Women's Soccer Entering Final Week of Pre-Season
August 24, 2000 | Women's Soccer
The Terrier women's soccer team is in its final week of pre-season and head coach Nancy Feldman admits she is "very pleased with how things have gone, and I am very optimistic about the coming season."
The season will begin Sept. 1 at the University of Pacific in Stockton, CA. They will then travel to Moraga, CA where they will play St. Mary's on Sunday afternoon before returning to Boston.
The team won't play its first home game until Sept. 14 when it takes on Quinnipiac College at 7:00 p.m.
A year ago, the Terriers compiled an overall record of 13-8-0, while they finished second in the America East standings with an 8-1-0 record. Their only loss was to Hartford, 1-0. Then, in the conference's post-season tournament, the women advanced to the title game where they lost to Hartford by a slim 2-1 margin.
A total of 18 lettermen have returned from that team and will be joined by nine first-year players who have stepped forward during the pre-season camp.
According to Feldman, the first-year players who have looked most impressive during camp have been Eleanor Murphy, Katie Smurthwaite, Lesley Garvey, and Jessica Clinton.
"Eleanor Murphy is going to turn heads," predicted the coach. "She has looked very strong at center back and is going to really complement Megan Cross back there.
"It has been a pleasant surprise about how well Eleanor has defended Deidre Enos during pre-season," Feldman pointed out.
Enos, last year's America East Player of the Year, returns as the Terriers' all-time leader in goals scored with 31 and in points with 78, while she is third in assists with 16.
"She has really shown how to use the body," Feldman said of Murphy. "Her strong defense against Deidre will help make 'D' a better player this year as well."
Smurthwaite and Garvey are also tabbed to play at back and "will challenge not just for playing time but to be in the starting lineup," said Feldman. "They are both very fit and I am confident they both can play for us."
Clinton was a highly-touted keeper, and she has joined with returnee Danielle Demers to battle for the starting job.
"It is going to be very competitive at that position," said the coach.
While the freshmen have looked very good during the pre-season, it will be the upperclassmen that will guide the team, and the coach has been very pleased with what she has seen.
"Their fitness level and stamina have been terrific," said the coach. "You can see how hard they have worked to prepare for camp.
"I am very pleased with how we look up front," said the coach. "Mary-Beth Magner, Nicole Soules, D Enos, and Suzanne Hudak have picked up where they left off in the spring.
"I think we are going to be very dangerous in our attack this year.
"One of the most pleasant surprises during camp, though, has been how Teresa Petruccelli has played," said the coach.
A midfielder, Petruccelli was a medical redshirt last year and her absence was sorely felt. As a freshman in 1997, she was the Conference's Rookie of the Year, while she was a First Team All-Conference pick in 1998.
"T has been healthy this pre-season," said Feldman as she knocked on some wood. "That has been a big plus for us."
Another veteran who will be counted on heavily this year is Megan Cross.
"Because we will be so young at back this year, we will be counting on Megan to be a strong leader for us," said Feldman. "As a sophomore last year, she stepped forward to be a leader, and it's going to be even more important this year. Fortunately, she has the right personality for that job."
The coming season is not without questions, though.
"I am not sure who will be at center midfield," said the coach. "Right now, that is unknown. "We are looking forward to finally playing an outside team, though. I am very optimistic about this season but we won't know how good we will be until we go against some outside competition."
