Women’s Soccer Season Preview – Lady Lakers Poised for Greatness in 2012

CANANDAIGUA -- With the bar already set high from a year ago, Finger Lakes CC has their eyes set on achieving one thing in mind in 2012 – an NJCAA Division III National Championship title. Coming off of a spectacular 21-1-1 (nation's top record) season in 2011, the Lady Lakers, who were crowned MSAC and Region III champions, made it all the way to the national championship tournament – where they would fall to Monroe College-Bronx in round one, 3-1.

The teams' lines of achievements in 2011 were marked as astonishing. This year, however, the feel around the team is that winning anything but a national championship title will be considered a disappointment of a season. Finger Lakes enters its 2012 campaign with what looks to be yet another talented roster, one that consists of both a solid freshmen and sophomore class.

The Lady Lakers will enter the upcoming season under returning coaches Eric Marsh (head) and Brandy Cooper (associate). The pair, both entering their seventh seasons with the program, will be accompanied by assistant coaches James Hewlett and Jason Wild.  

Finger Lakes will return one of the nation's top players from last season as it welcomes back standout forward, 2011 NJCAA All-American Cayli Carmona. The sophomore out of Rochester, NY was a force to be reckoned with throughout the D-III women's soccer world in 2011. Her stats validated this statement as she compiled 22 goals and 28 assists in 23 games last season. Carmona's goal and assist totals equaled out to an astonishing 72 points. Her 72 points were engraved in the number two slot for most points in the nation last season. Her assist and point totals from 2011 stand as the most ever in a season in the history of the women's soccer program at Finger Lakes. Needless to say, the Lady Lakers are thrilled to have this asset back on their roster in 2012.

Another key returnee from last year's team is that of sophomore Rebecca Giacapuzzi. As a forward in 2011, the Finger Lakes standout from Merrimack, NH, fit in quite nicely in her first season with the team. In her freshman season, she amassed 18 goals and handed out 12 assists in 23 games. Giacapuzzi's goal and assist totals totaled 48 points last season. With her 48 points, she joined Carmona in the top 10 (eighth overall) for most points in the nation in 2011. Her stats earned her First Team All-Region and MSAC All-Conference team honors. Chalk her up as another great returning asset.

Finger Lakes will also welcome back its top defender from last season, sophomore Hannah Dalle. Dalle, out of Rochester, NY, not only provided the Lady Lakers with great defensive play in 2011; she also acted a major goal scoring threat - accounting for 14 goals in 22 games. Her solid play earned her First Team All-Region and MSAC All-Conference team honors last year. In 2012, expect to see her play on the offensive side of the ball as well as she is slated to split her playing time between defense and forward. She, along with Carmona and Giacapuzzi, provides Finger Lakes with another reliable veteran on the field in 2012.

In goal, the Lady Lakers will return promising keeper Kristy Kirkpatrick. The sophomore and native of Irondequoit, NY, was regarded as one of the nation's elite goalkeepers in 2011. Rated statistically as the fourth best goalie in the nation last season, Kirkpatrick shined bright inside the crease for Finger Lakes on a consistent basis. She compiled 63 saves in 70 shot attempts and in addition recorded a stellar Goals Against Average of .538 (best ever in a season in the history of the women's soccer program at Finger Lakes). Kirkpatrick recorded these numbers in 1170 minutes worth of action last year. Her goalkeeping abilities combined with what she brought to the table in her freshman year assures the Lady Lakers with a reliable starter to lean on in the net in 2012. 

Other key returnees that Marsh and Cooper are excited to have back for 2012 are the likes of Samantha Burnside (Mumford, NY) and twin sisters, Bailey Smith and Paige Smith (Honeoye Falls, NY). Burnside, a defender, gives the Lady Lakers added stability on the defensive end of the field. The Smith's, both midfielders, provide added depth on the offensive side of the ball for the team.

Carmona, Giacapuzzi, Dalle, Kirkpatrick, Burnside, and the Smith sisters are not only labeled as valuable assets from a playing standpoint; however they are also labeled as athletes who display great character. Each of these players defined the word class on and off the field in 2011 – a characteristic that has helped build the foundation of the women's soccer program at Finger Lakes.

The returning cast mentioned above will be joined by a plethora of highly touted freshmen. This list of players includes a pair of solid defenders in Alyssa Norman (Brockport, NY) and Rachel Hefner (Webster, NY) and among others, a slew of talented offensive players in midfielders Natasha Hyland (Rochester, NY), Dominique Berrafato (East Amherst, NY), and Sonia Gucciardo (Rochester, NY).

Finger Lakes enters 2012 with high hopes and great expectations. Its strong returning class combined with its highly talked about new additions gives the team reason to believe that it should sustain another harmonious year in the win column.

Marsh and Cooper believe this year's freshmen will compliment the sophomore's as they are expected to provide the team with added speed, strength, and depth. On a coaching note, both of these coaches will aim to hit and surpass the 100-win mark this year. So far in their illustrious careers at Finger Lakes, both coaches have notched 85 victories apiece as a tandem.

The buzz around this year's team is extremely positive. The talent level remains high. The freshmen are believed to have the skill sets necessary for maintaining and building upon what has been up to this point a phenomenal program at Finger Lakes. The coaching staff remains hungry for continued success. Last but not least, fans of the team remain strongly optimistic that another deep run into postseason play will play out in 2012.

The Lady Lakers will look to not only repeat as conference and regional champs yet again this year, they will also look to add that elusive national title to their resume.