{"id":12405,"date":"2014-08-19T04:48:09","date_gmt":"2014-08-19T04:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/2014-ualbany-womens-soccer-outlook\/"},"modified":"2014-08-19T04:48:09","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T04:48:09","slug":"2014-ualbany-womens-soccer-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/2014-ualbany-womens-soccer-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"2014 UAlbany Women\u2019s Soccer Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

2014 UAlbany Women\u2019s Soccer Outlook<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

ALBANY, N.Y. \u2013<\/strong> In 2013, injuries and youth led the UAlbany women\u2019s soccer team to have a tough season.\u00a0 Returning five of the top six scorers, the Great Danes will look to infuse a large returning corps with a strong recruiting class to make a charge in the America East.<\/span><\/p>\n

Head coach Caitlin Colfer-Cucchiella<\/a><\/strong> returns for her second season and will look to improve a young team that went 2-14-1 last year.\u00a0 The Great Danes earned victories over Florida Atlantic and UMass Lowell, finishing in 8th<\/sup> in the America East.<\/span><\/p>\n

11 different players scored goals in 2013. \u00a0Seven of them return this season, plus the primary starting goalkeeper and members of the back line come back for 2014. Colfer-Cucchiella adds a seven-member recruiting class to round out the Great Danes.<\/span><\/p>\n

FORWARDS<\/strong><\/span>
The front row for UAlbany will be young but strong for the team.\u00a0 Junior Leanne Miller<\/a><\/strong> is the main veteran of the group, starting in 13 games last year with six shots on goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two freshmen will compete at forward this year.\u00a0 From the Golden State to wear Purple and Gold is Vivian Vega<\/a><\/strong>, a former member of the U17 Mexican National Team that scored 105 goals at Segerstrom.\u00a0 Also joining is one of the top players in the Capital District, Morgan Loder<\/a><\/strong>, who scored a CRCS-school record 137 goals, including a state-record 10 goals in one game.<\/span><\/p>\n

FORWARD\/MIDFIELD<\/strong><\/span>
The Great Danes will have some players shift between the front line and the midfield.\u00a0 2013 America East All-Rookie Team member Alexa Schneider<\/a><\/strong> was the team\u2019s top threat last season, scoring three goals and two assists for eight points.\u00a0 Finishing third on the team in shots last year with 21, junior Allison Carhart<\/a>,<\/strong> one of the team\u2019s primary reserves last year, scored a goal and assist each in 2013.\u00a0 Kiana Rugar<\/a><\/strong> redshirted last season and will play for the first time this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of new faces will help the unit.\u00a0 Returning to the Capital District is former Guilderland High-star Angela Luizzi<\/a><\/strong>, who scored six goals and a team-best five assists as a freshman at Hartwick College last year.\u00a0 Also incoming is freshman Kelsey Luke<\/a><\/strong>, a former player for U17 and U18 Real Colorado who led Mountain Vista to a #1-ranking in Colorado and three conference titles.<\/span><\/p>\n

MIDFIELD<\/strong><\/span>
Three veteran players will focus their efforts on the midfield lines.\u00a0 One of the team\u2019s primary shooters, sophomore midfielder Caitlyn Paltsios<\/a><\/strong> scored two goals off 23 shots for UAlbany in her first campaign.\u00a0 Also earning a pair of scores last year was junior Krista Fitzpatrick<\/a><\/strong>, who finished 2013 with a goal and an assist with just four shots.\u00a0 The third member is junior Kelly Kempf<\/a><\/strong>, who will serve as an assistant team captain after playing in 10 games last year and 24 in her career.<\/span><\/p>\n

DEFENSE<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0
A number of starters in the back row return to anchor the line. The only player to start all 17 games last year, senior Stephanie Nelle<\/a><\/strong> scored a goal and two assists from the center back position and has played as a starter the past three years.\u00a0 Redshirt sophomore Shelby Belak<\/a><\/strong> started eight games on the back row in her first season playing, while sophomore Bianca Webb<\/a><\/strong> also started eight games on defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bolstering the line among the returners redshirt sophomore Celia Balf<\/a><\/strong>, who is back after missing 2013 with an injury and will serve as the team captain this year, and Juliana Martins<\/a><\/strong>, who enters her sophomore year after playing five games last year as a reserve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two newcomers will battle for playing time on defense.\u00a0 Katie Carnell<\/a><\/strong>, a JUCO transfer from Edmonds, led her team to an NWAACC title game appearance and 12-1-3 record, entering on junior standing.\u00a0 Also new is freshman Alex Dencker<\/a><\/strong>, a Section 9 Class AA All-Star at Newburgh Free Academy, leading the school to eight victories last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

GOALKEEPERS<\/strong><\/span>
The two Alanas will stand as the last line of defense for UAlbany this season.\u00a0 The primary starter the last two seasons between the pipes, junior Alana Brennan<\/a><\/strong> ranked ninth in all of Division I with 7.27 saves per game last year.\u00a0 She ranks tied for second all-time in UAlbany DI history in victories, having a 2.90 goals allowed average in 11 starts in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

Competing with Brennan is Alana Olivieri<\/a><\/strong>, who comes from fellow SUNY school the University at Buffalo.\u00a0 Olivieri transfers after a redshirt season and has four years of eligibility.\u00a0 She has a two-year all-league player at Our Lady of Mercy, leading the school to the 2011 state semifinals.<\/span><\/p>\n

COACHING STAFF<\/strong><\/span>
Colfer-Cucchiella retains her coaching staff for the second season.\u00a0 Assistant coaches Nick Bochette<\/a><\/strong> and Mark Van Leuven<\/a><\/strong> return for the UAlbany ranks for the 2014 year.<\/span><\/p>\n

SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/span>
The Great Danes will play a full 19-game schedule, including 10 games at Bob Ford Field at home and a full-conference slate.<\/span><\/p>\n

After opening the season on August 22nd<\/sup> at St. Mary\u2019s in California, the Great Danes will play a trio of in-state rivals in a row at home.\u00a0 UAlbany opens at home under the lights against Syracuse on Friday, August 29th<\/sup> at 7 p.m., then takes on crosstown-rival Siena on Sunday, August 31st<\/sup> at 7 p.m., then Iona on Friday, September 5th<\/sup> at 5 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Great Danes continue non-league play with Holy Cross (9\/7, 2 p.m.) and Dartmouth (9\/10, 7 p.m.) on the road, Rhode Island (9\/12, 5 p.m.) and Saint Peter\u2019s (9\/14, 1 p.m.) at home, back on the road for Columbia (9\/19, 7 p.m.) and Northeastern (9\/21, 3 p.m.) then back home against NJIT (9\/25, 7 p.m.).<\/span><\/p>\n

After finishing the non-conference season, UAlbany begins America East play at Hartford on Sunday, September 28th<\/sup> at 2 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first home game in conference play will be against UNH on Thursday, October 2nd<\/sup> at 7 p.m., followed by a home game against Vermont on Sunday, October 5th<\/sup> at 1 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

UAlbany spends the next couple of Thursdays on the road, taking on UMass Lowell on October 9th<\/sup> at 7 p.m. and Binghamton on October 16th<\/sup> at 7 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back home, UAlbany will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, October 19th<\/sup> at 1 p.m. against Stony Brook.\u00a0 The home finale will come against reigning-America East champion UMBC on Thursday, October 23rd<\/sup> at 7 p.m.\u00a0 Conference play finishes up with a road game at Maine on Sunday, October 26th<\/sup> at 1 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

UAlbany looks to get back to the America East Tournament, which the top-six teams in league play make.\u00a0 All games are hosted by higher seeds, with the quarterfinals being on October 30th<\/sup>, the semifinals on November 2nd<\/sup> and the final game on November 8th<\/sup>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\nThe Albany Student Press<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2014 UAlbany Women\u2019s Soccer Outlook ALBANY, N.Y. \u2013 In 2013, injuries and youth led the UAlbany women\u2019s soccer team to have a tough season.\u00a0 Returning five of the top six scorers, the Great Danes will look to infuse a large returning corps with a strong recruiting class to make a charge in the America East. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[983],"tags":[633,3855,1126,984,1125],"class_list":["post-12405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-albany-student-press","tag-633","tag-outlook","tag-soccer","tag-ualbany","tag-womens-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12405"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12405\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}