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Women's Soccer 2007 Season Outlook

As the Wildcats prepare to take the field for the 2007 season they will be led by an eight player senior class that will be counted on to help continue building Wilmington College and pushing it in the right direction.

Second year Head Coach, Dave Bugda, and the Wildcat coaching staff are expecting strong efforts from this senior group in the areas of leadership, fitness, and the mental makeup that is required of top level teams.

“This group knows the feeling of winning, most played on the 2004 squad that won the regular season CACC title and lost in the championship game. They know what it takes to go to the show, how very hard it is to juggle classes, practices, social obligations, and still play at a high level and taste success. We’ll see how well they step up to the challenge at hand”, stated Coach Bugda.

When asked to summarize last season, Bugda commented, “We cannot and will nothave a repeat of the 2006 season. We started real strong, played mediocre in the middle third of the schedule, and in the end it came down to a poor finish where we just simply fizzled out. The ending made the difference between a good season and what could have been a very good year. I cannot put into words how disappointed the coaching staff was with the end of the season. We have put that behind us, and enter into the 2007 season with good hopes and feelings.”

The Wildcats will surely miss the 2006 senior class (Dana Ayars, Melissa Samio and Colby Bugda). All three were former All-CACC selections, and were the backbone of the program during their stay at Wilmington.

The 2007 Wilmington Wildcat roster will feature 23 players. Once pre-season starts in August, the coaching staff predicts competition will be spirited, and with all positions wide open, it should be a good show on the turf at Kirkwood this summer. New assistant coaches Melissa Samio and Colby Bugda are excited for the start of the season, and both said, “We wish we were still playing but we are looking forward to our new duties, and cannot wait to get started.”

As for the playing roster, the Wildcats add seven new freshmen. From the state of Delaware, the Wildcats add two standouts from Middletown High School with the addition of All-State players, defender Samantha Simpson and midfielder Megan Whalen. Both student-athletes will add speed and a hard nosed work ethic. Also from the first state is Brooke Solomon, who played high school soccer at Delaware Military Academy.

Forward/midfielder Ashli Gerlach hails from Red Lion Pennsylvania, where she was an All-County player who will add speed, strength and intensity to the Wildcats lineup.

The state of Maryland once again makes some additions to the Wilmington College roster. The Wildcats are adding defender Danielle Niccoli who played for Kenwood High School in Baltimore. Niccoli is an All-County award winner who will add speed and a smart, but aggressive style to the ‘Cats defense. From C. Milton Wright High School in Bel Air, the Wildcats add Chelsea Genco. Genco was a member of the 2005 State Championship team at Wright and is a player who can play multiple positions on the field. Genco was selected Second Team All-State in Maryland and First Team All-Harford County this year. Closing out the Maryland group is Kirsten Stallone from Elkton, MD and Bohemia Manor High School. Stallone is a quick forward with a strong passion for the game. A multiple All-County First Team selection in Cecil County, Stallone was also the leading scorer in the county.

Offensive Third of the Pitch

Three-time first-team All-CACC and All-New England Region selection, Begum Malali, will lead the offense into the 2007 season. The group has a few holes to fill with the loss of seniors Bugda and Samio, who combined for 20 plus goals and assists last season. In conjunction with Malali’s 18 goals, this proved to be a formidable trio. The coaching staff will be looking for senior Amy Waggoner, junior Katelyn Gibas and red-shirt sophomore Krissy Sfetsas to battle for the starting jobs, and the talented freshmen group coming in will add more competition. Coach Samio commented, “I am looking forward to working with my old teammates along with the incoming freshmen, and I anticipate competition will be strong for playing time.”

The Middle Third of the Pitch

Seniors Sasha Neveras, Amanda Beasely and Catie Smith, along with sophomore Nicole Meis, lead the experience in the midfield this year. Once again a strong group of freshmen will be right in the middle of the mix for starting jobs. “Our midfield play was choppy at times last season, and other times we just went away from our transition game and eliminated that third of the field. Good teams cannot afford do that”, stated Bugda.

“With the depth we will have this season we will not need to have Naveras and Meis run around all over the place this year. “After seeing a lot of these players at high school games last year while coach was recruiting, it will be exciting to see who steps up and wins the starting jobs”, new assistant coach Colby Bugda stated.

Defensive Third of the Pitch

A talented group that has logged a lot of minutes together over the years, the Wildcats have an veteran defense. Seniors Stacey Spilman and Heather DiBlasi, and juniors Caitlin Robinson and Kelsey LaPlume lead the way. Senior Kari Maddox will be heading to the back third this season after two seasons splitting time between the midfield and forward positions.

Once again the freshman class will be making the push for starting minutes. “We will look to see who steps up and takes over the leadership and organization, both by example and verbally, now that Dana Ayars has graduated”, said keeper and defensive coach Josh Ruggiero.

Goalkeepers

“It should be a blast to watch this competition, as we have never been three deep or this talented at the goal keeper in my six years here at Wilmington” stated the head coach. Coach Ruggiero also commented that, “It is going to be a battle until the end for the starting job.”

Returning keepers Catie Joynes and Amanda Jenkins split starts last season and lead the Wildcats to ten wins in 2006. Returning to Wilmington will be Chrissy Bevenour who was the starting keeper in 2004 when the Cats were the CACC regular season champions. Bevenour spent one season at Delaware State University and sat out last season.

“As the Wildcats go into the 2007 soccer season, there are a few things we know”, said Coach Bugda. “We have skills, we should be able to score, we should have plenty of depth and as a coaching staff, we will have many options available to us. With the arrival of this new class, most can play anywhere on the field. The upper classmen, who now know what it takes, have the discipline and the ability to focus on the game or practice at hand, and understand the importance of being a good team player before being a good individual player.”

Team captains, Caitlin Robinson, Chrissy Bevenour, Stacey Spilman and Catie Joynes will be counted on to keep the team focused, maintain intensity, and lead them team by example.

“I think it is going to be a fun season, and we have the talent to play some exciting soccer if we bond quickly, stay focused, remember to play as one, respect each other and respect the game!”, Coach Bugda concluded.