August 23, 2006
Mercy Women's Soccer Continues Building for 2006
Season 
Dobbs Ferry, NY - Mercy College head women's soccer coach, Bobby Czumak and staff have made improving each day, instilling pride in the program and earning respect throughout the season their top priorities for 2006. Czumak worked hard this past off-season on recruiting a strong freshman class and this year's team will show a total of 11 new faces, along with six returning players.
"We would like them to carry this pride onto the field as they help us take our first steps toward creating a complete soccer program," said Czumak. "The players we recruited are great students, athletes, and people. This year's squad has the desire to improve and succeed in the league."
Returning veterans Lindsay Levasseur and Chioma Egbuchunam, both named as team captains this year, will be solid focal points on the field for the Flyers. Levasseur, a senior midfielder, has scored three goals and two assists over the past two seasons, and looks to control the flow of action, while Egbuchunam, a junior back, scored a game-winner last year.
Excellent compliments to their play will be junior defenders Bia Pante, and Khadijah Khan, as well as sophomore Jess Fabian. Two new faces that are looking to contribute on defense will be freshmen Stephanie Bann and Nicolina Coppola. Also returning in the midfield is sophomore Tannyka Bent, who started 10 games as a freshman.
One of Czumak's main goals in recruiting was attracting a goalkeeper for the upcoming season. This year he came up with two that are up to the task in freshmen Becky Pelow and Megan McKim. Both Pelow and McKim were All-League selections in high school.
"The fact the we have two players capable of filling that important position puts the team at ease and allows us to focus on tactical styles of play which include a strong presence in the goal," said Czumak.
A total of eight newcomers will make up Mercy's attack this season. The talented group of forwards Claudia Miller, Nikita Hall, Delmara Reece, Katemah Lewis, and McKim, along with midfielders Samantha LaBella, Jennifer Pancaldo and Meta Robinson, will all contribute.
While this year's squad will have a solid core, one shortfall may still be a lack of depth. "Although we were able to attract 11 new players to the team, we could still use a few more," said Czumak. "However with open minds, hard work, dedication, and pride in the program, we feel that we have what it takes to make the program a success."
The season will begin for Mercy on August 29, when they host Georgian Court at 3:30 p.m. With an expansion to 17 games on this year's schedule, Mercy looks for the non-league contests to prepare them for East Coast Conference (ECC) competition. League play begins at 3:00 p.m. on September 12, at St. Thomas Aquinas College. The top four teams in the regular season standings will advance to the ECC Tournament in late October.
"We play in an excellent conference," said Czumak. "Adelphi, Bridgeport, New Haven, and CW Post have set the bar high. We plan to compete well with these powerhouses over the next four years."
