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BY DENNIS FAN

In print | Published September 4, 2008

Swarthmore Women’s Soccer kicked off their season with confidence, finding the back of the net often to post two shutouts in a 5-0 win against Farmingdale State College and a 3-0 win against Moravian College at the Swat Kick Classic this past weekend.

Megan Colombo ’11, Samantha Song ’12, and Elizabeth Mills ’11 had individually outstanding performances, scoring two goals apiece while Laura Bolger ’11 and Kelsey Cline ’11 contributed to the victories with a goal each. Over the course of the two-day tournament, Sarah Reece ’11 also made a considerable contribution to the team’s offense with three assists.

Stunning performances by the team’s defense stopped any counterattacks, allowing only four shots on goal in the entire tournament, which goalies Lauren Walked ’09 and Marie Mutryn ’12 stopped easily with two saves each. The women also dominated in time of possession, handling the ball with precision, and controlling the pace of the games.

Coach Todd Anckaitis attributed their recent success to a highly fruitful preseason. The team looked fit and energized during their matches, often out-hustling their opponents to the ball and racing past defenders as was the case when Amy Langdon ’11 sped past a defender and around the goalie to assist Mills for an easy finish.

“This preseason they [the team] worked really hard to get back to midseason form,” said Anckaitis, who complimented the team after the game. “I challenged them and they stepped up,” he said, also commenting that he was proud that the women performed at the high level that he felt they were capable of playing at.

According to Anckaitis, one of the keys to Swarthmore’s success this weekend was the depth of the team’s roster. This depth allowed him to freely substitute all the bench players into the game at points where they would have the best opportunity to make an impact, and to have the flexibility to even change formations in the Moravian game when Swarthmore switched from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 system.

Anckaitis jested that so many great players made it increasingly difficult for the coaching staff to pick starters and settle into one system.

Captain Caitlin Mullarkey ’09 added that, “More than ever we have people who can play 90 minutes.” Mullarkey also complimented the team on the Farmingdale State game, stating that the women’s soccer team had not scored five goals in a single game for many seasons.

Despite sweeping the tournament, Anckaitis also saw room for improvement, commenting that he would like the team to be more aggressive around the box to create more scoring opportunities.

As the women’s soccer team started their season with a dominating 2-0 run, it is difficult not to look ahead to how they could top their 14-2-3 performance during the 2007 Fall Season.
Coach Anckaitis sets the bar high for the women’s team this year, hoping that with continued improvement, the team can reach the NCAA Tournament. Both Farmingdale State and Moravian had reached the NCAA Tournament the previous season, and during the preseason Swarthmore scrimmaged and defeated York College, another NCAA Tournament participant.

Captain Alexa Bensimhon ’09 offered words of wisdom, commenting that she was anticipating the rest of the season, but that it was important not to lose focus and look too far ahead.

Hoping to continue their excellent play, the women’s soccer team looks forward to their home game against Albright College at 7:00 P.M. this Friday on Clothier Field.

Disclosure Note: Phoenix Sports Editor Melinda Petre ’09 is a member of the women’s soccer team, but had no role in the production or editing of this article.

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