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Juniata Women’s Soccer Season in Review

Juniata Women’s Soccer Season in Review

Dan Sherman

Asst. SID

Juniata

814-641-3513

 

The 2014 women’s soccer season had a lot to live up to. After all, the 2013 campaign was one of, if not the most successful in program history. The Eagles finished second in the Landmark with a 14-6 record, earning their second conference and ECAC South tournament appearances. The club established new records for wins (14), goals (55), fewest losses (6), and longest winning streak in a season (7). As with the men’s team, the record does not tell the whole story of the 2014 season.

Based on the results of the 2013 season, many had high expectations for the team coming into the year, and could view 2014 as the “year that could have been.” For head coach Scott McKenzie the season, “played out pretty much how I thought it would.” Citing his team’s youth, this year’s squad was a much younger group than the previous season’s veteran team. More than half of the players on the roster were freshman, “With a roster of 25 student-athletes and 13 of them being freshman, it was going to be a year of learning. That much youth on a team usually brings flashes of brilliance, and moments of unmet potential.”

Matches like those against Catholic and Scranton, prove that this is a talented bunch that can compete with even the toughest conference rivals. Despite finishing seventh overall in the Landmark, the Eagles played well against the top four teams in the conference. Juniata tied in their contest against the two teams that would make it to the conference championship, “We must all remember, that of the four teams competing the Landmark playoffs, we lost to only one of them, we defeated one, and tied the other two.”

Despite being a young team, Juniata was driven by a strong veteran presence that was able to help steer their budding teammates in the right direction, as they transitioned to the collegiate game. Seniors Lillian Dudek (Downingtown, PA / Upattinas School), Shayna King (Easton, PA / Easton), Lauren Liacouras (Collegeville, PA / Perkiomen Valley), and Katie Szczur (Johnstown, PA / Richland) were tremendous role models for the younger players, setting great examples both on and off the field. Mckenzie described this year’s graduating class as “team members that display class on the practice pitch and on game day. They ‘brought it’ every day and are great examples for our players to follow.”

Juniata’s battle-scarred group was also comprised of juniors Haley Briggs (Hanover, PA / South Western), Emily Green (Marietta, PA / Donegal), and Michaela Lacek (New Tripoli, PA / Northwestern). The trio will be looked to for their experience in the 2015 season, “Our juniors are ready to assume the mantle of leadership. Michaela, Emily, and Haley have learned from the best and are ready to show what they can.”

While the 2013 team was known for its offensive output, this year’s group relied heavily on a strong defensive unit. As McKenzie put it, the club “‘hung our hat’ on our defensive abilities this year, as scoring chances were at a premium. I believe that we had one of the finest defensive efforts, from top to bottom, of any Juniata women’s soccer team. Defense is all about attitude and we had plenty of it!

Younger players such as sophomores Devin Kos (Bellefonte, PA / Bellefonte) and Rebecca Hingley (West Chester, PA / Huntingdon Area) stepped up this season and made a significant impact on the defensive side of the ball, “Devin and Becky assumed key defensive roles and rarely left the pitch on game day. We look for great things from them as juniors.” McKenzie would add that fellow members of the clas of 2016 Olivia Claycomb (Saxton, PA / Tussey Mountain), Taylor Garraffa (Strasburg, PA / Lampeter-Strasburg), and Erin Meuller (Bedford, PA / Bedford), “are valuable and steady competitors. Without their contributions, we would not have enjoyed the level of success and quality of play we experienced this year.”

Freshman Kerry Leonard (Cockeysville, MD / Maryvale Prep) came in and was a key part of the team’s success on defense. The keeper earned second team All-Conference honors for her performance during the 2014 season. Leonard, affectionately called “Leopard” by teammates and coaches, finished the year fifth in the Landmark in save percentage (.766), third in shutouts (5), and first in saves (82). Her coach declared that this freshman class “will produce outstanding college players. Each member of this class grew as student-athletes as they discovered and adapted to the differences between high school and collegiate athletics.”

Top 5 Moments

25 October – Senior Day

The Eagles said goodbye to their graduating seniors in front of a large home crowd at Winton Hill Field and let them go out in hard, well-fought battle against the Gophers of Goucher. Though the game resulted in a tough heartbreaking loss in overtime, it is still a game for the 2014 squad to be proud of.  They played their hearts out in a game that came down to a penalty kick in the 94th minute.

4 October – Eagles Earn First Decision at Scranton

Juniata played a tough Royals team that would finish as the conference runners-up at the end of the season and returned from Scranton without a loss for the first time. The Eagles tied Scranton 0-0 in double overtime, as Leonard made six saves and shutout an opponent for the third straight time and fifth overall.

27 September – Juniata Shuts Down Rangers in Landmark Opener

The Blue and Gold hosted the Drew in their first conference game of the season and defeated the Rangers 3-0 to earn their second straight victory. The Eagles dominated in shots 16-2, holding their opponent to just one shot on goal. King scored the first two goals of the game and Szczur found the net after being awarded a penalty kick to take an early 3-0 in the first half. MckKenzie described the game as a “team defensive gem”, adding, “from endline to endline they defended everywhere on the field with pace.” He would declare that after the victory over the conference fourth seed the team knew, “what they were capable of, we’ve seen glimpses of it and not a full game of it, but we finally saw that today.”

30 August – Eagles Hold Their Own Against Top Ranked Opponent

Juniata opened its season at home against Capital, who entered the match as the 14th ranked team in Division III in the preseason polls. Despite playing against one of the best teams in the country, the Eagles stood their ground, refusing to yield. Though the club would lose the match 2-1, it was yet another shining moment for this young squad, one that “set the bar high for the season.”

1 November – Blue and Gold ties Landmark Champions in Season Finale

The Eagles traveled to Catholic in the final match of the regular season. Juniata went the distance against the Cardinals as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Lacek scored the lone goals for Juniata as the team took an early lead. Catholic answered with one of their own fourteen minutes later, but that was all the Eagles defense would allow. Leonard made a career high 21 saves, earning Landmark Conference and ECAC Player of the Week awards for her stellar performance. Her coach was proud of the way his team played against the eventual conference champion, “Our seniors played inspired soccer today in a game that will define the character of this team. Kerry Leonard was superb in goal. She and her teammates turned away a fierce Catholic attack.” This is certainly a game that this young Juniata team will be able to build off of as they continue to grow together and move on to the 2015 season.

For now, the 2014 season is a closed book, one which McKenzie will peruse from time to time, but there are more chapters to be written and the coach is sure that 2015 will prove to be yet another great read.