Mercy College Women’s Soccer Learns Lessons to Build on for 2009

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Mercy College Women's Soccer Learns Lessons to Build on for 2009

Damima Bakayoko

DOBBS FERRY, NY - First year head coach Rachael Safirstein had an eventful season with her young and talented women's soccer team.

They faced tough competition and made some mistakes, but also executed aggressive plays, made fantastic saves and even surprised a few teams.

"This season was never about wins or loses. As a team we had to establish core principles like trust, accountability, and discipline," Safirstein said. "At times we seemed to capture those values. I'm hopeful we commit to them on a regular basis."

After the Mavericks dropped their first game, Safirstein's squad got in the win column against Bloomfield. Sophomore forward Delmara Reece (Yonkers, NY) scored on a shot from 20 yards out in the 81st minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Catherine Kowalski (Melville, NY) recorded the shutout by making four saves.

"Getting that win was great for us. It came at a point in the season when we were training a lot and the players needed to see their hard work pay off," Safirstein said.

Next up for the Mavericks was East Coast Conference (ECC) competitor St. Thomas Aquinas College. The Mavericks scored first on a deflection off the defender that junior forward Katemah Lewis (Bronx, NY) deposited into the back of the net in the 71st minute. However, the Spartans came back in the final minute to send the game into overtime. Neither team could get the ball past the goalkeeper in the extra periods so the game ended in a 2-2 tie.

Jessica Fabian

After three tough defeats, Mercy hosted Concordia College in a battle for lower Westchester. Reece scored the game's first goal in the eighth minute to give Mercy a brief lead. The Clippers tied the game at one in the 11th minute and then took the lead in the 74th minute on a goal by Rachel Woodland. With the game in doubt, sophomore Damima Bakayoko (New York, NY) stepped up and delivered the game-tying goal off a cross into the right side of the net. The Mavericks settled for a tie as neither team scored in overtime.

The Mavericks dropped the next two games to top ECC opponents, Dowling and Molloy, and then traveled to take on Felician. Junior Ann Meenagh (Dublin, Ireland) scored her first two goals of the year, but the Mavericks couldn't hold on as Felician won 3-2.

For the season, Reece led the Mavericks with three goals and seven points. Bakayoko was second with five points and Meenagh followed with four. Freshman Arlene Broderick (Yonkers, NY) and sophomore Yannell Guerra (Carmel, NY) both emerged as key contributors on the attack for the Mavericks. They will be counted on with Reece and Bakayoko to be aggressive and make things happen in 2009.

Freshman Dana Harjus (Lindenhurst, NY), sophomores Stephanie Bann (New Cumberland, PA) and Verenice Morffe (Yonkers, NY), junior Casey Kondelka (Bloomingburg, NY), and seniors Jessica Fabian (Whitehall, PA) and Kelly Smith (Dundee, Scotland) anchored a much improved defense. The Mavericks' defense allowed only 3.25 goals per game, down from 3.70 in 2007. Goalkeepers Kowalski and freshman Jackie Roebuck (Walden, NY) made a combined 85 saves.

The Mercy College women's soccer team's year ended with many lessons learned and the building blocks for 2009 set in place.