With a team that lacks in upperclassman players, the Le Moyne women’s soccer team has relied on a large and talented sophomore class.
The team sports just four seniors and three juniors, which means the nine sophomores have been tasked with providing leadership for an even larger freshman class of 13 players.
“They have done a great job with helping the first years adjust and have helped bring the level of play up,” third-year coach Carrie Bonus said.
The sophomore class was Bonus’ first recruiting class at Le Moyne. Bonus took over in 2016, where she had five players transfer because of the coaching change, leading to her massive first two recruiting classes.
The rebuilding process is apparent as the Dolphins are just 3-9 this season with five games left on the schedule, but the success of the sophomore class offers hope for the future.
Through this season’s first 12 games, the Dolphins have scored 10 goals, six of which have come from sophomores. In addition, the sophomores have accounted for 16 of the team’s 27 points.
The success of the sophomore class comes from the fact that they had a lot of playing time as freshmen. Sophomore Erica Wasserbach started all 17 games of the 2017 season. Fellow sophomores Elizabeth Maguire, Maria Morotti, Elizabeth Glynn, and Maddison Vine all appeared in over 11 games last season.
“Our sophomore class is a big class,” said Bonus. “[They] were fortunate to get a bit of playing time last year so as sophomores they come in with pretty good experience.”
It took just 18 minutes for a sophomore to step up when Maguire netted the team’s first goal of the season. Through the first 12 games, Maguire leads the team in scoring with three goals.
One of the major additions to the team has been redshirt freshman Marissa Lisikatos, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Lisikatos, who is technically a sophomore, has played a vital role in the team’s success. She has both started and come off the bench in the team’s first 12 games.
“It feels great to get back out there because a lot of time and effort was put into rehab,” said Lisikatos, who wears a giant knee brace on her left leg during games. “Finally getting to see it come together is amazing.”
Despite not showing up in the box score, Lisikatos has still been a force on the field this year. The midfielder is known for her quick passes and high soccer IQ.

“Having Marissa back is great,” said Bonus. “She is a very hard worker, a great teammate and knows the game very well.”
However, the success of the sophomores on the field is not just because of one person. One thing that seems to be a common theme amongst the team is the sense of family.
“I love all the girls on the team,” said Glynn. “We’re always there for each other through the ups and downs. We’re really just one big family.”
While the sophomore class has had a lot of success, none of the sophomores will individually take credit for it.
“We don’t define ourselves as classes,” said sophomore Bridget Walker. “We just do whatever it takes to help our team win.”
Whatever the secret formula to the success of the sophomores has been, it is clear that they have played a big role this season.
“This is a very special team,’’ Bonus said. “They have worked very hard to be in shape and push each other every day to get better. They have a positive vibe and are playing for each other. They are a lot of fun to be around.”