Women’s Soccer Set for 2009; Ducks Open Tough Schedule by Hosting No. 1 Messiah

The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer team has won at least one trophy each of the last 11 years and head coach Jeff Parker (San Antonio, Texas) hopes 2009 yields similar results. Stevens will play an extremely challenging schedule in and out of conference as the Ducks eye a return to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time since 2006 and sixth time since 2002. The Ducks will begin that quest on Wednesday, August 19 with the opening of preseason and will kick off the 2009 season when they host defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Messiah College on September 1 at the De Baun Athletic Complex.

Stevens won the 2008 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro title for the second time in as many years as the Ducks finished with an overall record 15-5-2. Stevens outscored its opponents 38-20, allowed less than one goal per game, and reached the Empire 8 Women’s Soccer Championship tournament semifinals before falling to Ithaca College.

Parker, who’s .738 winning percentage is among the 50 best in the country, will be returning 14 players from his 15-win 2008 team. Among those returners are two seniors in goalkeeper Sherri Rosenberg (Bayonne, N.J.), and back/midfielder Katelyn Stewart (Manchester, N.H.).

Stewart always comes to camp fit and ready to play and is one of the many versatile players Coach Parker has on the 2009 roster. She played a lot of back and midfield last season and should make contributions all over the field this year. She started all 22 games in 2008, scoring one goal and assisting on two others, and played an integral role in a stingy Stevens defense that allowed registered a 0.91 goals-against average.

Rosenberg, has been a leader on and off the field in her first three years at Stevens and will be leaned upon even more in 2009. In her career, Rosenberg has played more than 1,000 minutes in goal over a span of 20 games. She has made a total of 41 saves and has a career record of 6-3.

“As in most years, we will go as far as our seniors are willing to take us,” Parker said. “Honestly it comes down to how hard we want to play for each other. We have had some great legacies and traditions that have come out of dynamic leadership from that year’s senior class and we expect no less from this year’s group.”

Leading the list of impact returners is junior Katria Misilo (Short Hills, N.J.). Misilo was second on the team in goals (six), assists (six), and points (18) last year. She also led the team with four game-winning tallies. A tremendous competitor with a knack for making big plays, Misilo scored the game winning goal in a 1-0 match that broke The College of New Jersey’s ten-year home stadium unbeaten streak.

Junior Mary Chew (West Deptford, N.J.) will be another veteran that should be a big-time contributor this season. A very smart and technical player, Chew played both center and outside back last year but brings a great deal to the table and could be seen in a number of different spots on the field. She started 20 of the 22 games she played in after appearing in 21 games as a rookie.

Another student-athlete with high expectations is junior back Nicole Brand (West Windsor, N.J.). Brand played an important role in her first two seasons in Hoboken and if she is able to overcome several tough injuries, she could be ready to take the next step in becoming a real force for the Ducks. Brand played in 18 games as a sophomore, starting six, and appeared in 20 games as a freshman.

Junior forward/back Kara Pepe (Staten Island, N.Y.) played in 17 games off the bench as a sophomore and will be looked upon to provide depth at both spots once again in 2009. Pepe could earn a ton of minutes if all goes well in preseason and has the potential to be a nice scoring threat for the Ducks.

Another junior returning to the ’09 squad is midfielder/back Alexandra Lyons (Trumbull, Conn.). Lyons will be another player that should provide depth as the season progresses and could be a nice contributor.

Sophomores Zabella Simos (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Sarah Lehman (Gilbert, Ariz.) both played very well during the spring season and will look to solidify their roles early in the season. Simos and Lehman played 12 and 14 games, respectively, with Lehman recording one assist.

Five freshman and two upperclassmen will join the 14 returners to round out the roster. Senior Hillary Paul (Concord, N.H.) and sophomore transfer Kathleen Schuckers (Lincoln Park, N.J.) should both be spark plugs for the Ducks. Paul was a four-year starter on the field hockey team and Schuckers is a transfer from Division I Monmouth University as both players figure to contribute right away for the Ducks. The freshmen will be Tara Callahan (Harrisburg, Pa.), Paige Allen (Manalapan, N.J.), Gia Gonzales (Encinitas, Calif.), Nicole Serino (Parsippany, N.J.), and goalkeeper Teegan Kelly (Charlton, N.Y.).

In addition to Rosenberg and Kelly in goal, junior Jennifer Pontier (Forked River, N.J.) and sophomore Kaitlin McClymont (Corpus Christi, Texas) will round out what will be a very healthy competition in net. Pontier posted an 8-3-2 mark last season with a 1.03 goals against average, while McClymont made 10 starts last year, ending the year with a record of 7-2. She made 31 saves and had a goals-against average of 0.73. She also recorded three shutouts.

“It should be a great competition in goal,” Parker said. “We have four very solid individuals that could make for the toughest position battle during the preseason. Each one has different strengths that can help the others become better. I am looking forward to seeing how it will play out.”

Stevens opens up its 2009 campaign at home against No. 1 Messiah College on Tuesday, September 1 before traveling to Pomona, N.J. for the 2009 Stockton Classic on September 4 and 5. The Ducks square off against No. 19 Rowan University before taking on host Richard Stockton College, which earned its third straight NCAA Tournament berth last season.

Stevens returns home on September 9 against Montclair State University before hosting the Sixth Annual Stevens Engineering Cup on September 12 and 13. The Ducks take on Allegany College while New York University and Ursinus College face off in game two of the doubleheader. The consolation match will precede Sunday’s championship match featuring Saturday’s winners.

The Ducks open league play at two-time defending Empire 8 champion and No. 9 Ithaca College on September 19 before beginning a four-game homestand, capped off with a non-conference tilt against No. 22 The College of New Jersey on October 7.

Following a crucial three-game roadtrip against league rivals Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College, and Utica College beginning October 10, the Ducks close out their regular season slate with three of its last four contests at home.

Stevens will face No. 24 Western Connecticut State University in the lone road game during the squad’s final late season stretch before a Senior Day matchup with conference rival Nazareth College on October 31.

“This year’s schedule will be our most challenging yet,” said Parker. “We believe that our non-conference schedule should better prepare us for the Empire 8 Conference play and hopefully the Conference Tournament. That is our focus and we think that we have one of the nation’s toughest schedules.”