Senior defender Jocelyn St. Marie will work to keep Pilgrim opponents off the scoreboard this season.
Women's Soccer Looking to Return to Playoffs
New England College women’s soccer finished their 2007 campaign with a record of 6-9-2 overall and 4-8-1 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) missing the TCCC playoffs for just the second time in past five seasons. Losing just one player to graduation first-year head coach Paul Vazquez will look to his veteran squad to get the Pilgrims back into the playoff hunt this season.
The Pilgrim offense will be led by senior forward Debbie Lyons. Lyons (Wilmington, Mass.) was named TCCC All-Honorable Mention last season leading the Pilgrims with 14 points scoring a team-high six goals and serving up two assists. Also returning on offense for NEC is sophomore Colby Grant (Lynn, Mass.) who finished 2007 second on the team in scoring with eight points on three goals and two assists.
Veterans Deanna Brayton (Queensbury, N.Y.) and Alex Sacco (JR, Tewksbury, Mass.) will make a huge impact at the midfield position. Sacco started all 17 games last season for the Pilgrims scoring a goal and dishing out two assists. Brayton also started every game for the Pilgrims last season and netted one goal.
Junior defenders Amy Searle (Sandwich, Mass,) Ashleigh Bakaian (Wilton, N.H.) and Stevie Hayes (Hopkinton, N.H.) will work to hold off opposing offenses in 2008. Last season the big three helped hold opponents to just 1.15 goals per game. Junior Kerry Hughes (Wallkill, NY) will anchor the Pilgrim defense in goal. Hughes played every minute in goal last season for the Pilgrims finishing with a .860 save percentage and had seven shutouts.
Paul will look to his huge incoming class to make an immediate impact. The Pilgrims welcome nine first-year players including forwards Crystal Berry (Northfield, Vt.) and Jenny McLean (Bristol, R.I.) who will look to help an offense that was ranked thirteenth in the TCCC in scoring a year ago. Tamara Afflerbach (Allentown, Pa.,)Veronica Hytner (St. James, N.Y.) and Amy Ordile (Winchendon, Mass.) will see time at the midfield position. While, Cherelle Anderson (Barrington, N.H.,) Michel Humphries (Dunellen, N.J.) and Jenny Rose Kramer (Westport, Conn.) will look to make an impact at the defensive position.
The Pilgrims open their season on the road taking on Emmanuel College on Saturday, August 30, at 1:00 p.m.
