Commonwealth Conference Preseason Preview
Season Preview Video
ANNVILLE, Pa. - The Lebanon Valley women's soccer team will have no shortage of leadership heading into the season, as it returns 19 players, including eight seniors.
“We have a solid core of returners from last year's team that made it to the conference championship and qualified for the first time in program history for the NCAA Tournament,” head coach Lauren Salerno said.
LVC has garnered some respect within the Commonwealth Conference. With 71 points, the Dutchmen rank second in the preseason coaches poll. Reigning conference champion Messiah was a unanimous pick to finish on top.
Reigning Commonwealth Conference player of the year and newly named team captain
Nicole Snyder leads a list of six forwards on the Dutchmen roster. Snyder (18g, 5a) led the team in scoring a year ago and sits just two goals behind the LVC career record with 32 goals across three seasons.
Snyder is joined on the frontline by returners
Heather Tran (9g, 2a),
Jess Kleeschulte (3g, 3a),
Katie Deardorff (2g, 4 a), and
Taylor Saraiva (2g). There will be an absence felt with the graduation of key distributor
Sara Drabenstadt, but the team adds freshman striker
Sara Shissler.
In the midfield, the Dutchmen will field nine returners and three newcomers. The list features
Stevi Laird,
Amanda Douglass, and
Sarah Dowhower, who combined for six goals last season with two scores apiece. Other returners include
Ines Antensteiner,
Lindi Crist,
Brittany Flood,
Morgan Miller,
Erin McCarthy, and
Caitlin Harman, who hasn't played since 2009.
The team gains three midfielders in freshmen
Raeann La Flame, Breanna Schlemmer, and
Rachel Cummings.
On defense, the team will feel the loss of
Jordan Nendza, who graduated in the spring, but it returns five players and gains a freshman. Returners include
Dani Douglass,
Sarah Wannlund,
Mara Sunderland,
Sarah Lloyd, and
Allison Korns. Each member of the group contributed to LVC's nine total shutouts last season. They gain freshman
Alexa Muffly.
Sami Young and
Becca Sykes both return as goalkeepers. Young (10-5-2 in 2011) played over 1,500 minutes with 18 starts in the net last season and guarded for six shutouts. Sykes (3-0-1) allowed just three goals in 451 minutes with three starts.
“This year for training camp, we have changed our philosophy,” Salerno said. “It's not the same type of fitness. We're mixing things up a little bit. It's more 'confuse your body' and 'challenge your body' a little bit. We also have to balance that with enough rest because we want to be fresh for our opening tournament at Gettysburg.”
After reaching the conference finals, the Dutchmen earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament last season. The bar is set for further success, but the season opens with a familiar goal.
“Last year's regular season game against Messiah was a 2-0 game, and one of those goals was on a PK,” Salerno said. “We've never beaten Messiah, so it's obviously a huge program goal and a huge personal goal of mine. Every year, we're getting closer. We got a lot of respect last year for playing them tough, so they're going to be a little bit nervous. I think our girls are going to be ready for a good game.”
The Dutchmen play at Gettysburg on Aug. 31 and open at home Sept. 5 against Misericordia.
Commonwealth Conference Women's Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Messiah - 81 (9)
2. Lebanon Valley - 71
3. Stevenson - 65
4. Arcadia - 54
5. Elizabethtown - 46
6. Albright - 37
7. Alvernia 36
8. Widener - 34
9. Lycoming - 16
10. Hood - 10
(first place votes in parenthesis)
