The Carthage College women's soccer team opens its 2010 season on Wednesday, Sept. 1 with a 4:30 p.m. road contest versus the University of Chicago at Stagg Field in Chicago. The Maroons were ranked 22nd in the pre-season National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III poll.
Head coach Susie Foster (61-32-6, 5 years) returns 17-of-20 letterwinners and nine-of-11 starters from last year's team. Lost to graduation are midfielder Shannon Chesna (started all 18 games), with defender Jackie Krug (Lockport, Ill., started 17 games) not returning.
Rachel Jason leads the returnees, along with defender Kelsey Harrington (Sr., McHenry, Ill./West, started all 18 games, 3 goals, 2 assists), midfielder Kasie Jabeck (Jr., Vernon Hills, Ill./Lincolnshire-Stevenson, started 17 games), forward/midfielder Maria Korosis (Sr., Lindenhurst, Ill./Lake Villa-Lakes Community, started all 18 games). forward Debbie Kozlowski (Sr., Forest Park, Ill./Westchester-St. Joseph, started all 18 games), defender Katy Rosenbrook (Jr., Woodbury, Minn., started all 18 games), defender Sarah Scardamaglia (Sr., West Chicago, Ill., started all 18 games, 2 goals, 2 assists) and forward Kayla Tripp (So., La Crescent, Minn., started 14 games). Also returning are goalkeepers Angela Spinelli (Jr., Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove-South, 1.88 goals-against average, 49 saves) and Christina Chervenak (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West, 2.05 goals-against average, 51 saves).
Leading newcomers include defender Alyssa Baker (Fr., Lake Villa, Ill./Antioch-Lakes Community, Chicago Sun-Times “top defender” in 2009), midfielder Taylor Capek (Fr., Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek, 2009 all-state), midfielder/defender Melissa Davison (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 2009 and 2010 second-team All-Southeast Conference), forward Nanda Holler (Fr., Chicago, Ill./St. Scholastica Academy, a four-time All-Girls Catholic Athletic Conference honoree and league “player of the year” her freshman and senior seasons) and Mina Markovic.
Carthage opens its 2010 with a pre-season trip to St. Louis, Mo., before taking on the University of Chicago on Sept. 1. The Lady Reds play St. Mary's College (Ind.) and Olivet College in the Sept. 4-5 Wisconsin-Oshkosh “Valley Cup Invitational” and Wisconsin-Platteville and Loras College at the Sept. 11-12 Loras/Wisconsin-Platteville Invitational before playing host to the fourth annual “Battle on the Border” Tournament on Sept. 18-19. Other 2010 non-conference opponents include Carroll University, Robert Morris University-Lake County, Concordia University (Wis.) and St. Ambrose University.
Last years' squad (6-12, 0-7 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) struggled through a disappointing season after making appearances in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship in both 2007 and 2008. The team's overall record was only its third losing season since the program began in 1995. The year started out reasonably well. The Lady Reds won three of their first four games, with their only loss a 2-0 decision to NCAA Division II Rollins College. Four-straight non-conference losses and a winless CCIW campaign followed. Forward Rachel Jason (So., Deerfield, Ill.) led the 2009 team in scoring with 16 points (7 goals, 2 assists), while graduated-senior midfielder Shannon Chesna (Fond du Lac, Wis.) had nine points (4 goals, 1 assist).
