Women's Soccer Sets the Bar High Heading into 2014 Season
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 4, 2014) – The 2013 campaign proved to be a benchmark season across the board for the Mercy College women's soccer team. The Mavericks not only reached the finals of the East Coast Conference Championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but collected numerous postseason accolades as well.
Schedule
Newcomers
ECC Preseason Poll
"We proved a lot of people wrong last season," Head Coach Jonathan Feinstein, who won the ECC Coach of the Year award, said. "We showed the rest of the conference that we belong in the conversation as the top team in the conference."
The Mavericks finished 2013 at 13-5 overall and 7-2 in the ECC. Senior Abby Zielinski (Lancaster, Pa. / George Mason Univ.) was named to the Daktronics All-America Third Team, while fellow senior Jessica Carrillo (San Diego, Calif. /Miramar College) was named to the NSCAA All-Region and Daktronics All-District Teams. Both were also named, along with Crystal Mena (Newport Beach, Calif. / Santiago Canyon College) and Jennifer Vega (Norwalk, Calif. / Cerritos College), Daktronics All-District and All-ECC.
The 2014 squad brings a nice balance of veterans and newcomers to the pitch, despite losing nine seniors to graduation. Coach Feinstein seems to have made up for the losses already, however, as he signed 12 newcomers from coast-to-coast in the offseason.
Forwards
The Mavericks did not have a problem finding the net in 2013, as they scored 38 goals while their opponents netted just 22. Mercy proved to be a second half team, scoring 26 of the 38 goals in the latter 45 minutes of games.
Carrillo led the team in goals last season, and will be one of Feinstein's main options up top on through thru balls. Zielinski joins Carrillo to create a dynamic one-two punch. The third option for Coach Feinstein will be 5-11 junior college transfer Ashley Johnson (Phoenix, Ariz. /Paradise Valley CC). The Phoenix native is a natural goal-scorer and will complement the experience of Carrillo and Zielinski.
Senior Danielle Deeb (San Diego, Calif. /Miramar College) and junior Dawn Hickey (Bohemia, N.Y. / Connetquot) are likely to be the first options coming off the bench to start the season. Deeb played a solid role last year, starting six games and earning ECC Offensive Player of the Week once, while Hickey played in 14 games, making four starts.
Sophomore Libby Zelikowitz (Middle Village, N.Y. / Francis Lewis) will fight for time too after her 2013 season was cut short due to injury. Newcomers' freshman Alexandra Modlinski (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Cornwall) and freshman Heidi Serna (West Covina, Calif. / South Hills) will spilt time at various spots in the attack.
Midfield
Midfield will see senior captain MacKenzie Cochrane (Mission Viejo, Calif. /Fresno State University) run the show after the graduation of four-year starter Jackie Karras (Nesconset, N.Y. / Smithtown East). The Southern Californian will be paired with fellow senior Jenna Petel (Cypress, Calif./ Santiago Canyon College), who was used as a super-sub last season and will now be called upon to take up a larger role.
Cochrane and Petel will join some new faces in the form of junior college transfer Jessica DeLeon (Phoenix, Ariz. / Paradise Valley CC) and freshman Alyssa Iannuzzi (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa). DeLeon brings a strong pedigree to Dobbs Ferry, as the Phoenix native won the 2012 NJCCA national title at Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona. The former national Junior College Player of the Year will be asked to contribute at multiple positons based on her extreme athleticism, but will probably spend a large amount of time at midfield.
Iannuzzi brings a winning pedigree to Dobbs Ferry, as she scored the game-winning goal in the state championship game. Serna and Karina Ramirez (Woodland Hills, Calif. /Pierce College) will also be at this position. Ramirez can be uses as an attacking midfielder or on the flank, while Serna will see action at center mid.
Defense
The defense will be anchored by junior captain Savannah Campana (Garden City Park, N.Y. / New Hyde Park Memorial). Campana was one of the main catalysts in the Mavericks back line last season, but did a couple of games due to nagging injuries. Speedy sophomore Samantha Longo (Oceanside, N.Y. / Oceanside) will return to replace the loss of Mena, who won two ECC Defensive Player of the Week awards last season. Longo will look to stay healthy as injuries slowed her down as well during the final month of last season.
Freshman Samantha Scovel (La Mirada, Calif. / La Mirada) will be relied on for her 5-8 frame and aggressive attitude as she will see early minutes at the center back position. Junior college transfer Amanda McLean (Phoenix, Ariz. /Paradise Valley CC) is an interchangeable part in the backline who will see time at both center and outside back positions.
Junior Olivia Laverdiere (San Diego, Calif. /Miramar College), as a spring semester transfer, has had some time to ease into Feinstein's system. Laverdiere can play both back and midfield, and will see time at both spots. Freshman Vanessa Gonzalez (San Juan Capistrano, Calif. / San Juan Hills) and Ramirez will provide additional depth off the bench on the back line.
Goalkeeper
Junior Nicole Augustine (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) set the bar pretty high last season, as she posted nine shutouts and recorded a 1.14 goals against average. Augustine was a virtual wall at times last season, but had a tough burden to shoulder as she played nearly every minute in goal for the Mavericks.
Coach Feinstein has looked to fix the problem, as he brought in freshman Ashley Price (Goodyear, Ariz. / Millennium) from Arizona. Price has good hands and good feet, which will most likely allow her to give Augustine some rest.
Mercy was picked to finish third in the ECC Preseason Poll and will be looking to at least match last year's Championship final appearance.
"After making such an unexpected splash last season, we need to prove that this was not a one-time thing," Feinstein said. "The bar has been set high and we are looking to leap over it to achieve that next level of success."
The Mavericks open the 2014 season in the Mercy Kickoff Classic on Thursday, Sept. 4 against the Setters of Pace University at 4:30 p.m.
