For Women's Soccer In 2010, The Future Is Now

For women's soccer in 2010, the future is now. Heading into this season's campaign, the team will feature 11 brand new faces and return just three players from the 2009 squad. However, with a predominantly new team comes new expectations and new opportunities to build and establish success.

With a team that includes 11 newcomers (eight freshmen, two juniors and a sophomore), second-year head coach Kevin Meek will look to utilize the experience of junior forward Jen Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) and the return of junior goalkeeper Kelly Callahan (Monson, Mass.), a Second Team All-New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) selection during her freshman campaign in 2008.

Killion scored five goals for the Blazers last season, while Callahan amassed 119 saves in 15 games and helped pace the Blazers to a perfect 8-0 conference record during the 2008 season.

Coach Meek will also look to a pair of junior returners - midfielder Erica Griffo (Syracuse, N.Y.) and junior defender Amanda Alvarado (Springfield, Mass.) - to help lay the groundwork for the new players.

Forwards

Joining Killion on the attack is freshman Olivia Barth (Springfield, Mass.). Barth will look to help pace the Blazers' attack which will stem from the play of the midfielders.

Midfielders

Five of the six midfielders on this year's squad are newcomers. Griffo, who connected for a goal last season, is the team's lone returner in the middle third of the field. Four freshmen and a sophomore complete a midfield unit that must work together in order to control the pace of play for Elms this season.

Freshmen Christina Goodchild (East Longmeadow, Mass.), Victoria Cebula (Granby, Mass.), Gianna Gorneault (Springfield, Mass.) and Ashley Venancio (Ludlow, Mass.) will team with Griffo and sophomore Paige Marchand (Canaan, Vt.) will set the tone of play for the Blazers' new-look midfield.

Defenders

Similar to the midfield, Elms' defensive corps is anchored by just one returner, Alvarado. Junior transfer Brianna Valente (Springfield, Mass.) will look to make a quick and powerful impact, while sophomore Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.), and freshmen Chelsea Carroll (Meriden, Conn.) and Allyson Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) will strive to establish a solid line of defense in the back third of the field.

Goalkeepers

Callahan is Elms' anchor between the pipes. Averaging just 1.27 goals against in 2008, Callahan recorded five shutouts helping the Blazers win the inaugural NECC Championship.

Freshman Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) will backup Callahan this season, providing Elms with solid depth at the goalie position.

Question and Answer with Coach Meek
Q: Which player(s) need(s) to make the biggest impact to have a successful 2010 season?
A: Kelly Callahan, our goalkeeper. She sets the tone for us through her enthusiasm and intensity. If she's confident, the entire team is confident. As soon as the other players see that Kelly is ready to go, they're ready to go.  

Q: Which newcomer(s) need to step in and fill an immediate void left by the 2009 graduating class?
A: The biggest thing that we're trying to focus on is our central midfielders and we're playing three freshmen in that position. Those three are the ones that will really have to step up and set a tone for what kind of game we're going to play. Christina Goodchild, Ashley Venancio and Gianna Gorneault are the ones that have to step up and they have so far.

Q: How hard is it as a head coach trying to fit 11 newcomers into a new system?
A: Interestingly enough, on day one of preseason when we did and eight vs. eight scrimmage, somehow this group just clicked. The first thing that I wanted to tackle was team chemistry. We did a lot off the field, from having all members of the team stay on campus through preseason, to hikes, to yoga and meditation, to make sure that the team chemistry was there. On the field it's getting them to buy into what we're trying to do, primarily our attacking mentality. That's sort of been our mantra this season. Now the process has become the slow teaching on the field and that is something that will go on all season.  

Q: How has Jen Killion matured as an athlete from last season to this season?
A: Well Jen is trying to fill some pretty big shoes, taking over for the program's all-time leading scorer (Krystyna Gagne), but she plays a different game. The biggest thing she has done thus far is that she is much more confident in herself. On and off the field, she's bringing a newfound level of maturity that wasn't there in the past, and that will show in the games. She is going to start off as one of the lone strikers, but she has the most experience on the field and she has the speed and skill set to really make a difference. I'm excited to see some great things from Jen this year.

Q: Comment on the role the corps of defenders will play this year?
A: Our fullbacks and Kelly have been a main focus for us in preseason. Four are brand new. We have a tremendous transfer in Brianna Valente – she should dominate people in the back third of the field. Then we have two freshmen, a returner in Amanda Alvarado, and a sophomore who didn't play soccer last year in Leah Spring. They will need to come together and play as a group. If they don't there will be some gaps and we will let up some shots. When they're on, they're on and we can shut people out.

Q: Outside of having 11 new faces on the squad, what is another challenge that this team needs to overcome this year in order to be productive?
A: Being new, but also being young. College is a different game. One of my biggest concerns is can they take the physical punishment that they're going to all season long? We're young and we're a small team, both physically and in numbers. Can they adapt to the physicality that the season will undoubtedly bring? That will be one of our biggest tests.