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South Orange, N.J. - The LIU Brooklyn women's soccer team kicks off the 2012 season on Friday evening with a match at Seton Hall. The Blackbirds, who enter the season the defending Northeast Conference tournament champions, will kickoff with the Pirates at 7:00 p.m.
Season Preview
Fresh off the program's third Northeast Conference tournament championship last season, the LIU Brooklyn women's soccer team will look to defend its league crown in 2012. Although the team loses its top two scorers from last year in Ari Calderon and Kayleigh Morgan, the Blackbirds return the bulk of their defense and two of the top goalkeepers in the NEC in hopes of becoming the first conference school to repeat as league champions since 2005.
Forward
It is always tough to replace a former conference player of the year in any sport, and the Blackbirds will have to do just that in replacing Calderon, LIU Brooklyn's all-time leading scorer with 69 points. Morgan, who finished her career fourth on the scoring list with 52 points, is another key loss.
But head women's soccer coach Tracey Bartholomew will have a number of options up top, led by graduate student Toni Smith. Smith missed all of the 2011 season due to injury, but is healthy and primed for a standout final year after finishing 2010 with 13 points (5 goals, 3 assists) to rank second on the team.
Second Team All-NEC selection Jen Spicer is the top returning scorer from last year, and will see action at both forward and midfield positions. Despite playing in only eight conference contests last year, Spicer scored five goals and had an assist while registering an impressive .556 shooting percentage.
Another senior looking to fill the voids left by graduation is Evelyn Calderon. After an injury-plagued season in 2011, Calderon - who has one of the best shots on the team - will push for a spot in the lineup this year.
Five underclassmen will provide Bartholomew with the ability to mix and match her lineups. Sophomore Allison King shifts to a forward spot this season after missing much of last year with an injury, while classmate Taylor Berardicurti is back for her second season with the Blackbirds. Rayah Seckler joins the squad after sitting out 2011, while freshmen Mariana Ruas and Erin Fish round out the forward contingent.
Midfield
Five seniors lead a midfield unit that has an impressive blend of youth, talent and experience. Nicole Labo, who played in all 21 games a season ago and ranked fourth on the team in minutes played, and Alana Wohlers, who scored a pair of goals and tallied an assist in 2011, return for their final years in Downtown Brooklyn.
Classmates Lauryn Bretches, Brittany Giesen and Angie Young are also back and add a substantial amount of experience between them, as the trio combined to play in 41 matches last year.
Junior-college transfer Shino Kunisawa, who was an NJCAA Second Team All-American last year at Laramie (Wyo.) Community College, comes to LIU from Kochi, Japan, figures heavily in the midfield mix this season. Kunisawa is the first member of the LIU Brooklyn women's soccer program to hail from Japan.
NEC All-Rookie Team member Sydney Ciufo, who played in 20 games as a rookie last season and scored a goal and two assists, is another prominent returner in the midfield. Redshirt sophomore Danny Cardenas is back after missing all of last year with an injury.
Newcomer Kallyn Redona, a freshman from Las Vegas, will push for playing time after helping her Arbor View High School team to a Nevada state semifinal appearance last season.
Defense
A stingy backline has always been a staple of Bartholomew-coached teams, and last year was nothing different. The Blackbirds allowed just 23 goals in 21 contests, including a 0.80 goals-against average in NEC play. The bulk of the unit returns from last season, led by senior co-captain Katie Egan.
A First Team All-NEC selection last year, Egan thrived in her new defensive role after spending much of her first two seasons up top. The Hanover, Mass. native will once again be relied upon to anchor the backline in 2012.
Fellow senior Jeanette Dolmetsch is back for her final season with LIU, and has been as reliable as anybody in the NEC over the course of her career. Dolmetsch has started 57 contests as a defender for the Blackbirds and played every minute of every match as a sophomore.
Junior Caroline Kaplan has had a standout preseason camp and figures to play a large role as an outside back, as does returning All-NEC Rookie Team honoree Shannon O'Connor.
Senior Alexandra Bock saw action in six contests a season ago and will once again fill a reserve role, as will sophomore Bridget O'Sullivan, who scored the first goal of her career last season in the home finale against Robert Morris.
Freshmen Alex Farley and Lucy Gunton-Jones add depth and talent to the roster. Farley sat out last season at Monmouth before transferring to LIU, while Gunton-Jones was a member of England's U-17 National Team and was chosen to attend U-19 National Team training camp as a youth.
Goalkeepers
Most teams would be happy to have one quality goalkeeper on their roster, but Bartholomew and the Blackbirds are blessed with two of the top goalies in the NEC on the team in 2012.
Reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Jennifer Bannon is back after an impressive junior campaign that saw her earn NEC Tournament MVP honors in addition to All-NEC First Team accolades. The East Greenwich, R.I. product was nominated for BigAppleSoccer.com National Player of the Year after recording four shutouts and posting a 1.07 goals-against average.
Junior Jessica Sexton also returns after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign. Sexton, who led the nation in goals-against average and save percentage en route to NEC Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2010, played in three matches last year and had a perfect 2-0-0 record.
Both Sexton and Bannon rank in the top five all-time at LIU Brooklyn in wins, save percentage, goals-against average and shutouts, and will continue to make the lives of opposing offenses extremely difficult this season.