NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's soccer team will enter the 2015 campaign the same way it does every year, expecting to be a top contender in the Skyline Conference. Head coach
BreLynn Nasypany enters her second year at the helm of the program, and brings her first recruit class with her. After a highly successful first season with the Knights, Nasypany now has the opportunity to take the program in the direction she wants to take it, while building off of the successful tradition already established at the Mount.
"I think Frank Martini and his predecessors who came before him did a fantastic job of building this program up to be a contender for the Skyline Championship for a number of years now," said Nasypany. "So my expectation coming into the team was to keep that tradition of getting to the Skyline Conference Championship and for this group this year to go beyond that."
The Knights' recent trend lived on in 2014, as the Knights once again went without a regular-season loss in Skyline competition and finished with an impressive 14-5-1 overall record. Their 30-game Skyline winning streak ended on Oct. 18, 2014, when the Knights and Farmingdale State College played to a 1-1 draw. The Knights finished the season 7-0-1 in conference play, extending their streak to 34 Skyline games without a loss. The Knights also once again finished as the top defensive team in the conference with a league-low 0.65 goals-against average. Unfortunately though, another recent trend continued, as the Knights fell to Farmingdale State in the Skyline Conference Championship final for the fifth straight year.
The Knights have been working diligently to finally get over the hump in 2015. They return a hungry group of student-athletes, but add 10 newcomers into the mix this season, making the Knights one of the younger teams in the conference, but one with enough talent to make a push for the title. One thing Nasypany has seen this year that is different from last season is the camaraderie within the team, and believes this will help them reach a new level of play.
"Throughout preseason we have already seen some different things from last year in terms of cohesiveness and unity," said Nasypany. "I think at this point, for this group of sophomores, and the juniors and seniors we have on the team, having gone through losing a conference championship game, a number of times for some of them, it starts to become a mental thing that we have to overcome."
The youthfulness of the women's soccer team may be an advantage when trying to overcome the mental aspect of trying to win a championship. The Knights bring eight freshmen, as well as a transfer and a new upperclassman into the fold this season. Combining that group with 12 returning student-athletes this season, and it could equate to the formula the Knights have been looking for the last few years.
SENIORS The Knights return just two seniors for the 2015 campaign. Midfielder
Melissa Guillemette (Branford, Conn.) enjoyed a career year in 2014, scoring six goals and dishing out five assists for a total of 17 points, all career-bests. Forward
Melissa Maini (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) had an injury-shortened season in 2014, but still managed a career-high three goals and added an assist for a seven-point season. As the mainstays of the women's soccer team, these two will be looked at for leadership as well as a high level of play on the field.
JUNIORS Defender
Genevieve Stinson (Troy, N.Y.) returns for her third year with the Knights. Though her statistics do not reflect it, Stinson has been a consistent presence on the field for the Knights the past two seasons, and should provide improved play, as well as some guidance for the younger student-athletes. Defender
Alaina Neddermann (Prospect, Conn.) joins the team after missing the 2014 season. In her freshman campaign, Neddermann provided a goal and two assists while making nine starts. Joining them is newcomer
Jordan Kleinschmidt (Valley Stream, N.Y.), who will get her chance with the Knight attack this year.
SOPHOMORES The largest class on the team, the sophomores, will play a significant role in the Knights' success in 2015. Four of these returners were named to the Skyline Women's Soccer All-Conference Team last year. Defender
Destiny Ribadeneyra (Maybrook, N.Y.) was also tabbed to the 2014 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Women's All-East Region Third Team, in addition to a spot on the All-Skyline First Team, as a result of a highly impressive rookie year. She tied for the team lead with eight assists in 2014, and added three goals for a total of 14 points.
Goalkeeper
Mary Riley (Newburgh, N.Y.) led the Skyline Conference with a 0.67 goals-against average and nine shutouts last year. She also went 14-5-1 in 20 games starts, resulting in a First-Team All-Skyline selection. She and Ribadeneyra were joined on the First Team by defender
Bridget McKeever (Wallkill, N.Y.) who, in addition to a strong first season, was also named the 2014 Skyline Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Midfielder
Allison Jones (Merrick, N.Y.) quietly made her way onto the Skyline All-Conference Second Team in 2014, after her powerful long-distance shot led to three goals and three assists for a nine-point rookie campaign.
Midfielder
Nicole Cavallo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) made a pair of starts last year, tallied two goals and an assist in 19 games. Defender
Gina Sargente (Warwick, N.Y.), in addition to fortifying the best backline in the Skyline, provided a pair of assists on the year while making 18 starts. Midfielder
Jessica Lanning (Hicksville, N.Y.) appeared in just 10 games, but also handed out two assists on the year. Defender
Emily Scheuer (North Babylon, N.Y.) only saw limited action in 2014, and looks to increase her role in the backfield and in the midfield this year.
Forward
Shakira Grisales (Middletown, N.Y.) jumps into the fold for the 2015 season after transferring from Division II Dominican College.
FRESHMEN The next largest class on the 2015 women's soccer team consists of the incoming freshman class. Forwards
Jacqueline Davis (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) and
Maeve O'Sullivan (Garden City Park, N.Y.) will look to earn their spots on the front line this season. Davis played for East Islip Travel D2 Soccer for all four years of high school, while O'Sullivan was an All-County athlete in her senior season.
The midfield adds
Taylor Grella (Glen Cove, N.Y.),
Maura Bellone (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and
Hannah Pascual (Freeport, N.Y.) this year. All three were four-year varsity players in high school, and Grella is the cousin of New York Red Bulls forward Mike Grella.
The Skyline's best defense adds three rookies to the backline this season.
Jasmine VanDoran (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.),
Emma Costa (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and
Kylie Walsh (West Islip, N.Y.) will quickly learn about the defensive tradition the Knights have instilled over the past number of years. Costa was an All-League athlete during her time at Rocky Point High School. Walsh was a highly decorated scholastic player, earning All-League honors twice, as well as the 2015 New York State Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Outstanding Physical Performance Scholarship and Leadership Award.
Despite the large group of new student-athletes on the team, Nasypany still insists that the team is meshing together incredibly well. While it remains to be seen how successful the Knights can be in 2015, the goal has not changed for this team.
"The ultimate goal for this group, and groups coming next season and the following season, the ultimate goal is always to win the Skyline Championship," said Nasypany.
The Knights begin their pursuit of the Skyline Conference Championship on Wednesday, Sept. 2, when they host Vassar College for a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup. They will then take a trip to Richardson, Texas, where they will compete in the University of Texas-Dallas Comet Cup.
Follow the Knights on Twitter at
@MSMCKnights and the women's soccer team at
@MSMCSoccer
