2009 SEASON IN REVIEW
Dec. 8, 2009
The Emmanuel Women's Soccer Team wrapped up another successful season in 2009, reaching the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship game and making the program's second Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament appearance. The Saints finished as the second place team in the GNAC with a 9-2-1 regular season ledger. Receiving the \#2 seed in the GNAC post-season tournament, Emmanuel cruised past 7th-seeded Albertus Magnus and 6th-seeded Saint Joseph (CT) with back-to-back shut out wins. Emmanuel was upset in double-overtime in the GNAC Championship game by 5th-seeded Simmons College, 2-1. This was the Saints' second-straight overtime loss in the GNAC title game, as Emmanuel fell to Norwich University, 2-1, in overtime in 2008.
The Saints regrouped after the disappointing loss to Simmons and Emmanuel received a bid to the ECAC tournament. The Saints were seeded 5th and faced a tough 4th-seeded Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts team in the opening round. The Saints were defeated by the Trailblazers, 3-0. This was Emmanuel's second straight ECAC tournament appearance.
The Saints finished the 2009 season with an impressive record of 14 wins, 7 losses and 1 tie. Seven of the team's wins came via shut-out and Emmanuel held an 8-game win streak through the semifinals of the GNAC tournament. The Saints went 9 and 4 on their new home turf, Roberto Clemente Field.
Emmanuel had several incredible individual performances throughout the season. The Saints placed four players on the highly competitive GNAC All-Conference Teams. Of the thirty-three total players honored, two Saints were named to the 1st Team and two were named to the 2nd Team. Emmanuel senior Kate McKenna (Holyoke, Mass.) was voted the 2009 GNAC Player of the Year. McKenna and junior Amber Di Nucci (Assonet, Mass.) received 1st Team honors, while seniors Hillary Mota (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Meghan Long (Smithfield, R.I.) were named to the 2nd Team. Senior Alexandra Blasser (Pembroke, Mass.) was selected to the GNAC's All-Sportsmanship Team.
McKenna, who led the conference in scoring all season, was named the 2009 GNAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year. This was also her third time being named 1st Team All-GNAC. McKenna led the Saints with 21 goals and 6 assists for 48 total points. She was voted GNAC Player of the Week three times in 2009 and was named to the 2009 GNAC All-Tournament Team. Her Player of the Year honor comes on the heels of being named ESPN The Magazine 3rd Team Academic All-District. She was subsequently named an ECAC New England 1st Team All-Star.
Joining McKenna on the 1st Team was junior forward Amber Di Nucci. This was Di Nucci's third time as an all-conference selection. In 2009, she led both Emmanuel and the GNAC in play-making with an incredible 17 assists. Her season assist total set an Emmanuel program record. Di Nucci also scored 9 goals this season, ranking her the second leading scorer for the Saints in 2009. She was named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll in October and was all voted to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.
Mota and Long were named 2nd team All-GNAC. Along with McKenna, the two represented the team's tri-captains this season. Both Long and Mota have been starters in their respective positions throughout their tenure with the Saints. Long scored three goals and dished out 5 assists from her midfield position in 2009. She was voted to this year's GNAC All-Tournament Team. Mota was solid on the Saints' defense all season, helping lead Emmanuel to seven shut-outs this year. This is her second time being named All-GNAC.
Blasser was named to the GNAC's All-Sportsmanship Team. Blasser has been a four-year player for the Saints and started in 20 of her 21 games played this season. Head Coach Wayne Currie recruited several freshmen, who had an immediate impact on the field this season. Among them was starting goalkeeper Jessica D'Ottavio (Pawling, N.Y.). D'Ottavio started in net for the Saints in all 22 games in 2009. She posted a 14-7-1 record with 7 shutouts and a 1.58 goals-against-average. D'Ottavio was named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll three times this season.
Rookies Elizabeth Blasser (Pembroke, Mass.) and Meghan Zerba (Cumberland, R.I.) were solid for Emmanuel offensively, accounting for 7 and 6 goals, respectively. Both were named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll this season. Freshman Taylor Whitehill (Salisbury, Mass.) was key for the Saints on defense starting in 20 of 21 games played this season.
Forward Melanie Hoffman (Topsham, Me.) had a solid sophomore season, tallying 6 goals in 2009. Hoffman received GNAC Weekly Honor Roll recognition on October 26th after scoring two goals in Emmanuel's win over \#1 Saints Joseph's (Me.). Along with Hoffman, Brittany Ridge (Portland, Maine) and Logan Carr (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) are returning starters who will provide leadership for the squad next season.
Along with McKenna, Long, Mota and Blasser, Coach Currie will also loose MacKenzie Peltier (Webster, Mass.) and Stephanie Levesque (Auburn, Mass.) to graduation in May. Both have been with the program for the past four years and will be missed next season.
Currie and Assistant Coach Keith Rogers will return in 2010 for their 9th and 10th seasons, respectively, at Emmanuel. They will graduate six players this spring and will return a solid core of 19 veterans for the 2010 campaign. The team will be vying for the program's 3rd GNAC Championship and another trip to the NCAA Tournament.