Aug. 19, 2011
Field Hockey Video Season Preview on Nova Nation All-Access
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The 2011 season begins a new stage in the in the history books for the Villanova Wildcats. After posting a 7-10 overall record in 2010 and going 2-4 in the BIG EAST Conference, Villanova looks to rebound on the national stage with a renewed focus and laden with fresh talent after the departure of seven graduating seniors from last year's team. Head Coach Joanie Milhous enters her 17th season with the program with a 168-144 record at Villanova and a .528 winning percentage while the squad looks to defend their reputation as one of the best teams in the NCAA.
The upcoming season for the 2011 Wildcats features a young squad highlighted by the presence of an exceptional group of upperclassmen. In that mix, senior Jordan Lynn (Charlottesville, Va./Western Albemarle) and juniors Moriah Allen (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Amy Jackson (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield) will lead the team as the newly-elected tri-captains for the year.
After the departure of one of the most decorated classes in program history, including Dana Ramsden, Abby Sordoni, Lauren Wuzzardo, Meredith Sabatini, Meghan Ryan, Sam Haas and Ally Smith, Milhous has reloaded her team with the addition of eight newcomers who look to make an immediate impact on the turf this fall. Freshmen Andrea Conte (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), Allison Flitter (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), Abigail Freitag (Bridgeton, N.J./Cumberland Regional), Maddy Harding (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks), Leah High (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), Emily Paolino (Villanova, Pa./Episcopal Academy), Jessica Swoboda (Hanover Township, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) and Lauren Wilson (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey) will all be challenging for playing time as the Wildcats compete for a spot in the BIG EAST Conference tournament after missing a berth in the 2010 season.
FORWARDS:
Highlighted by newcomers Conte and High, the Wildcats will build upon the experience of junior Olivia Vegliante (Darien, Conn./Darien) and sophomores Celise Feller (Lower Gwynedd, Pa./Plumstead Christian) and Jenna Allen (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) to provide the Wildcats with a speedy offense after gaining valuable experience in 2009 and 2010. Combined, the upperclassmen have appeared in 22 games over the course of their careers while playing against some of the toughest competition in the NCAA, helping Villanova to earn the 30th best RPI in the nation in 2010.
MIDFIELD:
Anchoring the team at midfield will be juniors Amy Jackson (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield) and Olivia Maggitti (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy), who bring two solid years of experience after making an immediate impact as underclassmen during their early careers on the Main Line. Jackson tallied one goal and one assist for the 2010 season after taking on a more defensive role during her sophomore campaign, while Maggitti has been a two-year starter and a solid midfielder for the Wildcats after appearing in all 34 games through her sophomore season. With the addition of second-year Keira Zambon (Medford, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), who gained plenty of experience after appearing in all 17 games of her freshman season, the Wildcats will be poised and controlled at the midfield line.
Sophomore Christine Lafferty (Medford, N.J./Holy Cross) will also be counted on to contribute in 2011 after appearing in three games last season against Columbia, Penn and Indiana, while freshmen Abigail Freitag, Emily Paolino, Jessica Swoboda and Lauren Wilson will also be seeking playing time after playing at the highest levels in their prep school careers.
DEFENSE:
Debatably one of the deepest backfields in Villanova history, the Wildcats will have plenty of depth and experience on the defensive end to anchor the team for the upcoming season. Led by Jordan Lynn (Charlottesville, Va./Western Albemarle), a senior co-captain and four-year starter and accompanied by junior co-captain Moriah Allen (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy), experience and leadership will be plentiful in the backfield. Combined, the duo started in all 17 games in 2010 while Allen provided an assist on the season while seeing minutes at midfield.
With the addition of juniors Kristen Davila (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel), Kendall Kreisl (Voorhees, N.J./Bishop Eustace) and senior Mallary Kile (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna), the Wildcats have plenty of options for Milhous to choose from. Davila made a splash during her sophomore season and ranked 10th in the NCAA with five defensive saves, while Kreisl made 13 appearances in her second year on the Main Line. Kile, a seasoned defender with a tremendous work ethic, appeared in six games during her junior season while battling and recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.
GOALKEEPERS:
Senior Megan Goelz (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) returns for her final season in a Villanova uniform as the most decorated student-athlete on the Wildcat roster. The seven-time selection to the BIG EAST Honor Roll has made 30 starts for the Wildcats after taking over net-minding duties in her sophomore season. In 2010, Goelz recorded all 1,210 minutes in cage while averaging 6.65 saves per game, ranking her 17th in the NCAA. Additionally, the senior has tallied over 2,119 minutes in cage through her three seasons and boasts a 2.31 goals against average and .741 save percentage for her career.
Milhous has plenty of reliability in sophomore Alex Diekmann (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel), who gained valuable experience as Goelz's understudy during her freshman season. The second-year net minder could push for minutes during preseason training.
SCHEDULE:
Villanova will face five NCAA Tournament teams from the 2010 postseason as well as seven squads that were either ranked or receiving votes in the final Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I Poll of the season.
The team is slated to open the year with a pair of early non-conference matches in Villanova Stadium against Bryant and Robert Morris. Entering September, the Wildcats will face Cornell, Delaware and La Salle before their toughest stretch of the season against the 2010 National Champions from the University of Maryland. After a week of rest, VU begins BIG EAST play versus Connecticut before returning home to face Radford and Philadelphia-rival Penn on Sept. 18th and 21st, respectively. Rounding out the month of September, the Wildcats host Rutgers and Rider before a three-game away stand against Bucknell, Penn State and Providence.
Concluding their mid-week schedule for the season, VU will host St. Joseph's before entering the heart of their BIG EAST schedule against Louisville, Georgetown and Syracuse. The Wildcats will conclude their regular-season with a trip to New York, N.Y. to face Columbia in preparation for postseason play beginning with the BIG EAST Tournament in Syracuse, N.Y. beginning on Nov. 5th followed by the start of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 13th.
