2009 CAC Regular Season Co-Champions!!!

Today marked another milestone in the SU women's soccer program. After a 3-2 OT win over a very talented University of Mary Washington team, we found out that we have been crowned as the 2009 CAC Regular Season Co-Champion with Salisbury University. Both teams finished with a 7-1 CAC Record. We will compete as the number 2 seed in the playoffs due to our loss against Salisbury earlier in the year. We have earned a first round bye with this seeding. This is a fantastic achievement and shows the progress we have made in only our 3rd season in the very competitive CAC. I know I keep saying it but it needs to be repeated, I am so proud of this team for their efforts and I have total confidence in each one of them as we head into the playoffs next week. Our resolve was tested against UMW, as we let slip a 2-0 lead in really horrible weather and playing conditions. But this team does not go down without a fight, and we stuck to the task and grabbed the winner in OT. Today was also Senior Day. I am really happy that Katie Decker and Lauren Bauer transfered to SU last year. They have been brilliant players over the last 2 years and they have helped our team become a successful unit. Lauren is a solid defender with great speed and Katie Decker is a midfield maestro with an outstanding foot. Congratulations to the team and to our Seniors!  

Mustangs Defeat York 4-1, 1st in CAC

Two years ago when I became Head Coach at SU I had very high expectations for this program. We had just moved into the very competitive CAC and had a team comprised of 11 seniors, no juniors, 3 sophomores, and 10 freshman. The first season was tough but it showed me that we had the potential to go on to great things as that years freshman class combined with some of the experienced seniors combined to almost beat the CAC Champions that year, York College, losing only in overtime at home. 

Two years on, with that talented freshman class now juniors, and a great group of sophomores and freshman along with our two seniors we achieved in my mind our greatest performance and win in my short history at SU yesterday with an impressive 4-1 win over York. Our first half performance was simply BRILLIANT! We still have a lot of big games to follow but this win showed just how far our soccer program has come over the last two years. Teamwork has been the key.

This team continues to make me proud on and off the field. The ladies work hard in practice every day along with their busy academic schedule but they continue to show up with a positive attitude and they strive to improve. Next up, UMW on Saturday in another important game, I hope to see you all out there cheering us on!

Six Game Win Streak After CAC Road Wins

This week was always going to be tough with two CAC games on the road with only one day of rest in between. However, this group of players will not give up and they come in to each game focused and determined. After last season's loss on pk's in the playoffs, the players were ready to erase those memories against Hood on Wednesday. An unfortunate own goal from their defense got us rolling early and we never looked back, scoring three more goals on the way to a 4-1 victory. We played some great soccer in our first game in a long time on turf and everybody on the team played an important role in the win. I always preach teamwork and I may not say it enough, but the reason this team is successful is because all 21 players give everything in practice and that competitiveness makes everybody better. In every game we win, all 21 players deserve the credit and I am so grateful for having such a supportive and passionate group of players.

Now onto tonight. Conditions were terrible and cold (it rained more than it does in Scotland today), we were playing on a very hard turf field, and it was 7pm on a friday night which is a first for our team. We passed the ball tonight better than we have done in any previous game. We dominated possession against a Wesley team that was eager to defend their home field, and we created some great chances by some brilliant combinations and link-up play between our forwards, middies and defenders. We scored two great goals, thanks to a brilliant play from outside back Julie Dempsey to set up the right boot of Stephanie Eyler and then a piece of magic from Eyler again to give us a comfortable 2-0 win. Their GK kept them in the game with 12 saves, the majority in the second half. Our defense has also been very solid and they don't always get the praise they deserve. They work so hard to give us the opportunity to win games and it shows by the fact we have only let 2 goals go past us during this 6 game win streak. This was another great team performance and I am really proud of the team for playing at a high level in difficult conditions.

Next week will again be tough, York and Mary Washington come to OM. Every game is important to our team and I hope you will come out and support us as we bid for a playoff spot.

Mustangs Continue Good Form

The Mustangs ended a good week with a convincing win over CAC foe Gallaudet University. The SU Women's Soccer team scored some impressive goals in the win with Katie Amos and Lauren Weitzman scoring their first collegiate goals. The #9 Regionally Ranked Mustangs now have a 3-1 record in the CAC and will look to continue that fine form on the road this week. SU will face tough conference games at Hood on Wednesday and Wesley on Friday as they bid to make the CAC playoffs. 

Mustangs Roll Against Marymount

After a week break from our last game where we completed fitness tests and helped with the Building Community Day we got back on the pitch last night against CAC foe Marymount University. The ladies had worked very hard over the last week to improve and showed that they have a high fitness level with some great fitness test results. Last night, especially in the first half, we played some of our best soccer we have played all season. Everybody looked confident in possession and everybody wanted the ball. We moved the ball around quickly, challenged hard, kept possession, passed to feet and created some great chances which we finished! Senior Katie Decker had a steller night, assisting on three goals from perfectly taken corner kicks and scoring one of her own. We had four goals from headers and Stephanie Eyler posted her fourth career hat-trick! This was a complete team performance, with both goalkeepers and our solid defense giving up nothing, another shutout! We will look to continue playing this way throughout the remainder of the season. Brilliant job ladies! 

SU Building Community Day

Last weekend we did not have a game so the team and I volunteered our services to the SU Building Community Day. Over 300 SU students came together on Saturday to help out with several projects in the Baltimore area. Our project was at the Irvine Nature Center, which is located right around the corner of the OM campus on Garrison Forest road. Irvine provides quality environmental education for all ages and has over 100 acres of land, with trails for hiking, a museum and a nature store. Please check it out, it is a great place to visit!

We all boarded the bus at 9am and were ready for any challenge. When we got there we were split into three groups, with some of the team working on cleaning trails and painting logs, picking up trash along Garrison Forest road and probably the most challenging, lifting over 100 heavy blocks onto the roof. I was given the task of helping clean up the litter along Garrison, and it was no easy feat. The team must have filled close to 10 bags of trash and recyclables. I could not believe how much litter people throw away. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience and I could not thank the team enough for helping our neighbors. Thank you again ladies for all your hard work!!

Redding & Novy Score In Win At Juniata

After a long 3 hour drive to Huntingdon. PA the Mustangs came away with a comprehensive win over Juniata College. It was a tough road trip on the bus with a few hours on winding roads going up and down the hills of MD and PA.  We arrived a little late due to the long trip and only had 20 minutes to warm-up. The team responded brilliantly by being professional and going about their business of winning the game. Heather Redding gave us the first half lead with her first goal of the season and after dominating the second half, Sam Novy scored her second goal of the season in the final minute off an assist from CAC player of the Week Stephanie Eyler. I was very pleased that the team played so well considering the long drive. We are now halfway through the season and I have to say that I am very happy with our performances to date.  We have played some great soccer and I am so proud of the team for earning Stevenson's first NSCAA Regional Ranking. We do not have a game this weekend but we will be working as a team again as we help with SU's Building Community Day. I hope you have enjoyed following our team and I hope we can continue to impress in the second half of the season. Go Mustangs!