Season In Review

After finishing the final 11 games of the 2006 season with a 7-2-2 record, the Wentworth women’s soccer team hoped the momentum gained would carry over into the new season.  Unfortunately for the Leopards, 2007 would begin the same way that 2006 began, in that Wentworth was 1-5-1 through its first seven games and were outscored by an 18-6 margin.

However, two days after having its winless streak pushed to four (0-3-1) with a 2-0 loss at Western New England, the Leopards scored two goals in the final four minutes of regulation to defeat New England College.  This victory would begin a second half surge for Wentworth, as it started a four-game win streak and a stretch where the Leopards went 7-1-1, outscoring their opponents 22-10.  During this run, Wentworth defeated Anna Maria by a 3-1 score.  In that game, head coach Angel Ayres, who recently completed her 10th season at the helm, won her 100th career game.

The regular season ended with a 3-2 loss at Colby-Sawyer and placed the Leopards sixth in The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament.

Wentworth’s first round opponent was Roger Williams, a team the Leopards lost 2-1 to in the regular season.  After a scoreless first half, the host Hawks would score three times in a span of 11 minutes, en route to a 3-1 win that would end Wentworth’s season at 8-8-2.  With a .500 record, it marked the seventh time in the 10-year history of the program the Leopards have finished with a .500 or better mark.

Post-season honors were bestowed upon junior midfielder Katie Brown, who was named First Team All-TCCC, as well as earning All-New England honors from both the NSCAA and the NEWISA.  Senior midfielder Erika Hackett and senior defender Jocelyn Martin earned Honorable Mention All-TCCC honors for the Leopards.

Statistically speaking, junior forward Aly Kane and Hackett led the offensive attack with 10 points apiece.  Kane scored five goals, including a pair of game-winning tallies, while Hackett recorded four goals and a pair of assists.  Senior midfielder Evelyn Hadden scored four times (including a pair of game-winners) and added an assist for nine points, while freshman forward Sarah Norkiewicz and Brown each scored eight points.

In goal for the Leopards, freshman Kirsten Vallone (Avon, N.Y.) posted an 8-4-1 record with a 1.70 goals against average and a pair of shutouts.

Looking Ahead

The 2008 campaign will be one built on the strength of the underclassmen, as well as a strong recruting class, as Wentworth lost seven players to graduation. As history has shown, the Leopards will be a competitive team within TCCC and shoudld be competing for not only a playoff spot, but home field in the first round.

Schedule

The Leopards play an 18-game schedule, including 13 CCC contests against such schools as Colby-Sawyer, Nichols, Gordon, Western New England, and Endicott. The non-league schedule consists of games against Emerson, nationallly ranked Western Connecticut, Emmanuel, and WPI.

History

After one season (1997) of competing at the club level, the women's soccer team was elevated to varsity status for the 1998 season and has 101-79-7 mark in its first 10 campaigns, including a 10-8 mark in 1999, an 11-6 mark in 2001, a 15-5 record in 2002, and a 14-7 record in 2003.

Meet the Coaching Staff

Angel Ayres (Springfield '93) enters her 11th season as the Leopards' head coach. The all-time leading scorer at Springfield College and a former three-time National Soccer Coaches' Association of America All-America selection, she was named the CCC Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001. In her 10 seasons as Wentworth's head coach, she has posted an 101-79-7 (.559) record. Ayres won her 100th career game when Wentworth bested Anna Maria, 3-1, on Oct. 17, 2007.

Head Coach Angel Ayres	Assistant Coach Margo Ney '04	Assistant Coach Kristin Taylor