If the season were over right now, the 2003 women's soccer team could look back and be proud of what they have accomplished this year. But, in reality, the season is not over and head coach Brian Speck and his Dutchwomen are not looking for it to end anytime soon.
“We have accomplished our first goal, we won the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's regular-season championship,” Speck explained. “With that under our belts, we are ready to meet the second challenge, to win the tournament and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.”
The top-seeded Dutchwomen will host the UCAA's Championship Tournament this Saturday and Sunday on Garis Field. Union will play No. 4 St. Lawrence on Saturday at 11 a.m. with second-seeded William Smith taking on No. 4 Hamilton at 1:30. The championship game is set for Sunday at 1:00 on Garis.
Union earned the right to host the tournament, as it did last year, by posting a 6-1 regular-season record. The Dutchwomen's only loss was to conference foe Hamilton, a 1-0 decision in Clinton the afternoon after Union had beaten William Smith, 3-1, on the Herons' field.
“That was a big win for us,” said Speck. “We have not had much luck against William Smith on its own field.”
Union's last two seasons ended in disappointment at William Smith. In 2001 Union defeated Nazareth 3-2 at William Smith in the first game of the NCAA regional tournament. The following day saw Union hold a 1-0 over William Smith until the hosts scored the game-tying goal with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation.
The game remained at 1-1 through four 15-minute overtimes setting up a penalty kick situation. The hosts ended Union's season by outscoring
the Dutchwomen in penalty kicks, 4-3.
Last year, despite beating William Smith during the regular season, 1-0, and in the UCAA tournament championship game, again by a 1-0 score, the Herons were selected to host the NCAA regionals. In the opening game against NYU, the Dutchwomen rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force four 15 minute overtimes. The Violets ended Union's season on penalty kicks, 4-1.
Speck, who came into the year with an eight-year record of 101-31-11, has improved the program's winning percentage as the Dutchwomen set a regular-season record for wins with their 16-1-1 mark. The loss at Hamilton and a tie with Elmira on Garis are the only blemishes. The 16 wins ties the program standard for wins in a season, set by the 1999 team.
Under Speck's direction, the Dutchwomen have been to the last four NCAA tournaments (tying a Union record first set by the men's soccer team in the mid 1980's), have won four UCAA crowns (including the last two), and have captured back-to-back New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1999 and 2000). This year's team not only lived up to the expectations of its forerunners, it surpassed many of the past accomplishments.
“The closest team I have coached in many years,” said Speck, who also had a great deal of success at the high school level before taking over Union's program. ” The European trip was huge in helping us create this environment.”
The Dutchwomen opened their season with a trip to the Eastern Hemisphere from August 16th to August 26th, starting in France and making its way to Italy. They played a series of games as a tune-up for what is so far one of the best season's in the program's 24-year old history. ( Click HERE for pre-trip story, Click HERE for a trip diary.)
What makes this team so special, at least to this part of the season, is its balance. The Dutchwomen led the UCAA in league scoring (tallying 27 goals…William Smith was next with 20), and defense (allowing three goals…Hamilton was next, allowing four) and led the UCAA in overall scoring (netting 68 goals…St. Lawrence was next with 42) and in overall defense (allowing eight goals…Hamilton was next, allowing 10).
“We are a very balanced team. If our offense is struggling our defense steps up. It also works in reverse,” explained Speck.
On the offensive side of the field, sophomore Erika Eisenhut led the league in overall goal scoring with 18 while junior Brittany Cressman led the UCAA in overall assists with 14 (which also broke the record of 13 set by Lauren Byrne in 1998). Eisenhut heads into the tournament with 41 points on 18 goals and five assists. Cressman is next with 11 goals to go along with her 14 assists for a total of 36 points. Sophomore Cassandra
Mariani (10-5-25), senior Corinne Hennessy (7-3-17), senior Stephanie Mole' (4-3-11) and sophomore Marissa VanWoeart (3-4-10) have all compiled double digit scoring without giving anything up on defense. “Marissa VanWoeart has been a work horse in the midfielder,” said Speck. “She is the best ball winner this program has ever had.
Stephanie Mole' should be an All American. Our most consistent midfielder. When Lindsay Kroell was out for the William Smith game I move Mole' into the back, a position she has never played, and she was terrific.
“Our back three have been great,” Speck continued. “Kroell, Linsey Capecelatro, and Brianna Bailey have been every bit as good on defense as Erika, Brittany and other have been on offense.”
How good is Union's defense, consider these numbers. The Dutchwomen's 18 opponents have been held to just 61 shots on goal, scoring only eight times. Union has produced 248 shots on goal, scoring 68 times. Union sophomore goaltenders Julie Gawronski, Katie Ratner and Sarah Sparks have been called on to make less than three saves a game. The Dutchwomen's goals against average is 0.44 while the save percentage is 86.9%. Union's 11 shutouts this year tied the record set by the 2000 team.
Speck and his Dutchwomen are looking forward to a successful season. “It is always nice to play at home,” he explains. “It is a nice reward for winning the regular season conference title.”
While it certainly is a nice reward for the players and the fans, there is another bigger aspect to the Dutchwomen being home this weekend…they haven't lost on Garis in over two years and are 19-2-1 since the start of the 2001 season.
Scouting the opposition:
No. 2 Williams Smith–(12-4-1 overall // 6-1-0 UCAA) Seeded Second
No other Division III program has made more appearances in the NCAA tournament than William Smith, which won the College's first national championship in 1988. The Herons have advanced to the Final Four on six occasions (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002) and have been regional finalists nine times. (Click HERE for Statistics)
No. 3 Hamilton–( 9-3-2 Overall // 4-2-1 UCAA) Seeded Third
Last year Hamilton posted a 7-5-3 record, including a 4-2-1 mark in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. The Continentals finished fourth in the conference standings and qualified for their first-ever UCAA tournament bid. Hamilton is the only team to have beaten Union this year. Click HERE for Statistics
No. 4 St. Lawrence–(10-4-2 Overall // 4-2-2 UCAA) Seeded Fourth
St. Lawrence has had a string of strong regular and postseason performances since 1998. The team won the New York State Collegiate Women's Athletic Association championship in 2001, and advanced to the ECAC Upstate Tournament championship in each of the last two seasons. Click HERE for Statistics
This Weekend's Schedule:
Saturday, November 8
Union vs. St. Lawrence on Saturday at 11 a.m.
William Smith vs. Hamilton at 1:30.
Sunday, November 9
Championship Game at 1:00 p.m.
All games will be played on Garis Field.