STANDISH, ME – The Saint Josephs' College women's soccer team is off to a fine start this fall under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Jenelle Harris.
The Monks, 2-1-0 so far this season, collected 1-0 victories over Husson University and Maine Maritime Academy last weekend and suffered a hard-fought loss at the hands of University of New England on Wednesday. With good results thus far, Coach Harris is optimistic about her side's chances of making a run in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament later this fall.
Saint Joseph's has plenty of experienced players returning to help fulfill the team's lofty goals. A total of 20 returners are back, a group that includes 12 players who started at least five games a year ago.
Senior goalkeeper Jaci Lorenzen (Windham, Maine), an All-Conference honoree last fall, headlines the stable of returners and looks to produce her finest season yet while chasing down several of the Monks' most prestigious goalkeeping records.
The team's top five scorers from last year also return. Junior Danielle Daigle (Dayton, Maine) and senior Ashley Beaulieu (Gorham, Maine) tied for the team-lead with six goals apiece in 2012 while junior Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) produced three goals and six assists and sophomore Hannah LeBlanc (Andover, Mass.) registered a pair of markers with eight helpers in her first NCAA campaign. Sophomore Jodi Pollack (Andover, Mass.) emerged as a scoring threat and netted five goals with an assist as a rookie in 2012.
The list of battle-tested returners also includes seniors Jessica Capozzi (Saugus, Mass.), Lauren Chouinard (Gorham, Maine), Emily Cocciardi (Middletown, Mass.) and Kelsea Marchand (Boscawen, N.H.) as well as juniors Sam Peters (Gorham, Maine) and Doe Leckie (Naples, Maine). Sophomores Taylor Marcotte (Northfield, Vt.) and Stacy Anuszewski (Clarksboro, N.J.) also return and both second-year players could see expanded roles this fall.
A stout defensive corps also returns for Saint Joseph's. Juniors Lauren Titus (Arundel, Maine), Megan Ford (Pembroke, Mass.) and Kelly Flaherty (Wilmington, Mass.) are back for their third season and sophomores Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.), Whitney White (Salem, N.H.) and Leanne Comeau (Watertown, Mass.) return with a year of NCAA soccer under their belts. Junior Bria Prophete (Saugus, Mass.), who sat out last fall, also returns this season.
Newcomers include the likes of midfielder Desiree Parent (Westborough, Maine), defenders Victoria Nappi (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus), Amelia Jule (South Berwick, Maine), Hannah Hebert (Caribou, Maine) and sophomore forward Shannon McFayden (Ipswich, Mass.), who joined the Monks during the non-traditional segment last spring.
Saint Joseph's also has a pair of very capable freshman goalkeepers on the roster. Amelia Tooker (Westfield, Mass.) and Marina Cameron (Houlton, Maine) are likely to log some minutes this fall to spell Lorenzen while auditioning for the 2014 starting role.
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 350-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
