Women's Soccer Season Kicks Off Friday vs. Rider

8/22/2013 9:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: TBD

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The first official Bucknell Athletics event is upon us, as the Bison women's soccer teams kicks off the 2013-14 campaign with a home match against Rider on Friday at 4 p.m. at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. The game will also be the first event to be carried by Bison Vision on the new Patriot League Network.

The Bison are coming off a 10-9 season and will have to replace four starters, including two-time All-Patriot League goalkeeper Sandita McDermott and another all-conference midfielder in Kayla Yee (see below for a more in-depth season preview).

Bucknell was picked seventh out of 10 teams in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. With the addition of Boston University and Loyola Maryland to the league, the Patriot League Tournament has expanded from four to six teams this season. Boston University was selected as the preseason favorite, with Navy, Colgate, Loyola, Army and Lehigh also named to the top six. Bucknell earned 69 points in the poll, just four behind sixth-place Lehigh. American, Holy Cross and Lafayette rounded out the poll.

Bucknell and Rider will be meeting for the first time in women's soccer. The Broncs went 10-4-3 last season for a school-record .676 winning percentage. Rider graduated 11 players, including six starters, from that team, but the Broncs return four of their top five scorers. Senior forward Jennifer Meier was a First Team All-MAAC selection last season, when she recorded four goals and three assists. Sophomore Tara Ballay is the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year.

Coach Drayson Hounsome's team was picked fourth in the MAAC Preseason Poll.

Following Friday's opener, the Bison head south on Rt. 15 to face Mount St. Mary's on Sunday at noon. The Mount finished 7-11-1 last season and also opens up its 2013 season on Friday at UMBC.

Below is a closer look at the 2013 Bison:

This is a year of change in Patriot League soccer. The addition of Boston University and Loyola (Md.) - two traditionally strong women's sides -- makes it a 10-team conference, and as a result the 2013 Patriot League Tournament has expanded to six teams. From Bucknell head coach Ben Landis' perspective, the increased competition will not change his team's focus or its ultimate goals, which as always are to first qualify for the postseason, then string together enough quality performances to lift a trophy at the end.

"This season is certainly going to have a different feel to it, but it is all positive and our goals have not changed," said Landis. "We have the talent to compete for the title, and we come into the season with heavy competition at spots where we did not have much competition in past years. We are going to be young, so we need our seniors to lead through example and for our younger players to be able to apply ideas and concepts quickly."

Bucknell finished 10-9 a year ago but came up on the short end of a fourth-place tiebreaker and missed the Patriot League Tournament for only the second time in Landis' eight-year tenure as head coach. Four starters have graduated from that team, including two-time All-Patriot League goalkeeper Sandita McDermott, but the Bison do return their top five scorers from a resurgent offense.

In 2011 Bucknell mustered only 10 goals the entire season, but last fall the Bison nearly tripled that total, producing 29 goals in 19 games, and they were shut out just four times all year. A breakout season from striker Chelsey Garkowski and the astute shift of speedster Courtney Nelsonfrom the back four to the left wing helped spur the offensive revival. Garkowski, a senior in 2013, led the team with eight goals and 19 points. She recorded Bucknell's first four-goal game in 18 years and was a handful for opponents with her speed up top.

"Chelsey comes into the year knowing that she can produce goals for us," said Landis. "Going into last year we thought she could do it, and know we have full confidence in her. Teams know they have to deal with her. She is a great leader and can really set the tone in a match."

Nelson, a co-captain along with Garkowski and fellow junior midfielder Liz Dwornik, tallied five goals and five assists after starting at fullback as a freshman in 2011. Nelson's blazing speed proved more useful on the flank, and on the opposite side junior Cassie Denger also posted career-best numbers with three goals and five assists for 11 points.

"Courtney has great touch and pace, and as good as she was last season, it's easy to forget she is still learning the position," said Landis. "She is an impact player up top and is also a great captain. She really holds her teammates accountable. When healthy, Cassie is one of our fittest players. She has good pace and work rate and knows our system. Liz gave us a spark every time she stepped on the field last season, and whether she is starting or coming off the bench, she makes us better. She is at her best playing right behind the strikers, and we will be counting on her to set up scoring opportunities."

Junior Brigit Falcón, sophomore Danielle Piccirilli, who scored twice during her rookie season, and promising freshmen Alexis Gannon and Sarah Bresette give Landis plenty of options in the attacking third of his 4-3-3. Throw in talented central midfielders Evelyn Nicinski (3 goals, 3 assists in 2012) and Dwornik (2 goals, 4 assists), and the Bison bring back 25 of their 29 goals from last year. All-conference midfielder Kayla Yee has graduated, but Nicinski and Dwornik are both outstanding playmakers who can both finish and set up teammates.

"Evelyn was called up to Poland's senior national team and we expect her to miss some time due to World Cup qualifying," said Landis. "She is a great two-way player and is someone that everybody looks up to. Her teammates are drawn to her style on the field and to her personality."

Senior Corey Tipton and sophomore Madison Loos have both seen game action in the midfield, with Tipton scoring her first collegiate goal last season. Senior Alex Degarmo and freshmen Shannon Donlon, Sam Powers and Cora Climo are also battling for playing time.

Defensively, Bucknell must replace holding midfielder Taryn Boucher and three-year starting back Corinne Collins, in addition to McDermott in goal. Lauren Dandie, Bucknell's top newcomer last season, and another first-year starter in current junior Hannah Bonotto helped solidify the back four. Senior outside back Bridget Gilmartin, who likes to join the attack when possible, also returns.

"Lauren Dandie had the biggest impact of any of our freshmen last year," said Landis. "She is a great representative of our program, and her leadership has really emerged since last year. Hannah played center back last season and right back in the spring. She is a smart player who understands the way we want to play in the back. Bridget also brings a ton of experience. We have a lot of depth at outside back this season, so that should mean we can ask her to attack a bit more, which is her strength."

Sophomore Alex Rosen did not see much action in her first season in orange and blue, but she had a tremendous spring and has a good chance to be in the starting eleven in 2013. Junior Michaela Berman and freshmen Montana Paley and Kelsey Witt are also competing for minutes.

"Alex Rosen probably had the best spring of anyone on the team," Landis offered. "She is a physical specimen who is a beast in the weight room, and we also found out this spring that she partners very well with Lauren Dandie in the two center back spots."

Sophomore Devan Schulte also had a standout spring season is a candidate to fill Boucher's role sitting in front of the back four.

McDermott was a three-year starter and two-time All-Patriot League goalkeeper who graduated with top-five rankings in wins, shutouts and goals-against average. It has been a few years since the Bison have had major competition for the starting keeper spot, but Landis has three good candidates battling it out in preseason training.

Junior Dana Calderone is a former walk-on who has gotten better and better since joining the team midway through the 2011 season. Sophomore Jessie Ashworth saw about 34 minutes of game action last season while backing up McDermott. The newcomer is Jessica Ratner, who was a four-year starter and a First Team All-State selection at The Pennington School in New Jersey.

"Jessie is a bit undersized, but she is one of the bravest goalkeepers I have seen," said Landis. "She learned a lot last season playing behindSandita McDermott and also spending a full year with [goalkeepers coach] Amanda Webb. Dana has improved at her position more than anyone on our roster. She has an awesome attitude and is a terrific teammate. Jessica Ratner has good size and athleticism and reminds us a little bit of a lefty version of `Dita. She is going to have to grow up quickly and brush off mistakes. The goalkeeper position is wide open, and I am expecting that it will be a few games into the season before we settle on a No. 1."

Landis likes the balance in his 2013 schedule, which kicks off on Aug. 23 at home against Rider. The Bison then play three straight on the road against Mount St. Mary's, Pittsburgh and Robert Morris before returning home to face in-state rivals Saint Francis (Pa.) and Penn State. A mid-September trip to the Baltimore area to take on Towson and UMBC puts an early end to non-league play. The final nine contests of the season are all against Patriot League foes, starting with Army at Emmitt Field on Sept. 21 and wrapping up with a trip to preseason favorite Boston University on Nov. 2.

The revamped Patriot League Tournament gets underway on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with the 3-6 seeds meeting in quarterfinal matches on campus sites. The No. 1 seed will then host the semifinals and championship on Nov. 8 and 10.

"We have five of our first eight league matches at home, and I really like the way our schedule is set up," said Landis. "During the first few games, we will be doing a lot of learning as coaches, sort of discovering ourselves. With two new teams and the tournament expanding, this is going to be a very exciting year."