By Danny Contreras
CCSU students can look forward to a season of vengeance with the women’s soccer team.
Last year’s team saw many of its more experienced players leave. Coach D’Arcy, however, said she created a defense-midfield-attack diamond that terrorized all teams around the conference.
The most balanced teams in recent years, the women’s Blue Devils, named two new co-captains in goalkeeper Nikola Deiter, and the versatile Jewel Robinson. Deiter, a native of Australia, started in all 17 games last season after joining the Blue Devils as a freshman over two years ago. She averaged approximately .80 saves a game, and racked up 99 of them throughout the season. However, her clean sheets only totaled two. Robinson on the other hand, recently received All-New England accolades and scored two goals as a center half. With twenty shots, and ten on goal, she is by far the most audacious player in the team, who never forgets her overall duty to defend the lady Blue Devils.
In addition to the new captains, the backline will feature junior Rachel Cerrone, a diminutive defender from New York who started 15 games and assisted twice. Ashlee Barrow, a veteran recruited from University of South Carolina upstart will seek to cement her position as a full-back following a disappointing three starts for the quick-paced player. Defenders win championships and this is their chance to prove it now that they have a lot of experience under their belt.
A different midfield will be seen this year as many of its players are relatively newcomers. D’Arcy who emphasizes quick paced, possession football, will count on team main-stay Cara Cavallari to control the midfield as a central midfielder. The senior started all 17 games last season assisting in at least one goal. However, she will be backed up by Allison Kelley, the Rhode Island native performed CCSU’s motor, getting herself involved in most goals last year, and winning possession for Central. Additionally, Michal Been has been recruited from Israel—a new freshman prospect, standing the tallest on the midfield at 5’5”, who will have the chance to prove her skill over the season.
Finally, what wins teams matches: the forwards. Coach D’Arcy has replenished his attack adding two new freshmen in Delaney Lancor and Alysa Christo, two New England natives from Connecticut and Massachusetts. But all eyes will be on Rosie Maguire winner of the NEC Rookie of the Year Award. The Irish forward netted five times last season and provided three assists. On the wings, Julie Lavoie and Kerriann Welch will support Maguire. Lavoie netted scored twice, netting the winning goal against Providence and assisting on three goals. Welch on the other hand started all her games in her debut season, and scored 3 goals and three assists. She red shirted the 2011 season.
The season will be an explosive one which features exhibition matches against Boston University (which the team lost 0-3), University of Connecticut and Yale University. The NEC season starts off at home against NEC championship semi-finalists Monmouth on Sept 21, before they head into their first local derby away against Quinnipiac only two days later. Quinnipiac will seek revenge against the Blue Devils following an embarrassing loss to Central in which the Blue Devils put 4 goals past them.
CCSU will face Ivy Leagues Harvard on Sept 26 before taking on Bryant four days afterwards. Both the Blue Devils and the Bulldogs will seek to improve on last year’s performance after they only managed a draw.
CCSU will travel to Robert Morris on October 7 to redeem their astonishing 3-1 loss at home last year. Finally, the biggest game of the season will see them face last year’s winners LIU Brooklyn away on October 26. The number 1 seed will seek a repeat of last year’s win over the Blue Devils by a goal to nil. The season will finish with FDU and Sacred Heart visiting CCSU on October 26 and 28. Last year, FDU defeated CCSU 2-0 while Sacred Heart could only salvage a draw.
With a tight defense, a packed midfield and a lethal attack force, the lady Blue Devils have high expectations to fill. Following a disappointing 2011 campaign, only months after a semi-final berth in 2010, this team will seek to redeem themselves. LIUB will prove to be their biggest test, while Yale, Harvard and should provide Coach D’Arcy with early and middle of the season testing grounds for his players. A top finish should be expected—however, a top four and semi-final berth while in the realm of possibility, will be hard to achieve, but this team has proved time and time again that they have it in them.