Friday, August 17
Davidson, N.C.
7:00 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
vs
Liberty
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Let the Season Begin: W. Soccer Opens Under the Lights vs. Liberty Friday
8/15/2012 3:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Gavin McFarlin- Assistant SID
- 2012 Schedule
- 2012 Roster
- Interview with coach Ashton
- Live Stats vs Liberty
-
Live Video
- Game Notes: Notes #1 vs. Liberty (pdf)
- Find Your Favorite Wildcat Action Shot at DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson women's soccer team will start its 2012 season on Friday, Aug. 17, when the 'Cats open the campaign at home against Liberty at 7 p.m.
The Wildcats begin their 24th year of women's soccer and will be looking to continue their winning ways of late. They have tallied six winning seasons in the last eights years, hitting the 10-win mark in the six of the seasons, including twice going for a school-record tying 14 wins in 2005 and 2007.
In anticipation of the 2012 season, below is a look at the season preview for the Wildcats this year...
Preview
Davidson enters the 2012 season with high expectations after breaking in 11 freshman a season ago. Three of those first-years were named to the All-SoCon Freshman team and Becca Fisher was the league's Freshman of the Year. The 'Cats will be looking to reach the 10-win plateau for the seventh time in the past nine seasons.
The Wildcats' roster has a great balance of veterans and fresh new talent. With a group of four seniors returning from last year's squad that went 9-9-2 and 7-4 in league play, the 'Cats are expected to stay in the upper half of the SoCon. They were picked to finish fifth in this year's SoCon coaches poll.
Head coach Greg Ashton enters his ninth season with a 88-59-18 record. His 88 wins are second-most in program history.
“I'm always excited for a new year and the opportunity to continue to accomplish what we set out every season to do, which is win a Southern Conference Title and reach the NCAA Tournament.” Davidson reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2009 when it won the program's fourth league tournament title.
With the return of 23 letterwinners from last year's squad, nine of them starters, plus the addition of eight newcomers, the 'Cats have a solid foundation on which to build an even stronger 2012 campaign. Davidson will be seeking to capture its fifth SoCon Tournament Title after finishing 7-4 in league play, good for fourth place. It was the sixth time in the last seven seasons with a winning campaign in league play.
“I think the talent and depth on our squad are two of our strengths, and I look for us to again be in the hunt for a conference title,“ said Ashton.
Defense
Defensive quick hits...
•Returning are senior starters Louise Timboe and Julie Calhoun, junior Meg Sanborn, and sophomores •Senior Timboe has started 62 of 63 games in her three-year career. Sanborn, also a staple on the backline, has started 36 games in two years.
•Senior Calhoun netted her second career goal and first career assist last year as a junior.
•The defense held the opposition to 27 goals in 20 games, good for a 1.31 goals against average. It shut out four opponents.
•Stelter had a solid first year, starting all 20 games on the backline. She tallied her first collegiate goal in first career game.
•The sophomore tied for a team-best with four assists for six points.
Goalkeepers
Goalkeeper quick hits...
•Two of the four keepers from last year return, with the addition of freshmen Rachael Horton and Lauren Skorb.
•Locke was third in the conference in save percentage (.803) and third in goals against average at an even one.
•Junior Ranae Carins played in three games, with her second career start coming at George Washington. She allowed three goals in 73:15 minutes and earned one save for the season.
•Horton hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and was the starting keeper for the Cleveland Soccer Academy, 2010-12. Skorb was a four-year letterwinner at Centennial in Alpharetta, Ga., winning team MVP honors in 2010 and 2011.
Offense: Midfielders & Forwards
Offensive quick hits...
•Davidson's offense was one of the tops in the SoCon, ranking third in goals with 35.
• The 'Cats fired off 280 shots (14 per game), good for fourth in the league.
• The offense returns 31 of its 35 goals, including its top-two scorers in Becca Fisher and Stephanie Piperno.
•SoCon Freshman of the Year Fisher paced the offense with seven goals, four assists and 18 points.
•Fisher's 66 shots were fourth-most in the SoCon a year ago.
•She also registered four game-winning goals, tops in the league.
•Besides her top freshman honor in the SoCon, Fisher was also named to the All-Freshman SoCon Team and was a third-team pick of the NSCAA Southeast Region squad.
•Piperno tallied six goals, three assists and 15 points, all second-best on the team.
•Joining them up front are Julia Singley and Rachael Newmister.
•The duo combined for eight goals (four each) and an asisst.
•Sophomore Singley had two game-winning scores and was the SoCon Player of the Week to open the 2011 season.
•Newmister enters her last season with eight career goals.
•With the graduation of team captain Stephanie Gerow, four players will look to help fill the void at midfield.
•Senior Rachel Barnett along with Lauren Swany, Lauren Mihan and Carly Brahim all will be in competition to help fill the middle of the field.
•Barnett registered a pair of goals and an assist in 20 games a year ago. She started 14 of those games.
•Mihan broke out as a sophomore with three goals and assist for seven points. She started the season out last year with her first two career goals in a season-opening 8-1 in vs. UNC Asheville.
Newcomers
•Head coach Ashton brought in eight freshman for the 2012 season.
•They come from the states of Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Connecticut, Virginia, Indiana and Ohio.
•The group includes a pair of goalkeepers, two defenders (Maddie Fisher & Dani Johnson), a pair of midfielders (Jenni Isaac & Natalie Spach), and two forwards (Sarah Tuggle & Madison See).
The Schedule
The Davidson Wildcat women's soccer team will play host to 10 teams, including ACC-foe Clemson, to go along with their normal 11-game Southern Conference schedule. For more details on the 2012 schedule click here on the story: 10 Home Dates, including Clemson, Highlight Wildcat W. Soccer Schedule For 2012.
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