Aug. 28, 2010
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Last year, it came down to the final day of the regular season for the Siena Field Hockey team to try to fulfill its goal of reaching the Northeast Conference Tournament. While the Saints fell just short, the team put together a laundry list of accomplishments - some of which had never been reached before in the program's previous 31 seasons - and laid the groundwork to take the next step towards their goal in 2010.
"Since I have been here, we've talked about the tournament as this elusive goal," says head coach Bill Davidson. "Last year although we did not make the tournament, we got closer that we ever had and I believe that type of experience and excitement put things into perspective that it can be a very attainable goal this season."
While the Saints did lose four integral members of last year's team to graduation in Andrea Caso, Caroline Hunnewell, single-season saves leader Renee Clavette and the program's seventh all-time leading scorer and Second Team All-NEC selection Kristin McGorty, the team does return two of its top three scorers and its entire starting defense which came on strong a year ago.
Senior captains Lisa Heimerle and Brittany Moran each had breakout years as juniors and are poised to lead this team to the Northeast Conference Tournament in 2010. Davidson and Assistant Coach Kaitlyn Skelley Wahila spent the offseason recruiting five solid incoming freshmen to help replace last season's departures and all early indications point to them making solid impacts in their first collegiate seasons and thus helping the team reach its ultimate goal.
Last year the Saints experienced their best finish in seven years and had a record five games go to overtime and seven games were decided by a single goal, proving that this team is on the cusp of taking things to the next level. With eight proven starters returning mixed in with a core of eager freshman, it is not hard to see that Siena Field Hockey is pointed in the right direction.
FORWARDS
Siena's forwards are deep in numbers, but short in experience. Coach Davidson hopes that senior captain Lisa Heimerle can lead the way.
"In practice, Lisa has taken charge of our forwards," notes Davidson. "Being that she will be surrounded by much younger players, their relationships and the combinations have already begun and I believe that will allow us to have more sustainable attacks this year."
Last season, Heimerle started all 18 games at forward and tied for the team lead with four goals and finished second with 10 points. She showed great improvement with her stick skills and finishing ability around the cage which culminated in one of the most memorable individual performances in team history. On Sept. 27 against Colgate, Heimerle erupted for the first ever hat trick in program history and finished with a single-game record seven points as the Saints won 5-3. The Green and Gold expect more of the same this year from Heimerle and hope she can also mentor an inexperienced front line.
Joining Heimerle up front is junior Jenn Reich. Reich has moved around a bit on the field in her first two years, but hopes to have found a home at forward this season. After a breakout freshman campaign in which she was amongst the team leaders in scoring, Reich is poised to return to putting up big numbers again this season and will likely challenge for a starting spot.
Sophomore Olivia Whelly got off to a strong start as a freshman, starting early and registering an assist on the team's first goal of the season. Although her production tailed off as the season progressed, she has been strong in preseason workouts and should figure in to the starting mix. Classmate Shannon Delaney missed most of her freshman season due to illness, but hopes to be healthy and ready to make an impact in 2010.
Davidson adds three freshmen to the mix, all of whom are expected to challenge for starting spots right from the very start. Headlining the class is Oakham, Mass. native Cory dela Gorgendiere. A 2010 McDonald's McScholar Athlete, dela Gorgendiere has stood out in preseason practices after leading her high school team at Quabbin Regional to the District I Division E Finals. With the success the Saints received from another freshman from Quabbin Regional last year in Kyla Dickson, Davidson hopes he has once again caught lightning in a bottle this year with another Quabbin product.
Jessica Smith joins the frontline after a stellar amateur career at Portsmouth High in Greenland, N.H. A First Team All-State selection as a senior, Smith tallied nine goals and four assists which should add nicely to a Saints team that collectively tallied just 23 goals a season ago.
Rounding out the freshman class at forward is another highly touted student-athlete in Michaela Sullivan. Sullivan scorched the opposition as a senior at Northport High in East Northport, N.Y. for nine goals and 12 assists on her way to being named an All-County selection a year ago.
MIDFIELDERS
The Saints are solid at the midfield position with a blend of athletes who can both push up on offense and also fall back to help out on defense. Leading the way is senior captain Brittany Moran, who when healthy has been a strong point on past teams. Moran's health this season will go a long way in determining the Saints' success.
"I believe that our midfield will be crucial to our transition game and to create scoring opportunities to our forwards," says Davidson. "We intend to use a number of players in that area as we look for the right mix."
After missing another portion of the year due to nagging injuries, Moran played through pain as a junior and was able to make a major contribution. Previously a back, Moran spent much of her time at midfield and up front and showed her versatility as a goal scorer where she tied for the team lead with four goals and finished with nine points. The Saints hope to have Moran healthy this year and playing a more traditional midfield role, but she could be looked upon again to see some time up front.
A trio of experienced juniors, Mackenzie Smith, Jess Murphy and Jenna Gifford all return and will battle for minutes. Smith appeared in 16 games a year ago and helped lead the Saints to their first win of the year when she scored on the decisive penalty stroke against UC Davis. Murphy meanwhile appeared in 13 games last season, making a career-high five starts. She figures to be in the midfield mix again this season pushing for minutes. Gifford emerged last season as a solid two-way player, making key stops on the defensive side of the field, while also pushing up on offense and showing her scoring skills as she tallied two goals and an assist.
Sophomore Raenee Ritter will miss the season due to injury and red-shirt. Filling out the group is freshman Lindsay Mayo. A local product from Glenville, Mayo was a standout at Niskayuna where she led the Silver Warriors to a Suburban Council Section II Championship last season. The 2009 Times Union MVP, Mayo is expected to step in right away and make a major impact as a freshman.
BACKS
The Saints may be deepest entering the season in the backfield as they look to protect a pair of untested goalies entering the season. All four starters return with another year of experience under their belts and each provides their own unique special abilities.
"We're returning our entire backfield which should be the strength of our team entering the season," remarks Davidson. "We have a strong combination of leadership and experience which should help give us the structure that we need."
Leading the group are juniors Rachelle Grover and Sarah Szewczyk who each boast more than 30 starts apiece in the backfield. Grover has both played in and started all 35 games over her first two seasons, but a preseason injury may cut into that streak this season. When healthy, Grover is an aggressive on-ball defender with a knack of being in the right spot at the right time. Last season, she led the team with five defensive saves.
Szewczyk is more offensive minded in the back, but also has the ability to push up and join the attack. A versatile athlete, she gives the Saints some flexibility on the field.
Rising sophomores Kelly Johansmeyer and Kyla Dickson each enjoyed success as freshman when they stepped in and started from Day One. Johansmeyer played both midfield and defense as a freshman and was a solid cog for the Saints game in and game out. Dickson emerged as a tenacious defender and also played up top on short corners where her strong shot led to a number of Siena goals.
GOALKEEPERS
If the backfield is the Saints' most experienced unit entering the year, the goalkeeping is the polar opposite. Both Siena goalies entering the season will battle each other for minutes in the cage as neither has yet to play a collegiate minute.
"I'm extremely excited with the progress that both goalkeepers have made," Davidson notes. "Both Coach Wahila and I enjoy working with both of them. They have displayed a positive attitude and thirst for knowledge, but most of all we are very proud in how they are feeding off each other knowing that both are going to be crucial to our success."
Junior walk-on Alison Baillargeon did not see any action last season, but got a chance to learn from one of the best in watching Clavette. The Saints hope that with a year of knowledge under her belt that Baillargeon can step right in and prove to be a solid replacement.
Freshman Beth Meyers enters the fray and will challenge Baillargeon right off the bat for the starting spot in goal. A native of Guilderland, Meyers has impressed in preseason workouts after stopping better than 91% of the shots she faced last year on her way to being named All-State, First Team All-Star and MVP.
SCHEDULE
After playing a fairly even home and away schedule a year ago which featured eight home tilts to go along with nine road games and a neutral site affair, this year the Saints success will lie in their ability to perform well on the road. Last season, Siena dropped all 10 games away from home and enters the year in search of their first road win in the Davidson era. The Saints came close last season and know that if they want to take the next step this year, winning on the road is a must.
"I think winning is a learned behavior," says Davidson. "We are not dwelling on the past. We don't over-emphasize home games and don't de-emphasize road games. We play to the best of our ability hoping that the best team that day will win, but we do know that in order to reach out goal that we will need to win some games away from home this season."
This season, the Saints will once again play a total of 18 games, although only six of those contests will be at home with 11 true road games and one neutral site affair. The 2010 campaign gets underway with a three-game road trip to Virginia. Siena will open with a neutral site game in Farmville, Va. against Appalachian State (Aug. 29) before facing host Longwood (Aug. 31) two days later. The trip concludes with a cross-state stop at Radford (Sept. 1) before returning home.
The home slate kicks off with a meeting vs. Holy Cross on Sept. 9 at Siena Turf Field. That game will serve as only one of two home games (Lehigh - Sept. 22) in the month for the Saints. Closing out Siena's 11-game non-conference schedule are road stops at Fairfield (Sept. 12), Colgate (Sept. 15), Hofstra (Sept. 19), UAlbany (Sept. 28) and Vermont (Oct. 3), with the slate concluding with Siena's first ever meeting with Saint Louis on Oct. 8 at Siena Turf Field.
With the newly restructured NEC Field Hockey league, the Saints will play seven conference games this season in an unbalanced schedule which features three home and four road games. Home opponents include Robert Morris (Oct. 15), Saint Francis (Oct. 17) and Sacred Heart (Oct. 29), while the Saints will head out on the road to face Bryant (Oct. 10), Monmouth (Oct. 22), Rider (Oct. 24) and Quinnipiac (Oct. 31).
Last season the Saints remained in contention until the final day to qualify for the Northeast Conference Tournament. This season, they hope to be one of the four teams in the eight-team conference to punch their tickets to the tournament which will be played Nov. 5-6 at the highest seed.
