Complete Game Notes –
Concord Stats (2012 Final) –
Converse Stats (2012 Final) –
West Virginia Tech Stats
ATHENS, W. Va. – The Concord University women's soccer team will open its 2013 season this week with road contests at Converse College on September 6 and at West Virginia Tech on September 8.
The Mountain Lions return six starters and 11 letterwinners from a season ago with all-conference honorees junior back
Abby Barber, junior midfielder
Sami Spertzel and sophomore forward
Kari Simon leading the way.
Concord concluded its 2012 season with an overall record of 10-7-2, advancing all the way to the semifinals of the final West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.
CU overcame a 0-4-1 start to the year by going 10-3-1 over its final 14 games of the season. The Mountain Lions' fantastic finish included a perfect month of October (8-0-0).
Head coach Stefani Workman is back for her fourth season in charge of the Concord women's soccer program. In her time as Concord's head coach, Workman has put together an overall record of 28-22-2. Workman has yet to have a losing season in Athens.
Game Notes
• After playing in the now defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for its entire history, the Mountain Lions will compete in the brand new Mountain East Conference in 2013. Concord was predicted to finish in third place in the league's first coaches preseason poll behind first place West Virginia Wesleyan and second place Charleston.
• Simon made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2012, leading Concord with 19 points, eight goals and three game-winning goals to go with three assists.
• Sophomore midfielder
Chloe Barber is the only other player on CU's roster to have scored a goal for the Maroon and Gray with two. Both of Barber's scores were game-winners.
• Junior goalie
Kaitlyn Wasylko played every minute in front of the Concord net last year. Wasylko, who attended Converse College as a freshman, made 103 saves and tallied a save percentage of .792, a goals against average of 1.36 and four shutouts.
• Wasylko allowed two or more goals in a game just twice over Concord's final 10 games.
• In addition to Barber, Wasylko and CU's all-conference players; other top returners from last season for the Mountain Lions include junior back
Paris Wood (18 games played), sophomore back
Deanna Reynolds (16 games played), senior midfielder
Melissa Woo Ling (12 games played) and sophomore midfielder
Shelby Ecsedi (10 games played).
• Workman and assistant coach
Amanda Malkiewicz brought in a recruiting class of nine new faces this season in goalie
Lacie Geisel, goalie
Kristin Twomey, forward
Emily Cole, forward
Margot Provencher, midfielder
Sara van den Akker, midfielder
Brenda Arriaza, back
Cassidy Maynard, back
Olivia Reilly and back
Kiana Brown.
• Concord's game at Converse will mark the first meeting between the two schools.
• The Mountain Lions have dominated the all-time series against West Virginia Tech. Concord is a perfect 7-0 against West Virginia Tech.
• Concord has never allowed a goal against the Golden Bears and has scored more than 10 goals in a game against Tech four times including a 17-0 win in 2001.
• Competing out of the Conference Carolinas, Converse College finished the 2012 season 7-10-2 overall.
• The Valkyries were led by Darby Boyd, Georgia Jones and Olivia Grose. Boyd totaled 18 points off of eight goals and two assists followed by Jones' 12 points (four goals / four assists) and Grose's 10 points (five goals). Goalie Gabriella Chamberland stopped 60 shots as a freshman.
• West Virginia Tech has gotten off to a 0-3 start to the season with losses to USC-Beaufort (5-0), Columbia (S.C.) (5-1) and Ohio Valley (3-0).
• Catie Crumb scored the Golden Bears' only goal of the year thus far.
A Win Would
• A win over Converse would give Concord its first season-opening win since the Mountain Lions defeated Bluefield College 4-1 to start the 2009 season. Last season, Concord tied East Stroudsburg 1-1.
• A win over West Virginia Tech would mark Concord's eighth consecutive win over the Golden Bears. Concord has outscored West Virginia Tech at an average of 9.14 - 0. Concord beat West Virginia Tech 2-0 last season behind goals from
Alyanna James and
Fiona Mearns.
• A pair of wins this week would give the Mountain Lions its first 2-0 start to a season since 2000 when CU defeated Mars Hill 4-3 and Georgia Wesleyan 9-0.
Up Next
• After its opening week matches at Converse and West Virginia Tech, Concord will remain on the road, playing at King University on Sept. 11 before returning to Anderson Field for its home-opener at noon against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 15.
