2010 Womens Soccer Season Preview
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - After three-consecutive ECAC Championships, four consecutive Centennial Conference playoff appearances, and an entire season in the national rankings, the Swarthmore College women’s soccer team has firmly established itself as a regional power. In 2010, the Garnet are looking to take the program to a whole other level.
Head coach Todd Anckaitis enters his sixth season as head coach of the Garnet coming off a 2009 season that saw the squad record the most single-season victories in program history (16). But the challenge for Anckaitis and the Garnet will be replacing five seniors that formed the winningest class in Swarthmore women’s soccer history. But thanks to the return of seven starters in key positions and an exciting class of newcomers, Anckaitis and the Garnet are hopeful that it’s a quick transition and the team will continue its dominance in the region.
Colombo ranks second at Swarthmore with 22 career goals and 55 career points.
The catalyst of the offensive attack continue to be the scoring balance from every position. The Garnet had 17 players scoring goals or providing assists last season. Megan Colombo ’11, a first-team All-Centennial and second-team All-Region selection in 2009 led the team’s 12 goal scorers with six. She enters her senior campaign as the second-leading scorer in Swarthmore women’s soccer history with 22 career goals and 55 career points. Along with Colombo, seniors Kelsey Cline, Elizabeth Mills, and Kirsten Peterson have combined for 59 goals and 34 assists while wearing the Garnet and White. They are expected to provide continued experience after productive 2009 seasons. Like Colombo, Peterson also finds herself her at the top of the record book, as she enters the season with the second most career assists in program history (13).
Anchoring the defense for the Garnet is senior Laura Bolger ‘11, a 2009 All-Centennial selection who has played 60 games through her first three years. She will be joined on the back line by several experienced returners who made significant contributions last season. A very strong midfield is led by senior Hannah Purkey ’11. Having lost four midfielders to graduation, this is an area that will look brand new to Swarthmore fans in 2010. In goal, Marie Mutryn ’12 returns between the pipes after a superb season. Mutryn, an All-Centennial Honorable Mention selection last season, is already third in program history with 10 shutouts. The Garnet surrendered just .67 goals against per game last year and are gunning to drop that below a half a goal a game for 2010.
Swarthmore once again faces a challenging schedule that features several NCAA-caliber non- conference games and the typically grueling Centennial slate. The non-conference schedule is highlighted by battle at the College of New Jersey on September 15. The Lions finished the 2009 season ranked No. 3 by D-3 Soccer after reaching the Division III Final Four.
The Garnet take to the road for the first three Centennial Conference games of the year, including a match-up at Dickinson on September 11 in a replay of last year’s opening round Centennial match-up. The Garnet have won four consecutive regular season games against the Red Devils. Swarthmore opens Centennial Conference home play against McDaniel on October 2nd.
Centennial Conference Preseason Poll