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Women’s Soccer Prepares for 2011 Season
Team first. Get better today. Long the hallmarks of the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer program that will repeat this mantra as they enter 2011 fresh off last season’s NCAA Tournament second-round appearance and first-ever Empire 8 Championship. The Ducks finished 17-4-1 overall and played an entertaining style that saw them lead the conference in scoring and extend the program’s consecutive post-season appearance streak to 11-straight seasons.
Head Coach Jeff Parker, now in his 12th year at the helm of the women’s program, believes that the core of senior leaders will continue the evolution of the Ducks’ program and help a strong group of newcomers fit right in with the tradition of excellence on the Palisade.
Parker stresses that each season is a new year and past accomplishments are not a guarantee of success for this season. He would like his squad to build confidence by tackling every day with a thought of energy, attitude, effort, thankfulness and servant hood – what he calls the program’s “non-negotiables.” Parker says that “it’s important for the group to understand what it is to be a teammate, and the quicker they decide what that means and what they are willing to do, the better off we will be.”
Since the Ducks lost eight student-athletes to graduation from the 2010 squad, the team will look to four seniors and one graduate student for guidance and leadership. Several of the new faces, however, will be expected to step right in and contribute immediately.
Anchoring the defense will be goalkeeper Kaitlin McClymont (Corpus Christi, Texas). McClymont was one of the team’s most vocal leaders and an honorable mention All-Empire 8 selection last season. She was among the nation’s leaders in save percentage (.867) and made 117 saves in allowing a paltry 0.97 goals per game for a 15-4-1 record.
McClymont will be facing stiff competition from two very polished goalkeepers that can step in and compete in net in junior Teegan Kelly (Charlton, N.Y.) and sophomore Catherine Keough (Barnegat, N.J.). Kelly recorded 180 minutes of action in goal a year ago and made 13 saves. She also has logged time on the field in each her first two seasons. Keough battled through injuries to post two wins for the Ducks, including one shutout, and posted a 0.59 goals against average last season.
Kathleen Schuckers (Lincoln Park, N.J.) will be the team’s main threat in attack, as she’s been the leading scorer for the Ducks each of the past two seasons. Schuckers, a two-time All-Empire 8 selection, registered goals in three of the four postseason games for Stevens.
Midfielder Sarah Lehman (Gilbert, Ariz.) tallied 15 points (five goals, five assists) in 2010 and was selected to the Empire 8 second team. Lehman wore the captain’s armband in several matches last season and will look to be the on-field leader once again in 2011.
Another senior midfielder that will be a positive force and a tone setter for this year’s squad will be Zabella Simos (Valley Stream, N.Y.). Simos played in 16 games last season and will be looked to for leadership and stability in the middle of the park.
A two-time All-American in lacrosse as an undergraduate, Christine Smith (East Northport, N.Y.), will look to add knowledge and experience as she completes her graduate degree at Castle Point.
Junior Paige Allen (Manalapan, N.J.), played in all 22 games for the Ducks last season and was a mainstay in the Stevens back line. She was an all-Conference honoree and should compete for time in the central or outside back positions.
The 2010 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and First-Team member, Bridgette Barden (Redondo Beach, Calif.), is back for her sophomore campaign. Barden returns as the team’s second-leading scorer from a year ago and will be looked upon as a solidifying force in the central midfield.
On the schedule for this season, including the vigorous Empire 8 conference slate, the Ducks have 13 teams slated to play that advanced to the postseason in 2010. Four of those teams happened to make the NCAA Tournament, which includes E8 rival Ithaca College, Farmingdale State University, The College of New Jersey and Western Connecticut State University.
Also on tap for the Ducks will be the always entertaining local derby against Montclair State University, which happens to be the 2011 season home opener and Duck Country match on September 1. Stevens will then host New York University on September 3rd before travelling to Eastern University on September 7th.
As the Eighth Annual Engineering Cup rolls around on September 10 and 11, Stevens will play host to Ursinus College and Ohio Northern University. The Ducks will then travel to Vassar College and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, September 14 and 16, before hosting Nazareth, in a rematch of the 2010 Empire 8 championship, on September 24.
Other key match-ups will be the annual Columbus Day road trip as the Ducks travel to face St. John Fisher on October 8 before a match-up with Ithaca on October 9. Alfred comes to town for Homecoming on the 15, before the annual Alumnae Day event takes place on October 22 as Stevens hosts Hartwick. And finally, the Ducks entertain Elmira on Senior Day October 29.
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