Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Soccer Completes 2002 Season
12/4/2002 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Dec. 4, 2002
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's women's soccer team wrapped up it's 2002 campaign with a 6-9-2 record, and while the Bison fell short of their goal of repeating as Patriot League champions, there were still plenty of highlights.
"We didn't reach our goals, so we're very disappointed with that," stated head coach Chrissy Findlay, "but we are optimistic at what the future holds. The team is comprised of resilient young women. This past season was a learning experience. We learned that setting our goals too high early on can come back to haunt us." Winning the Patriot League Championship one season does not guarantee that you will even be in contention for it the next season. As the recent history of Patriot League Women's Soccer has shown, parity is persistent and capturing a post-season berth needs to be the first priority."
Bucknell was led by seniors Kate Cramer (Manasquan, N.J./Wall), Emily Keber (Morristown, N.J./West Morris Mendham), Melissa Lawson (New Hudson, Mich./South Lyon), Laurie Purse (Traverse City, Mich./Western Reserve Academy), Lauren Schwarz (Northport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and Tara Utchel (Heidelberg, Pa./Sewickley).
Cramer and Lawson worked together in the backfield for 16 of the 17 contests for the Bison. Cramer marked five shots for the Bison and was a solid defender who battled quad injuries all season. Lawson tallied one assist during the 2002 campaign and was relied on for composure to the back field.
Purse held the goalkeeper position for Bucknell in 16 games. She ended the season with a 5-8-1 record. The senior goalkeeper recorded 79 saves for the Bison, which placed her tied for third overall in the Patriot League. Purse allowed 22 goals during her 1,370 minutes of play. During Patriot League play, she led the conference with 6.57 saves per game. She tallied a total of four shutouts for the season. Purse completes her career as a Bison with 6,194 minutes in goal and achieving 369 saves. Purse, playing at forward in one contest, recorded her first collegiate goal against Delaware State.
Senior tri-captains, Utchel and Schwarz, finished as two of the top three scorers for the Orange and Blue. Both players participated in all 17 contests for Bucknell. Utchel led the Bison with four goals and two assists and recorded one game-winning goal. With a total 10 points, she tied for 19th in the Patriot League. Utchel ranked fifth overall in the conference with 65 shots taken. She was named to the All-Patriot League second-team. Utchel completed her career at Bucknell with 14 goals and 14 assists while on the field. Schwarz placed third on the team for scoring with three goals and one assist. Schwarz was also named to the Verizon Academic All-District II first-team. Schwarz has completed her career at Bucknell with six goals and three assists.
Keber recorded two goals and two assists for the Herd. She closes her Bucknell career with six goals, one of which was the game-winner vs. American in 2001 that placed the Bison in the Patriot League Championship game for the first time in program history.
"Those six seniors will always be remembered for their work-ethic and unity. Without them, we would not have achieved as much as we have in the past 4 years. They have been successful student-athletes here at Bucknell. Each and every one of them will be a success in life. I will miss them dearly and wish them all the best."
Tri-captain Abbey Seaboyer (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendohowa) was the lone junior on the Bison squad and started in all 17 contests for Bucknell. She assisted the defense in protecting the Bison goal throughout the season. The Bucknell opponents tallied a total 25 goals and 225 shots. The Bison offense out-shot their opponents with 295 attempts and scoring 26 times.
Bucknell sophomores included goalkeeper Kelly Kannen (Suffield, Conn./Suffield), forward Meghann Chipko (Lexington, Ky./Paul Laurence Dunbar), midfielder Michelle Santonacita (Glen Rock, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy), forward Megan Farrell (Weston, Fla./St. Thomas Acquinas), midfielder Alison Cooper (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), defenders Isabel Diaz (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep), Annie Greenspun (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford), Jill Smith (Kunkletown, Pa./Notre Dame), and forward Ashley Dincher (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove).
"It was apparent that we lacked `true finishing' despite posting 295 shots this season," said coach Findlay. "In years passed, the team has relied on one or two players to put the ball in the back of the net. Even though we had goals scored from multiple positions this season, which is significant in many ways, we need to either find the goal scorers or spend more time in the off-season on development of our forwards and our attack in general."
Coach Findlay mentioned, "Another area we need to solidify and re-establish is central midfield. Replacing Schwarz and Utchel will be difficult because they have been central figures on the field for almost 4 years. We need a consistently strong ball-winning presence in the middle to do the dirty work for the attackers, slow down the opponents and relieve some pressure on the defense."
The Bison changed up their formation and lineup several times in search of the best system, but it continued to show signs of inconsistency and inexperience.
On the defensive side of the field, Kannen spent three games in goal for the Bison recording six saves and allowing three goals. Diaz, Greenspun and Smith were strong defenders for the Bison. Smith tallied one shot on goal, while Greenspun marked her first collegiate goal against American. Greenspun emerged as a regular contributor for the Bison, while participating in 15 competitions and attempting 16 shots.
Chipko, a sophomore forward, was ranked second on the Bison squad in scoring, with four goals. Santonacita notched one goal and two assists during her 17 showings on the field. Farrell, who was out for half the season with an injury, impressively was listed among the top scorers with two goals for the Orange and Blue. Cooper tallied one goal and one assist as a midfielder. Dincher excelled on the field during 2002, after being named Co-Rookie of the Year from the Patriot League in 2001. She ranked fifth on the team in scoring, while recording two goals and one assist.
Bucknell added 11 new freshmen to the squad for the 2002 season. The Bison newcomers included forward Suzanne Arata (La Plata, Md./Saint Mary's Ryken), defender Beth Darby (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown), midfielder Margaret Emmitt (Oldwick, N.J./Gill Saint Bernards), midfielder Meaghan Ferris (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet Regional), midfielder Kerry Fitz-Patrick (Washington, D.C./Stone Ridge County Day), goalkeeper Samantha Hecht (Pompano Beach, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas), defender Courtney Hill (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), defender Caitlin Lanctot (Alameda, Calif./Bishop Odowd), midfielder Rachel Prowler (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter), midfielder Lexi Shore (South Orange, N.J./Columbia), defender Jacquelyn Vanaman (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven).
Key contributors of the freshman class included Arata and Darby. Arata tallied one goal for the Bison and appeared in 17 of the contests, while starting in eight. She became a playmaker, and her tenacious defensive presence helped the Bison regain possession in their attacking half. Darby came off the bench in 16 contests and added speed and an attacking presence from the flank defense.
Prowler and Shore were key reserves for Bucknell. Prowler led the rookies in scoring with one goal and two assists for the season. She competed in 11 games. Shore was second in the line of newcomers with one goal and one assist during her nine showings. Ferris, Emmitt and Fitz-Patrick saw significant minutes off the bench for the Bison at midfield. Ferris recorded one goal for the season and missed the last five contests of the season due to an injury. Speedy Emmitt closed the scoring list for the freshmen with one goal for the Orange and Blue, while seeing time in 12 games at outside midfield. Ferris started 10 of the 12 games she partook in, while Fitz-Patrick played in nine at either forward or midfield.
Lanctot, Hill, Vanaman and Hecht contributed to the Bison defense. Lanctot saw action in five games at outside midfield. Hill and Vanaman also participated on the field for the Bison during the 2002 season, both at defense. Hecht saw time between the pipes in one game as a freshman.
"There were 27 on the roster, and 20 of them were freshmen and sophomores. Although this is important for experience and development of players, the youthfulness affects the team's ability to maintain a steady and balanced effort all over the field," mentioned Findlay.
Coach Findlay added, "Overall, we had enough talent to be successful this year. In a lot of games we were close. We were in charge of our destiny and didn't do what we were capable of doing. The team was two or three games away from solidifying, in my opinion. There were several key games that a single breakdown here or there resulted in a goal scored. But, hey, that is the game of soccer. You put that alongside some smaller issues that all teams have, such as injuries, and we're dissatisfied. But one thing continues to remain...team character. Despite the roller coaster of a season, the team stuck together day in and day out. That says a lot about each individual and their commitment to the program. "
On the academic side of the ball, the Bison earned a top 10 ranking on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award for the 2001-02 season. With a cumulative grade point average of 3.38, the Bison ranked ninth out of the 97 Division I institutions recognized by the NSCAA.
"It's too early to predict what will happen in the 2003 season. The only thing that can be predicted is that the title of Patriot League Champion will again be up for grabs. As a team, we are very disappointed at not making the playoffs but what can we do now? We are focusing on re-establishing our mentality and we are moving forward. `Sometimes you do a great coaching job, sometimes not. Sometimes the players play great, sometimes not. Sometimes the game just beats you.' We hold ourselves accountable and learned from the 2002 season and are looking forward to the off-season to prepare us both mentally and physically to battle for a post-season berth in 2003. First things first."
