Aug. 9, 2006
A deep roster with balance at every position on the field will be critical for the Wildcats in 2006, as they look to once again achieve postseason success at the national level.
There are many different ways of measuring success, but nine consecutive years with at least a .500 record is as good a barometer as any for the Wildcats women's soccer program. In 2006, the Wildcats will get leadership on the field from their four seniors, who are the last group of players left from the 2003 team that won a Big East championship and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Still, there was a sense at the end of last season that the departure of three graduating seniors - all defenders - marked a significant change in the makeup of the team. Finding balance is important in a team environment and the 2006 roster for 10th year head coach Ann Clifton offers that characteristic. Villanova is known for its dominating defensive play, but Clifton expects her squad to take on a much more offensively-oriented look this fall.
"The only way a team can be successful is if its personnel can make adjustments to their style of play," Clifton said. "They say that defense wins championships and I am a big believer in that. Our defense is very dynamic and will feature some new faces, while the offense returns three starting forwards who played a major role on the front line last year. We have the potential to be a very exciting offensive team."
The team's offensive power will potentially dictate Villanova's chance to return to postseason success. The defense has turned in 17 shutouts over the past two seasons, but the Wildcats have won just eight of 24 games (8-11-5) when the opposition scores at least one goal.
"Our mindset as a team is that making the NCAA Tournament should be a regular order of business for us," Clifton said. "That didn't happen last year and the challenge is out there for us to return to that level."
Although the eight newcomers to this year's team will be counted on for production on the field right away, Villanova does have 16 players returning from last season's team, including a seven-member junior class that represents both the present and the future of the team.
"The returning upperclassmen are great leaders on and off the field, and that is going to show up in the way we play and the results we have during the season," Clifton said. "Expect this team to look very organized on both ends o the field and to focus on doing whatever it takes to score a goal. This group of players has a relentless work ethic, which is such an important quality for a successful team to have."
Having a goalkeeper as talented and accomplished as Jillian Loyden sets the tone for the entire team. Villanova has posted shutouts in 17 of Loyden's 40 career games.
While increased scoring output will be important for the Wildcats this season, the team's defensive prowess cannot be overlooked. Not with Villanova bringing back the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year in junior Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.). Loyden has started all 40 of her career games and owns marks of an .839 save percentage and 0.89 goals-against average. In 2005 she was only the second Wildcat goalkeeper to be named the best at her position in the Big East (Janel Schillig, 1999).
"Jillian is a very gifted player," Clifton said. "We could talk all day about what she does on the field but she is an even better player off the field. As a goalkeeper she is an extremely determined player. We have talked a lot about the lofty goals she has set for herself, and her commitment to those goals are a testament to her character. Jillian's future aspirations should be to be recognized as the best goalkeeper to ever have played at Villanova."
Loyden has made a habit of stepping up in big-game situations, holding Big East regular season opponents to just 20 goals over the last two years. Her 11 victories in conference games are already the second-most ever for a Wildcat goalkeeper. She has been named a second team selection to the NSCAA All-Mid Atlantic squad each of the past two seasons.
Villanova's other goalkeepers are sophomore Leann Kania (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and freshman Molloy Williams (Hinsdale, Ill.). Kania was limited by an injury during her freshman season but will serve as Loyden's backup, while Williams will have the opportunity to gain experience while offering the Wildcats depth at the position.
A dynamic team defense with new faces will give Villanova a fresh look on the back line this season. The Wildcats are known for their dominating defensive play.
The lone returning starter on the back line will be junior Kayce Blandford (Columbia, Md.) on the right side. In the past two seasons, the Wildcats have graduated a two-time All-American (Michelle Biehl) and a former Big East Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player (Laura Koch), but the team can continue to feel confident as a top defensive team. That security is thanks in part to the breakout season that Blandford had as a sophomore, when she was a key figure on a defense that surrendered just 21 goals all season long while posting seven shutouts. Blandford also showed her abilities as an offensive player, tallying six points on two goals and two assists, including the game-winning score in a 1-0 win over Rutgers.
"Kayce is one of the top right-side players in the nation," Clifton said. "She doesn't get all of the postseason awards or national attention of some other players, but she is as steady as they come. She is hard to get by and simply just gets the job done. Kayce can also start our attack at any time and is a dangerous player because of that ability."
Projected as the starter on the left side is junior Jenna Gordon (White Plains, N.Y.), who is among the quickest players on the team and someone Clifton feels has outstanding potential as a defensive player. Meanwhile, sophomore Laura Sylvester (Broomall, Pa.) and freshman Kelly Eagan (St. James, N.Y.) will both be key figures as central defenders. Eagan played on the U-17 National Team and is a three-year member of the ODP national pool.
"Jenna had a terrific spring season," Clifton said. "She has been used as a forward in the past but she is so fast and she has shown that she can be a top-notch defender. Laura got some experience as a freshman last year and she is a great player. She is going to give us great minutes this season, and Kelly is just a tremendous talent. She is as good a player as any we have recruited and will immediately put herself in the mix on the back line."
Another freshman on the back line is Heidi Boersma (Englewood, Colo.). She will be the backup on the right side but is talented enough to play minutes in the middle as well.
Villanova will need to demonstrate more consistency on the offensive end this season and Clifton expects her midfielders to be driving forces towards the team's attack.
Developing a high-powered offense is going to be a priority for the Wildcats this fall, and for that to happen the team will need great production from a midfield unit that combined for just seven assists a year ago.
"The expectation is that our midfielders will start our attack," Clifton said. "That is something that needs to happen on a consistent basis this season. I am very confident in the players that we have there and I am looking forward to seeing what they can do."
The midfield play starts with junior Melissa Murowski (Warren, N.J.) and senior Valerie Grow (Cumberland, R.I.) at the defensive midfield position. Murowski has been a major contributor for her ability to win a ball from the opposition and start the transition game. Grow is a dangerous player with her left foot and a talented playmaker.
"Melissa is the engine that makes us go," Clifton said. "She has done a great job for two years and will continue to play a big role. Valerie is a very important player because she is a senior and has played valuable minutes. She has great size and can be an impact player."
Freshman Jessica Carnevale (Princeton, N.J.) provides additional support in the midfield and will have a bright future within the team's offensive system.
The primary attacking midfielders will be sophomore Erin Hardiman (Galloway, N.J.) and junior Stacia Hartung (Rochester, N.Y.). Hardiman chipped in a goal and two assists during her freshman campaign, while Hartung is an accomplished offensive player who missed time with an injury last season.
"Erin had a great freshman season and it is going to be a tremendous help to her this year to draw upon her first experience at the collegiate level. She is a terrific player who can also play in the back if needed. Stacia is poised for a huge season. It is exciting to watch her play because she can do some very creative things on the field. She has the ability to change a game at any moment."
Junior Kaley Guthrie (Ogdensburg, N.J.) and freshman Erin Byrnes (Sayville, N.Y.) will be joined by sophomore transfer Kristen Verbit (Newtown, Pa.) in the midfield, and the trio will provide solid options for Clifton during games.
The Wildcats have more players at forward than any other position, and the large group of players will have to distinguish themselves early on in the 2006 season.
Villanova's four top forwards last season accounted for 16 of the team's 28 goals, and all return in 2006. Fifth-year senior Lindsey Finnegan (Blackwood, N.J.) and junior Nikki Mabery (Phoenix, Ariz.) were the team's top two scorers last season.
"Lindsey is the key player on our front line," Clifton said. "She returned last season from an injury the year before and was finally healthy during our spring season. She has all of her foot speed back now and our team can go as far this season as Lindsey takes us. Nikki is a constant scoring threat and isn't fazed by having defenders on her. She has great scoring potential; she is a player that a defender wouldn't want to face."
The other two key returnees are senior Megan Farmer (Middle Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Nicole Coia (Simpsonville, S.C.). Both had critical goals late in games a year ago and will look to have that same impact once again.
"Megan is so dangerous with runs that she makes up top from the right side," Clifton said. "She is our fastest player and a difficult matchup for anyone. Nicole is a crafty one-on-one layer who can break down a defense off the dribble."
The top four returnees are just part of the depth that the Wildcats have up front, as senior Athena Yiantsos (Voorhees, N.J.) and sophomore Ali Foley (Short Hills, N.J.) also return. Freshmen Grace Hawkins (Northport, N.Y.) and Samantha Moskal (Chantilly, Va.) will have the ability to make immediate contributions.
It will be an exciting fall on the Main Line, as the Wildcats host their own home tournament and take on national powers Notre Dame and Connecticut on campus.
The balance offered on the team's roster is also present in the 2006 schedule, as Villanova has a mixture of challenging local games, top tournament competition and a demanding Big East schedule. The Wildcats will host Hartford and Robert Morris in their home tournament and also face longtime Philadelphia rival La Salle in their season opener. Non-conference games against Colgate, Fairleigh Dickinson and George Washington will be good tests for Villanova, while a trip to the Navy Tournament will show how the Wildcats fare against top competition. Villanova faces Butler and Louisiana State in that tournament.
"It is great to host our first home tournament since I have been here," Clifton said. "Our fan support has been very strong in recent years and hosting a tournament is an opportunity that we are excited to offer to our fans and to Philadelphia soccer. At the Navy Tournament we are going to see how we do against a Midwest program that is traditionally strong and will be ready to play. The game against LSU is going to be a great challenge against a very good team from the Southeastern Conference."
In Big East play the Wildcats will play six games at home and five on the road. Included in the home slate will be contests against Notre Dame and Connecticut. Those two teams played in the Big East Championship final a year ago and both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament, with the Fighting Irish reaching the national quarterfinals.
"Notre Dame and Connecticut are two of the traditional powers in our conference and we view ourselves as being at that level," Clifton said. "It is going to be exciting for soccer fans in this area to see such a high level of soccer played right in their backyard."
Villanova will also host Georgetown, Seton Hall, Providence and DePaul in league play, with road games on tap at Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Pittsburgh.
The Wildcats will enter the 2006 season in a great position. The team will work to meet the challenge of stepping up its offensive play while playing an extremely demanding schedule, but Clifton believes in the players that make up this year's roster and can back up her enthusiasm with nine straight years of success.
"We go into the season with a lot of work to do and the ability to do some great things," Clifton said. "Villanova benefits from playing in such a strong conference as the Big East. If we can be one of the best teams in the Big East, we feel pretty good about being one of the best in the nation as well."
