic Division in the 2003 Big East Conference Preseason Poll (the preseason poll is voted on by the league's head coaches).
MEDIA INFORMATION
Interview Requests: All interview requests should be directed toward Jon Gust, Assistant Director of Media Relations at (610) 519-4122
Follow Villanova Women's Soccer on the Web: Follow the Villanova women's soccer team on the web at: www.villanova.com
Villanova Women's Soccer Contact Information:
Jon Gust, Villanova Assistant Director of Media Relations
Phone- (610) 519-4122; Fax- (610) 519-7323
Email- jonathan.gust@villanova.edu
VILLANOVA NEWS & NOTES
WILDCATS RANKED 22nd IN SOCCER AMERICA PRESEASON POLL: On Tuesday, Aug. 26th, Soccer America released its 2003 Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Villanova women's soccer team is ranked No. 22 in the Soccer America Preseason Poll, after finishing the 2002 season at No. 20. The Wildcats tied the school record for wins in a season last year posting a 14-3-4 final record. The program earned its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2002 as well. In addition, Villanova was ranked as high as No. 14 in the Nation's Top 25 at one point last season. Head Coach Ann Clifton's Wildcats return nine of their 11 starters from last season's team, including 2003 Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Chrissy Dolan, first team All-Big East forward Laura Johnson, and 2002 NSCAA third team All-America defender Michelle Biehl.
Soccer America College Women's Preseason Top 25Team 2002 record Final `02 Ranking1. North Carolina 21-2-4 22. Stanford 21-2-0 13. UCLA 18-4-0 34. Santa Clara 20-5-1 45. Texas 15-5-1 116. Notre Dame 13-8-0 NR7. Portland 20-4-2 78. Penn State 19-4-1 139. Virginia 13-7-2 2410. Pepperdine 18-2-2 511. West Virginia 18-3-1 812. Tennessee 18-6-1 1213. Florida State 13-7-3 NR14. Arizona State 12-7-3 2515. Connecticut 21-3-1 616. California 12-8-1 1817. Texas A&M 20-5-1 918. Maryland 13-8-2 1919. Clemson 14-8-0 1420. Nebraska 16-6-3 1021. USC 11-8-3 NR22. Villanova 14-3-4 2023. Auburn 15-5-2 NR24. Duke 9-9-2 2125. Charlotte 16-2-2 23
VILLANOVA PICKED THIRD IN BIG EAST MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION: On Friday, August 3rd, the Big East Conference announced its 2003 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, award winners, and All-Conference squad. The Villanova women's soccer team was picked to finish third in the Big East Conference Mid-Atlantic Division. In addition, Wildcat senior goalkeeper Chrissy Dolan was named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and junior forward Laura Johnson was named to the Preseason All-Big East team. A team's BIG EAST record is determined by divisional games only. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the BIG EAST Championship. Quarterfinal games will be held at campus sites on November 1 and 2, while the semifinals and final will be held at Rutgers Soccer Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. on November 7 & 9.
Northeast Pts BIG EAST, Overall, Finish1. Connecticut (13) 91 6-0-0, 21-3-1, 1st2. Boston College (1) 80 4-2-0, 11-8-1, 3rd3. Miami 66 4-1-1, 9-9-1, 2nd4. St. John's 52 3-3-0, 11-6-4, 4th5. Syracuse 41 0-5-1, 3-11-3, 7th6. Virginia Tech 31 2-4-0, 6-11-1, 5th7. Providence 30 1-5-0, 8-9-2, 6th
Mid-Atlantic Pts BIG EAST, Overall, Finish1. Notre Dame (10) 88 3-3-0, 13-8-0, Tied 4th2. West Virginia (4) 82 5-0-1, 18-3-1, 1st3. Villanova 61 4-1-1, 14-3-4, 2nd4. Rutgers 58 3-2-1, 10-8-2, 3rd5. Georgetown 46 3-3-0, 11-7-0, Tied 4th6. Seton Hall 27 1-4-1, 7-11-1, 6th7. Pittsburgh 23 0-6-0, 4-15-0, 7thfirst place votes in parentheses
BIG EAST PRESEASON AWARD WINNERSOffensive Player of the YearChrissie Abbott, West Virginia, Sr., FDefensive Player of the YearCandace Chapman, Notre Dame, Jr., DGoalkeeper of the YearChrissy Dolan, Villanova, Sr., GK
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAMChrissy Dolan, Villanova, Sr., GKSarah Rahko, Boston College, Sr., M/FKristen Graczyk, Connecticut, Jr., F/MJessie Beers-Altman, Georgetown, Sr., FVonda Matthews, Miami, Sr., M/DCandace Chapman, Notre Dame, Jr., DAmanda Guertin, Notre Dame, Sr., FAmy Warner, Notre Dame, Sr., F*Carli Lloyd, Rutgers, Jr., M/FLaura Johnson, Villanova, Jr., FChrissie Abbott, West Virginia, Sr., FLisa Stoia, West Virginia, Sr., M
CLIFTON NAMES CAPTAINS FOR 2003 SEASON: In June, Villanova University head women's soccer coach Ann Clifton announced the naming of the team's captain for the 2003 season. The Wildcats' 2003 Captains are seniors Candice MacDonald and Chrissy Dolan and junior Michelle Biehl. Junior Laura Johnson was named an assistant captain for the 2003 season.
CLIFTON ON THE 2003 WILDCATS: "Our 2003 schedule is one of the most ambitious schedules that this program has had in some time. We are prepared for this challenge. As a team, you have to be able to get up for the North Carolina's and North Carolina State's of the world. Adding those games to a tough conference slate - the Big East is one of the countries top conferences - Villanova will have a very formidable schedule this season. In the past, our program has always gotten to one milestone and thought of what the next one would be. We are going to stop worrying about milestones now. Villanova is going to just go out and look to do one thing - play. One of our strengths has always been going out and performing every day no matter what the competition. This season the Wildcats will look to make each moment better than the last."
`NOVA RECRUITING CLASS RANKED 28TH BEST IN NATION: Head Coach Ann Clifton's 2003 recruiting class was ranked as the 28th best class in the nation by Soccer Buzz. The seven players who join the Wildcats this fall are Megan Farmer (Middle Island, N.Y.), Valerie Grow (Cumberland, R.I.), Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.), Jamie Weist (Mt. Laurel, N.J.), Athena Yiantsos (Voorhees, N.J.), Erika Battle (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.), Susan Williams (Westfield, N.J.) and Christine Rivera (Lawrenceville, N.J.).
MCGIRR, HERR NAMED WILDCAT ASSISTANT COACHES: Villanova University head women's soccer coach Ann Clifton announced the hiring of Jim McGirr and Brian Herr as an assistant coach for the Wildcat women's soccer program. McGirr arrived at Villanova from Loyola College in Maryland with an extensive soccer background. He was an assistant coach at Loyola in 2002, helping lead the school to the 2002 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and a berth in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Prior to coaching at Loyola, McGirr was a volunteer assistant coach for the Rutgers University women's soccer program from 2001-02, and assistant coach for the Lafayette College men's soccer team from 2000-01. Herr's first coaching stint came at his alma mater, Drexel University, where he was a men's soccer assistant coach at Conestoga High School. In 2001, he left for Radnor High School where he served as assistant women's soccer coach for two seasons. Herr's coaching resume also includes four years as a coach for the well-known FC Delco Soccer Club team.
