The three-time defending America East Conference champion, the Boston University women's soccer team begins the 2010 campaign in search of its fourth straight AE title under BU coach Nancy Feldman, who is entering her 16th year at the head of the program. The team also looks to make its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season, despite four first-round exits in as many years.
"We feel like we're going to put ourselves in a position to win the conference again, and we know how hard that is and what kind of commitment it takes on a day-to-day basis, and we want to put ourselves in a position to get to the NCAA Tournament," Feldman said. "Every year is different &- different kids, different strengths, different weaknesses, but we know what it takes and it's just now about doing the work."
Following the graduation of nine seniors &- five of them starters, including AE Woman of the Year Emily Pallotta &- the 2010 version of the Terriers returns 17 players and welcomes 12 newcomers. Senior defender Corie Halasz, senior midfielder Shauna Kelleher and junior defender Lina Cords will serve as the squad's tri-captains.
"Corie, Shauna and Lina, they're all great," said junior goalkeeper Alice Binns. "Shauna's working really hard in the midfield and Corie and Lina are always there in the back to recover, telling everyone else on the field what to do. They've done great so far this year. It's been a pleasure to work with them."
The success of this year's team rests heavily on the shoulders of its veterans but will also boil down to the adjustments made by the new players and transfers if BU is to have any chance of staying atop the AE, where it firmly belongs.
<strong>Goalkeepers</strong>
Heading into the season, the starting goalkeeping remained the biggest question mark on the team. The loss of AE Goalkeeper of the Year Janie Reilly to graduation saw no clear favorite for the starting job in 2010.
Freshman Kelly King and Binns have shared the bulk of the playing time in the first six games of the 2010 season. Both usually play a half of each game and have almost identical statistics: three goals allowed in about 270 minutes of playing time each. They are joined by freshman Andrea Green and sophomore Catherine Calsolaro, who is returning from post-concussion syndrome.
"It was an unknown coming into the season with three new goalkeepers," Feldman said. "Early on, it has been pretty secure. They've been doing a terrific job sharing the responsibilities of splitting games."
<strong>Defenders</strong>
On the back line, Halasz and company will attempt to replace the contributions of Casey Brown, last year's AE Defender of the Year and a seventh-round pick by the Boston Breakers in the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer draft. Cords and sophomore Jessica Morrow slot up at the center backs while a combination of players will be used at right back, with junior Katherine Donnelly getting the bulk of the playing time so far.
Although Brown's contributions will be hard to replace, Feldman has deemed Cords a worthy successor.
"Lina is someone who makes everyone around her better," Feldman said. "All signs point to her having a great two years. It's hard to replace such a great player, but Lina is on her way to playing that well."
After holding the league's stingiest defense in 2009, Feldman will look for the same from this year's group. Feldman has rolled out a flat-four backline for most games this season, although a defender has sometimes been sacrificed in games where a bigger midfield presence is deemed necessary. After allowing only a goal per game to tough opposition, BU's defense looks like it can provide a solid base for the team.
"They'll grow into their leadership roles," Feldman said. "They have the ability to perform consistently in big games like Casey did."
Also on the roster and receiving playing time are senior Lily Albin, juniors Michelle Kielty and Tayler Nichols and freshman Erin Mullen.
<strong>Midfielders</strong>
Without Pallotta, the 2009 AE Midfielder of the Year, the Terriers turn to Kelleher &- an All-AE First-Team honoree herself &- and junior midfielder Brittany Heist to be the central playmakers on the pitch, as they both combined for four goals and two assists last season.
"Shauna and Heisty are really capable," Feldman said. "They are both tremendous competitors and tremendous players. They are going to be counted on to play their best, be good leaders and continue to compete like they've done in the past couple years for us."
Joining Kelleher and Heist in the midfield will be freshman Emma Clark, who has impressed during the first six games of the season. Clark scored her first collegiate goal on Aug. 29 at the Terrier Tailgate and notched her second on Monday against Monmouth University.
"Emma has been great," Feldman said. "She is a really quick learner. Her compete level is really high. She plays the game hard, is coachable and thinks the game through. She's going to play an important role for us as a first-year player."
Sophomore Megan McGoldrick, who earned a spot on the AE All-Rookie Team last season after a standout freshman campaign in which she netted five goals to go along with four assists, will be sidelined for the entire season with an injury to her anterior cruciate ligament.
<strong>Forwards</strong>
By far, the forward position has the most depth on Feldman's roster: juniors Jessica Luscinski, Tiya Gallegos and Cynthia Warman, sophomore Adrienne Anderson and a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, Lisa Kevorkian. These strikers have accounted for five of the Terriers' eight goals so far this season with Kevorkian leading the way with three of her own.
But Luscinski is the star of the group, as she was picked as the top player to watch in the AE after a breakout sophomore season in which she racked up six goals, a team-high eight assists and 20 points.
"Of all the returning players, she probably has the most experience," Feldman said. "Jess has been playing more minutes over the last couple of years. She's obviously a very talented, attacking personality. She's dynamic, creative and got a great shot. We need her to contribute goals and to be a leader of that attack."
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
