Last year, the women’s soccer team finished with a league record of 3-12, ending in disappointment. The women’s team was filled with talented players, yet they were unable to capitalize upon their opportunities in big games. However, that will change this year as the Dolphins are coming into this season with vengeance. With leading seniors Christie Morano and Gabriele Ariola, the team looks to counter the results of their last season by snatching a championship title.
Regarding last season, Head Coach Tracey Leipold, now entering into her fourth season with Le Moyne, said, “I felt that we underachieved last season, we had more talent than our record indicated, however, we are always working toward the same thing: a Conference Championship.”
The main goal driving the team this year is victory and the achievement of winning a Championship at the end.
“The big goal is to win a Championship, however, in order to get there our goal is to be focused only on the immediate future, improve each practice and take it one game at a time,” Leipold added. “Our conference is so competitive that every game is important. Only 8 out of 16 teams make the playoffs.”
No win is ever easy to achieve, and the team knows it, having worked hard in the off season to become strong and conditioned.
“We worked hard to develop a more positive team atmosphere where it was encouraged to push yourself past what your limits are,” she explained. “We worked to move the focus from the individual success to the team success. We also focused on leadership. We implemented a program for the seniors to develop and improve their leadership skills. It has really improved the communication among the players, in addition to the communication between players and coaches.”
Eight freshmen players have joined the team this season: Tori Corsaro, Kayla Werthmann, Marissa Walsh, Claire Monnat, Jenelle Powell, Alli Powell, Jessie Murphy and Maggie Monnat.
“The freshmen came in ready to work,” said Leipold. “For the fall sports, the players don’t have the luxury of getting to know each other before they start training. We expect the freshmen to know what to do and be good at it in less than 24 hours after they arrive. As a group they are pretty outgoing and have become a part of the team much faster than in the past.”
The team has a strong set of returning players, including seasoned seniors Christie Morano, Gabriele Ariola, Stephanie Bonzerato, Lauren Pospiech and Sarah Ward.
Discussing the returning players, Coach Leipold stated, “The returning players have exceeded our expectations. They definitely did the work over the summer to come back fit and ready. They have provided leadership to the freshmen and have been focused on the overall team success.”
The biggest competition for the team this year, as Coach Leipold put it, is “whoever we are playing next.” The Dolphins are prepared to have a successful season this year and hopefully achieve their team goals to become a competitive force in the Northeast-10.
The Dolphin’s will next face Bentley away this Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.
