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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Women's Soccer Sets Sights on a New Streak
August 25, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Motivation will not be a problem for the Princeton women's soccer team in 2006.
Despite winning their last four Ivy games to take the league race to the final day, the Tigers came up a point short in the standings. Gone was the chance at the Ivy's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. And for a program that earned NCAA at-large berths in 1999 and 2003, no such invitation to the field of 64 was given.
Just like that, a six-year streak of postseason appearances came to an end. The year before, Princeton played five postseason games, all the way into the NCAA College Cup. Less than a year later, they would play none.
In addition to the challenge of starting a new postseason streak, the looming question is where Princeton's goals will come from in 2006. Of the 30 goals the Tigers scored last season, 18 graduated on the feet of Emily Behncke (14), Maura Gallagher (two) and Romy Trigg-Smith (two). Junior midfielder Diana Matheson scored five, while sophomores Aarti Jain and Sarah Peteraf had two each. Juniors Aubrey Wagenseller and Ashley Beyers had one apiece.
According to head coach Julie Shackford, more of the burden will fall on Princeton's Canadian national team member.
“Diana will have to carry more of the load. We'll play her in more of an advanced position to be able to score,” Shackford says.
After graduating 17 players over the last two years, some less familiar faces will be making major contributions in 2006.
FORWARDS
Princeton's returning contributors in the offensive zone include seniors Meghan Farrell and Amanda Ferranti, sophomores Sarah Peteraf and Allison Williams.
“Meghan Farrell, Amanda Ferranti and Allison Williams will compete for time up top, and a bolstered midfield will help create chances for them,” Shackford says. “Peteraf is one of our best finishers in and around the penalty area. Her challenge will be to get herself into goal-scoring positions more consistently.”
Look for a pair of freshmen to make a quick impact on the offensive end as well. Vicki Anagnostopoulos, for two seasons a high school teammate of Whitley's in suburban Washington, D.C., and Marci Pasenello from upstate New York were both named among the top 150 recruits in the nation for the class of 2010 by SoccerBuzz Magazine, and Shackford expects results as advertised.
“Vicki Anagnostopoulos is good with the ball and she'll work well with Diana. Marci Pasenello has the ability to break down defenses with her speed,” Shackford says.
Pasenello scored 108 goals and had 71 assists in her career in Honeoye Falls-Lima, N.Y., and was named the 2005 state Player of the Year by the NSCAA. Anagnostopoulos was the all-metro Player of the Year by the Washington Post.
MIDFIELD
While Matheson's role as a scorer and ball distributor will be relied upon even more this year, Shackford will count on Jen Om and Aarti Jain as key contributors in the midfield.
“Jen Om has the potential to play at the national team level and she could settle into the midfield position alongside Diana,” Shackford says. “Aarti is one of our most creative players. She had a solid year last season but will need to step up and use her creativity to go at people one-on-one.”
Jain started 11 games and played in all 16, scoring a pair of goals. Om started just two games in 2005, her rookie season. But after graduating so many between the classes of 2005 and 2006, add Om and Jain to the list of younger players who will be expected to contribute.
Just as with Pasenello and Anagnostopoulos among the strikers, the midfield will have a new face looking to log plenty of playing time. Shackford sees Lauren Thomas, a freshman from Texas, as a strong newcomer.
“She has really good vision and has the ability to distribute the ball. She will be able to complement Diana in the midfield as well,” Shackford says.
A pair of juniors, Regina Yang and Aubrey Wagenseller, are candidates to see time in the midfield as well.
“Regina Yang had a good spring and Aubrey Wagenseller is one of our hardest workers,” Shackford says. “Regina is a very smart player who can play both in the midfield and on defense.”
DEFENSE
Princeton gave up 21 goals in 2005. That was too many for Shackford, who says the path to victory in 2006 won't be just to defeat the opposition on offense but limit the number of goals Princeton will need to get the win.
“We're going to be better defensively and hopefully we won't be giving up marginal goals,” Shackford says.
The player who could be Princeton's most important on defense didn't play a minute last year but has plenty of big-time experience. Christina Costantino, who missed 2005 with an ACL injury, was a major contributor on the 2004 squad that was two wins from a national title.
“She's come a long way recovering from her injury, and we are going to look to her to lead us on defense,” Shackford says.
Shackford expects sophomore Taylor Numann to contribute alongside Costantino.
“Taylor is one of our smartest players when it comes to thinking in-game. We'll need her to step up,” the coach says.
The defense is perhaps Princeton's deepest area on the roster and Shackford expects to maximize its potential.
“Melissa Whitley is an enforcer, really fast, athletic and has come along very well. [Junior] Meredith Wall is one of the best ball-winners on the squad, and spent much of last season in a marking role either as a defensive midfielder or central back. [Freshman] Caitlin Alev has good speed and is very physical. [Freshman] Melissa Seitz is an inside defender who reminds me of Heather Deerin, who was a four-time All-Ivy player for us a few years ago. She's smart, sees the field well and takes set pieces. [Sophomore] Allison Scott has a chance to compete.”
GOALKEEPERS
Two excellent goalkeepers who gained plenty of experience wrapped up their collegiate careers in 2005 in Madeleine Jackson and Emily Vogelzang. That leaves the Tigers with Maren Dale and newcomer Jesse George-Nichol from North Carolina.
Dale competed with the two senior keepers and earned five starts in 2005, playing in six games overall, allowing just 1.45 goals per 90 minutes but taking a win-loss record of only 2-3. She made 13 saves for a .619 stoppage rate.
As the only returning goaltender, Dale will likely start the season as Princeton's last line of defense. But according to Shackford, the newcomer George-Nichol will compete for time between the posts as well.
SCHEDULE
When it came time for the NCAA tournament selection committee to award its at-large bids last fall, Princeton was on the outside looking in for the first time since 1998. Shackford feels that playing more teams in Princeton's Mid-Atlantic region could have helped the Tigers' chances of getting a bid. She constructed the 2006 schedule with that in mind.
“If we had gotten one or two more teams in the region last year, we may have had an at-large bid. This year, we'll play eight teams from the Mid-Atlantic region and the Ivy League will be as competitive as ever,” Shackford says.
Six NCAA tournament teams from a year ago appear on the schedule. Princeton opens at home with Boston University, which advanced to the second round. The Tigers then head to Penn's tournament to meet Richmond and Hofstra, another NCAA-tournament squad.
Shackford will take Princeton to Virginia next to face a second-round NCAA team in Virginia Commonwealth before tangling with her alma mater and weekend host William & Mary. The Tigers host Lehigh in their last pre-conference game.
Yale opens the Ivy slate for the Tigers. The Bulldogs advanced to the Round of 16 last season and return Ivy League and SoccerBuzz Northeast Region Rookie of the Year Crysti Howser. After a non-conference visit from Loyola (Md.), the Tigers host Dartmouth, the only Ivy school to get an at-large bid a year ago.
After a short trip to Rutgers and a visit from Brown, against whom Princeton will look to avenge a season-changing Ivy League loss a year ago, the Tigers host Bucknell, the final 2005 NCAA team on the slate.
Princeton wraps up the regular season with three of its last five on the road, including trips to Columbia, American and Cornell with visits from Harvard and Penn.