Women’s Soccer vs. Delaware State Preview

The new year of UMBC athletics officially starts off tomorrow as the women’s soccer team will play host to Delaware State, who they won their only non-conference game against last season and with the new year I’m changing things up. I’m no longer going to just post those boring previews I did before, I’m going to mix it up a bit.

Alyssa Radu’s squad has a great chance to win their season opener for the first time in at least the last 10 years. I’m not taking any credit away from Delaware State, who the women’s soccer team’s lone non-conference win came against, but UMBC is going to be better this year. The last two years Radu did not really have much say over the schedule as contracts were already signed by the previous head coach, and Radu was not really playing with players that fit her style of play. But now is when you’ll see Radu’s style of coaching come in, and the team will have a much more favorable schedule that isn’t jam packed with Big East competition.

Mo Van Vlerah

The biggest thing for a coach when they are coming into a new team is molding the team to play into their style of coaching. Radu’s coaching style is very different that the style of former coach Tara Koleski, and now she finally has her players on the programs. Koleski recruited some very good players, in fact Sandra Vacarino, Erin Johnson, Christine Sadowski, and Mo Van Vlerah will be some of the best players on the team this year, but it takes a bit of time for those players to transition to the new coach (which they’ve all had two years to do), and with players that already fit that style around them the transition period is over.

Even Radu will tell you that her realistic goal for a team that has just five wins over the last two seasons is not a conference championship, it’s moving up into the middle of the conference and contending for a spot in the conference tournament, and that is going to be a realistic goal, but before that happens the team will have to show improvement in their season opener against Delaware State.

While the roster will most likely be changed around from last year, the team returns nine players who started at least 10 games, including top goal scorer Vacarino (4 goals, 2 assists) and goalie Van Vlerah (109 saves, 69.4% saves).

Last season Rachel McKee was able to rip off five shots on goal, and while she was unsuccessful in all of her attempts, she split the defense and found ways to pressure the defense. The odds are this year, with a better supporting case around her, she will be successful this time.

Aly Gazarek

The defense also had a stellar game as they allowed just two shots on goal in their game, allowing just one in the back of the net in the 4-1 victory.

Aly Gazarek, Megan McDonald, Elyse Bilardo, and Danielle Kell all scored in last year’s game, and while two of them are gone, the offense should still have some success as the midfield should be able to control the ball in this game.

Just for fun I will attempt to project the starting roster, though it is clear the team will make some changes after just a two win season last year.

F- LeAnne Edgar (0 goals, 1 assist, 4 SOG)
F- Rachel McKee (1 goal, 1 assist, 14 SOG)
M- Katie Gitlin (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 SOG)
M- Morgan Andrews (0 goals, 0 assists, 0 SOG)
M- Sarah Purdum (1 goal, 0 assists, 4 SOG)
M- Sandra Vacarino (4 goals, 2 assists, 8 SOG)
B- Erin Johnson (16 starts)
B- Christine Sadowski (17 starts)
B- Kelsi Morris (Transfer from Pittsburgh)
B- Aly Gazarek (17 starts)
GK- Mo Van Vlerah (109 saves, 48 GA, 69.4% Saves)
*2009 Statistics