MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College women's soccer team enters 2018 coming off a 2017 campaign that saw them earn a trip to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament. The squad finished with an 8-9-3 overall record with a 1-6-2 mark in the CCC. The Colonels look to improve in all areas under new Head Coach Brigida Palatino and advance further in the conference tournament with a solid core of returners and newcomers.
Read Head Coach Palatino's Season Outlook below:
Players to Watch on Your Team
The Colonels' women's soccer team has three captains this season. Haley Wells (Whitman, Mass.), Shae Breslin (Bridgewater, Mass.), and Megan Ladner (Bourne, Mass.) have done a phenomenal job keeping an open mind with the coaching adjustment and because of it, this team has made more process in preseason than teams who have had an entire season together. Their positivity and inclusivity with our large newcomer class demonstrates the sisterhood these leaders have created.
As the new coach in the program, I am very fortunate to step into a program with such a special group of captains. They balance each other very well; Haley is not afraid to speak up while Megan demonstrates how to compete, and Shae as a senior nursing major provides the support and understanding of what it means to be a Division III student-athlete and the skills required to balance both commitments and passions.
Top Returning Players
Across the troop, everyone single player has been showing and working hard and as coaches, that is what we love to see. I cannot speak enough about how impressed I have been with our three captains in creating our team culture and laying the foundation for future colonels to come into a unified, inclusive, and tight-knit troop.
Our veteran junior keeper, Katelyn DeMaio (North Andover, Mass.), has been a great mentor for our first-year keeper Maggie Chamberlin (Taunton, Mass.) in how we compete, train, and push each other to be our best.
Our sophomore class is strong and to highlight a few: Isabella Shields (Lakeville, Mass.) has shown leadership in her play but also off the pitch in her "no job too small" mentality when it comes to team duties. Sarah McGrath (North Dartmouth, Mass.) has shown domination in her presence in the midfield and in her athleticism. Alyson Hampston (North Easton, Mass.) is very cool, calm and composed on the field. Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) is so fun to watch with her quickness and feistiness. Lastly, Tayla Randall (Walpole, Mass.) is overall a quality player in her technical ability, speed, and athleticism.
Top Newcomers
I am very fortunate to have a very large first-year class with a lot of young talent. They have all been bringing positivity energy and really started coming into their own. We know coming in as a first-year can be overwhelming and I have been impressed with how our large first-year class has handled the adjustment. Maddie Wilson (Millbury, Mass.) stood out right away in her fitness level and technical ability, while Samantha Borges' (Somerset, Mass.) nose for the goal is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the CCC. Felicity Monfils (North Attleboro, Mass.) has brought a spark to our team with her quickness, athleticism, and technical ability and Courtney Cushing (Gorham, Maine) has shown as a presence and calming force to our midfield even after coming back from a major injury. The entire class is a great group possessing a lot of talent and we are excited to see how they adjust to the physicality and speed of play of the college game.
Expectations for Season
The ultimate goal and expectation of this upcoming season has been instilling a women's soccer colonel "troop first mentality". We are all in this together in creating a healthy team culture and sisterhood. It is clear we have a very young and talented team, so our focus has been on our team culture and laying the foundation of teamwork and unity for this upcoming season and future Colonels.
Who in League to Look Out For
From my playing and coaching experience, I have formerly been part of the NESCAC and GNAC. I cannot express how excited I am to be joining the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) because it is one of the most competitive Division III conferences and from top to bottom. Every game is important. With nine teams, the top seven make the postseason tournament and every team is evenly matched. It really comes down to game day and who shows up to play that day. As a team, we are doing the extra both on and off the field to give our troop the competitive edge.
Talk About Coaching Staff
There is no other team in Division III that compares to our staff at Curry College and I can write a mini-novel on how special and unique our coaching staff is this year. To start, five of the six coaches are women which is unheard of at this level. I am proud to say Morgan Stott '17 and Kaitlyn Lima '17 are in their second season assisting the program and not only were they former all-star players in the program (their stats do not lie) they bring incredible energy, passion, and youthful knowledge to our staff. As a former coach who assisted at her alma mater, by having two alumnae on staff is a testament to the Curry College experience. I am very lucky to mentor these young women as they are eager to continue the momentum they have created in the CCC.
Devon McKay is in her second year with the program and not only does she bring her organization skills, nutritional and recovery knowledge, but she cares in investing in each and every player in their well-being. Additionally, I am joined by two new coaches Beca DoCarmo and Kevin Froling. Beca's positive energy is contagious and she brings her knowledge of technical player development from her experience developing players at the club level. Kevin brings his expertise in game and statistical analysis.
As the new head coach of the program, I am very well-supported by young, passionate and knowledgeable coaches. The team is not only talented but a tight-knit group of hardworking young women. I am proud to call Curry College my new home and I believe we have all of the puzzle pieces to continue this program's momentum in a positive direction to surprise the CCC.
Curry opens up the 2018 season on Friday, August 31 at home against Rhode Island College at 3:00 p.m.
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