The first season for the women's varsity soccer team is well under way. The team is being led by Coach Stephanie Carlson. A native of Worcester, Carlson hopes to build this newborn varsity team into a force to be reckoned with in the New 8 Conference. Her main focus this year has been to improve both ball-handling skills and fitness level in the players. Using her previous experience as an assistant coach at Holy Cross, she hopes to build a strong foundation for future years of success.
She is assisted this year by Cathy Alexander and senior Donald Goff. Cathy brings to the team a strong background in goalkeeping skills. Don, who helped coach the women's club team last year to a winning record, contributes his knowledge of the players.
The team is led by captains Elaine Mongeon ('96) and junior Laura Bielitz. The rest of the starting lineup includes a mix of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, all of whom bring a good deal of skill to the squad. The bench is deep and provides a strong backup and pool of talent.
Although the Lady Engineers are off to a slow start, their skills at playing together as a team are steadily improving. The loss versus Nichols College was highlighted by a beautiful display of soccer. Although the loss was hard to bear, the intensity and the level of play were well worth the time spent watching the game. These skills can only improve as the season progresses. Hopefully, with Coach Carlson at the helm, the women's inaugural season will end in a positive fashion. The team has yet to play any New 8 teams, so tournament play at the end of the season is still wide open. Until that time, come down to watch and support the newest varsity team here at WPI. The next home game is versus MIT, September 30 at 6 pm. Hope to see you at Alumni Field.
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