Under the guidance of first year head coach Mike Joyce, the Saint Mary’s soccer team looks to bounce back into contention in the MIAA in 2010.
With a fresh look at the program and several new faces after the graduation of one of the largest senior classes in recent athletic department history, the soccer team will rebuild on a balance of talent from each contributing class. This season’s roster boasts one senior, six juniors, eight sophomores, and eight freshmen from ten different states.
The Belles return seven players who started in at least 10 games in 2009. Additionally, eight players on the roster this fall notched at least one point a season ago for Saint Mary’s. Leading the way offensively among those returners is sophomore Ashley Morfin, who notched a pair of goals and two assists with a team-best .688 shots on-goal percentage. Lone senior Corissa Hart also chipped in a pair of goals last fall for a team that saw 16 players find themselves in the scoring column in 2009.
Juniors Katelyn Tondo-Steele, Keely Noonan, and Michelle Marshall were integral starters last fall and will likely be looked upon for additional leadership and guidance in 2010. Tondo-Steele and Noonan both registered points for the Belles last fall while Marshall has played a key part in a defense that has allowed two goals or less in 17 games in the past two seasons.
The Belles kick off the 2010 season on September 1 with a home game against Aurora. On the slate this fall are three pre-season top 25 teams and five squads who made it to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2009, including Aurora. Otterbein (#10), Calvin (#15), and Illinois Wesleyan (#24) are all ranked in the pre-season while all having made the national tournament last fall.
