Soccer looksto score big in future

by Jenica Snow assistantsportseditor

The rival is just across the street, they wear a hideous maroon, have a much better field and are one of the best teams in the conference. It must feel so good to beat them. Most of the Cabrini women's soccer team described it as the best moment of the 1999 season.

Sophomore Jessica Storck said, "Last year we lost 5-1. This year we gave them everything we bad and beating Eastern on their home soil was the best." Sophomore Jamie Matozzo added, "When we walked off, we knew we had left everything we had on that field."

The Eastern gamed joined many other Pennsylvania Athletic Conference wins for the Lady Cavs this season, six more to be exact. The team beat every other school in the conference including an overtime win against Wesley. Senior Michelle Gabriel is very proud of this record. Although she would have liked to go out with a championship, Gabriel said, 'The best part of the season was being undefeated in the PAC."

The feeling that this could be a groundbreaking year for Cabrini women's soccer was present from pre-season. The addition of Leslie Danehy as assistant coach was "really exciting and the chemistry was there right away," Gabriel said. "Leslie is an amazing addition to the team. She deserves an entire page of this article," junior Jessica Huda said. Most of the athletes were returning from the previous season. Excitement also came from having "a strong nucleus and a lot of good freshmen," Storck said. Not only is the final team record groundbreaking, but Huda set a school goal keeping record with seven straight shutouts. Although she agrees with her teammates that the Eastern victory was her favorite moment, Huda said that this record was an exciting accomplishment. This season, however, closed disappointingly. The semifinal game pitted the Cavs against Misericordia at Cabrini's home field on Wednesday,Oct. 27. During the regular season the team defeated this strong opponent 1-0. This game ended with a 31 score in favor of Misericordia. Senior MeganHyde said, ''This was our best sea- son. The best record any women's soccer team bas bad. We just fell short" Storck scored the only Cabrini goal off of a penalty kick with about 20 minutes left in the second half when the score was 2-0. According to Storck, the Cavs were not focused on the present game, but looking ahead to the NCAA tournament for which the team would qualify if it won the PAC championship. "We weren't the team we should have been and they were," Matozzo said. "It just wasn't meant to be."

The team was plagued by injury @oughout this year, especia,llyat the beginning of the season. "We started out nervous because of all the early injuries, but as the season progressed we got excited when we saw all the talent we had," Storck said. Matozzo, sophomore Dena Kobeissi and juniors Katie Hecht and Susan Sipes suffered injuries. Matozzo alone had problems with both of her ankles and her back. At one point she was sidelined for eighteen straight days. "Everyone on the team had to be wrapped for injuries at some point,," Huda said. If the women can keep healthy next season it is expectedto be a great one.

Huda has every confidence the team will be ''just as strong next year." Storck is eveC"more confident. "With top recruiting and good leadership we will be 10 times as good next year," she said. "We are ready to get back there and bring home the championship."

It is the leadership that worries Matozzo. She agrees that the team will benefit from its experiences this year and some good recruiting, but she says, "It is tough to replace that leadership. We are losing four seniors." Gabriel, Erin Barney, Jennifer Reichert and Megan Hyde will be missed. Huda, along with Sipes, Carly Atkinson, Katie Hecht and Tara Robuck will be the seniors next year. Storck is confident that the returning team will be able to provide the leadership and enthusiasm needed to finally take them to the next level.

According to Huda, the team would like to thank the fans. "Everyone was really supportive this year. I hope that can continue," Huda said.