Aug. 17, 2011
INTRODUCTION
The 29th season of varsity women's soccer at Villanova begins this Friday when the Wildcats host James Madison at 4 p.m. at the West Campus Soccer Complex. There is great energy and focus from the team as it wraps up preseason training this week and Villanova will be ready to go on Friday afternoon.
Earlier in the preseason head coach John Byford and three seniors on the Wildcats shared their thoughts with Nova Nation All-Access on the upcoming season. Click on the link below for the women's soccer video season preview. In addition, be sure to keep reading below for an in-depth look at the 2011 Villanova women's soccer squad.
Women's Soccer Video Season Preview
COMPLETE SEASON PREVIEW
As the Villanova women's soccer team wraps up its preseason training in advance of the start of the 2011 regular season there is a great deal of optimism surrounding the team. Returning from last year's squad are 15 letter winners, including eight starters. Better yet for the Wildcats is that the group of returners includes the personnel responsible for virtually all of the team's high-powered offensive production from a year ago. Villanova has also bolstered itself at every position on the field with the addition of 10 newcomers to the 2011 roster.
Nothing would benefit the Wildcats more than a strong start to the 2011 campaign, as the team seeks to rebound from an uncharacteristic 7-12 record last season. Villanova had high hopes when the 2010 season began, as a young team looked to have the right pieces in place to continue the momentum that started with an NCAA Tournament appearance the season before. The year was derailed by a number of injuries, however, as several key players missed either significant time or the season in its entirety.
The historical record of excellence for the Wildcats should serve as a much better barometer of the team's expectations for the coming season. In its 28 years as a varsity sport Villanova has recorded 19 seasons with a winning record and 19 years with at least 10 victories. With the 2011 season on the doorstep the Wildcats were predicted to finish fifth in the BIG EAST National Division in a preseason poll of league head coaches, perhaps acknowledgement from the rest of the league of last season's injury-related atypical finish.
"I feel very good about where the team is at to begin the season," head coach John Byford said. "Everybody that was hurt last year is back healthy and we also have nine freshmen this year. There has been a lot of competition for places and for playing time. That also means that we have a lot of depth. We will be able to sub people in and out and the level of play from the 11 players on the field isn't going to drop."
OFFENSIVE ATTACK WILL ONCE AGAIN BE STRONG
Villanova tallied eight games with two or more goals last season, including three contests in which it netted at least three goals. Returning to the team this season are the players that accounted for 88 percent (21 of 24 goals) of the team's scoring production and 92 percent (23 of 25) of the team's assists. Last season's offensive production was justly recognized, as the Wildcats had two forwards earn All-BIG EAST honors in the same year for the first time in program history.
Senior forward Katie Ryan (Wayne, N.J.) was a first team All-BIG EAST selection a year ago and junior forward Heidi Sabatura (Lawrenceville, N.J.) was picked for the all-conference second team. Ryan and Sabatura formed an incredible scoring punch for Villanova, combining for 16 goals and 13 assists between them. They were often each other's favorite targets, as the pair teamed up for a goal-assist combination nine times during the season.
Ryan has already put herself among the top offensive players in Wildcats history, with career totals of 28 goals, 17 assists and 73 points entering her final collegiate season. She is tied for sixth in school history in career goals, ranks seventh in points and is also sixth all-time with 158 shots taken. Of the 28 career goals Ryan has scored 11 have been game-winners, a number which is tied for fourth most in the Villanova record book.
After just two seasons on the Main Line it could very well be that Sabatura is on her way to joining Ryan in elite company among Wildcat forwards. Named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in 2009, Sabatura has accumulated 14 goals, 13 assists, 41 points and three game-winning tallies in her time on campus. Sabatura can be a dominant scoring force at times and has five career multi-goal games to her credit.
Senior forward Megan Verdeur (Levittown, Pa.) is one of the top playmakers on the Villanova front line. Last season she started all 17 games that she played in and tallied one goal and one assist, with her one score being a game-winner in double overtime. Verdeur is equally capable of being a scoring threat or setting up her teammates and is poised for a big season.
The depth at forward for the Wildcats includes junior Colleen Lineweaver (Alexandria, Va.), redshirt freshman Kelly Mahoney (Darien, Conn.) and true freshman Caitlin Forte (Selbyville, Del.). Lineweaver is a former walk-on to the team during the spring of her freshman year who was counted on to play significant minutes last season. She wound up appearing in 16 contests with two starts and scored her first collegiate goal at West Virginia.
Mahoney is returning to action from an injury that kept her out of the entire 2010 campaign and will provide Villanova with a great deal of quickness in the attacking third. Joining the fold this year is Forte, who was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in Delaware last season while also earning NSCAA All-America recognition.
MIDFIELD UNIT FILLED WITH COMPETITION, GREAT POTENTIAL
There is more depth everywhere on the field for the Wildcats than in recent seasons but it is in the midfield where the team can expect to see the most competition for playing time. There is a wealth of potential from a talented group of midfielders on the team and several players will be in the mix for a large amount of playing time.
Over the past two seasons the emergence of senior midfielder Katy Nagy (Bellmore, N.Y.) has been one of the team's most positive developments. Nagy has played everywhere on the field for Villanova during her career and this season can be expected to be a leader in the midfield. She has proven herself to be one of the most durable players on the Wildcat roster and last year was one of two players on the squad to play every minute of all 19 games. Nagy has a great presence on the field and does a good job of holding possessions in the midfield.
Redshirt junior midfielder Lauren McCoy (Spotsylvania, Va.) is another player who is returning from an injury that kept her out of nearly all of last season. She is a senior academically with two years of remaining athletic eligibility and has demonstrated a great deal of improvement during the course of her career. A steady midfielder player, McCoy possesses terrific 1-v-1 skills and will have every chance to make a meaningful impact on the field this season.
A new face this season, new at least to the midfield, is senior Erin Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.). Formerly an all-state forward during her scholastic playing career, Ryan has spent the past three seasons playing on the Villanova defense as both an outside back and a central defender. She is perhaps the quickest player on the team and her versatility will make her an asset at any position on the field. Ryan is likely to see time in the midfield during the season, but will be capable of shifting back to defense or even up to forward if the need arises.
Two other midfielders who will be key players for the Wildcats are sophomore Channing Press (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) and redshirt freshman Stephanie Myers (Downingtown, Pa.). Last season Press was thrust into a major role due to the team's injuries and flourished with the chance to play regularly. She wound up playing in 18 games with 14 starts and finished the year with one goal, two assists and four points. Her tenacity in the midfield will again be relied on by the team.
Myers played in each of the first five games last season, including four starts, before suffering a season-ending injury. She scored a goal in the season opener against Temple and is also a skilled passer who does an excellent job of distributing the ball to her teammates.
Several of the Villanova incoming freshmen will have an opportunity to earn playing time in the field, including midfielders Bryana Gold (Atlanta, Ga.) and Victoria Gersh (Silver Spring, Md.). Gold is a natural fit for the Wildcats style of play and Gersh brings another dimension to the squad with superb technical skills and versatility. Both first-year players are capable of making a quick impact on the team.
Freshman midfielder Katie Sanquist (Laytonsville, Md.) and freshman defender/midfielder Amanda Penkrot (Wilmington, Del.) will also be important pieces of the team's depth. Both are strong technical players with a great presence on the field and have been impressive during the team's preseason training.
Another midfielder is junior Kendra Jones (Hershey, Pa.), a transfer from American who is required to redshirt the 2011 season due to NCAA Division I transfer requirements. Jones will have two seasons of remaining eligibility for Villanova beginning in 2012 and is a player who is capable of helping the team anywhere on the field.
DEFENSE WILL HAVE A NEW LOOK TO BEGIN THE YEAR
The struggles that hit the Wildcats last season when injuries started to pile up were most evident along the back line, as Villanova let in 40 goals to its opposition. Even still, there was plenty of progress made during the season and the team allowed just one goal over the final two games of the season, with that tally coming in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to eventual national champion Notre Dame.
A new look awaits the defense this season, as the back line will change its personnel as a result of both graduation and players returning from injury. The lone returning starter on defense is expected to be sophomore Taylor Houck (Chalfont, Pa.), who appeared in all 19 games in 2010 and started 18 of those contests. An aggressive and hard-nosed defender, Houck has experience both on the outside and in the middle of the back line.
Redshirt sophomore defender Alexa Carugati (Newtown, Pa.) had a successful freshman season in 2009 and appeared set to emerge as a strong presence in the middle of the Wildcats back line. An injury last summer caused her to miss all of 2010, however, and she was granted a medical redshirt to preserve her three remaining years of eligibility. Carugati is a physical player who brings good size to the back line and will have a chance to make her presence felt in a big way.
A number of the incoming freshmen to Villanova are extremely talented and athletic defenders who will push for major playing time. Among them are Katie Campbell (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Kathryn Rayner (Needham, Mass.), who have each been center backs for very strong club programs. Both players have the talent to push for starting roles early in the season.
Two other freshman defenders on the Wildcats roster are Kaitlin Hogman (Center Valley, Pa.) and Kristine Battle (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.), who are teammates on a club team that advanced to the national championships this year. Hogman will make the defensive unit stronger as a result of her great athleticism and Battle brings good size to the back line.
Competition for defensive spots was hard-fought during preseason training and Villanova will have a number of options to choose from in games this season.
KRANICH RETURNS AS THE STARTER IN GOAL
The task facing sophomore goalkeeper Jami Kranich (Hamden, Conn.) at the start of last season was not an easy one, as prior to her arrival at Villanova the women's soccer team had used just four regular starting goalkeepers in the previous 12 years. Kranich started all 18 of her appearances in goal as a true freshman and showed signs of consistent progress during the course of the season. She registered three solo shutouts on the year, with two of those coming against BIG EAST opponents in wins over Rutgers and DePaul.
Kranich finished the season with a 1.88 goals-against average and a .702 save percentage while ranking 10th in the BIG EAST Conference with just over four saves per game. A solid shot stopper who combines excellent goalkeeping skills with good size and presence, Kranich is expected to return to her starting role for the 2011 season.
Villanova has two solid reserves in the net who are each capable of stepping in when needed. Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Quinn (Mt. Airy, Md.) has a good feel for the game and is excellent with the ball at her feet. She has seen action in 14 games with one start over the past two seasons and owns a 1-1 career record with 17 saves. Quinn has also appeared in seven games as a reserve field player.
Sophomore Carson Trobich (Charlotte, N.C.) has steadily honed her skills while continuing to develop as a goalkeeper during her first year at the collegiate level. Her skills are solid all-around and she is a good fit for the Villanova system.
TOUGH SCHEDULE AWAITS WILDCATS WITH PLENTY OF EARLY CHALLENGES
By the time the Wildcats enter BIG EAST Conference play in the middle of September the team is going to be well-seasoned against some very tough opponents. Villanova is no stranger to playing top-notch opponents and the challenges in the 2011 schedule will be great tests for the squad, as well as great opportunities for the team to gain some recognition.
The highlight of the non-conference schedule comes on September 9 when the Wildcats play for the first time ever at PPL Park, home to the MLS Philadelphia Union. On that night Villanova hosts Penn in a matchup featuring two of the top collegiate teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The earliest season opener in program history is at home against James Madison on August 19, when the Wildcats get a rematch of a game that took place at the home of the Dukes last season. In one of its better performances of the season Villanova was dealt a 1-0 setback by one of the perennial powers from the Colonial Athletic Association.
Following a home game against Philadelphia opponent Saint Joseph's the Wildcats take to the road for a trip through Georgia during the final weekend of August. Villanova faces Georgia State on August 26 in Atlanta and then visits Georgia on August 28 in its first game versus an opponent from the Southeastern Conference since 2006.
The rest of the non-conference schedule includes an appearance at the Nike Tribe Fairfield Inn & Suites Invitational, where the Wildcats will take on Virginia Commonwealth as well as tournament host William & Mary. Villanova plays its final non-conference game of the regular season at home on September 11 when it faces Princeton in the last match before the team plays 11 consecutive BIG EAST Conference contests.
In league play this season the Wildcats will have five games at home and six on the road. The home conference opener is against Seton Hall on September 18, while Pittsburgh (Sept. 30), West Virginia (Oct. 2), Louisville (Oct. 7) and Cincinnati (Oct. 9) also make visits to the West Campus Soccer Complex.
On the road in BIG EAST play Villanova travels to Rutgers (Sept. 16), St. John's (Sept. 23), Syracuse (Sept. 25), DePaul (Oct. 14), Notre Dame (Oct. 16) and Georgetown (Oct. 21). Due to the rotating league schedule the Wildcats have not visited St. John's or Syracuse since the 2005 season, while those teams last came to Villanova back in 2008.
The top five teams in each of the eight-team BIG EAST divisions qualify for the BIG EAST Championship, with the top three teams earning a bye into the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship draws the league's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.
