With a convincing 5-0 defeat of GCSU, a tie against the Bulldogs in Athens, and a strong 2010 recruiting class, the women’s soccer team has high hopes going into the regular season this fall.
The Panthers won their third game of the exhibition season against the Bobcats on March 31 in Conyers, Ga. Apryl Goodwin and Stephanie Cuccia contributed two goals and Carly Lafferty scored another.
“It was a very good win for us and a good opportunity for us to work on some things,” said head coach Domenic Martelli. “We had a chance to get some good minutes for everybody.”
The team tied 0-0 April 16 with UGA on a road game in Athens. It was the Panthers’ final game on the road for the season. Heidi Blankenship and Kellianne Collins worked together to create scoring opportunities, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The Bulldogs have proven to be tough to beat, as this was the Panthers’ most successful game against UGA since 2004, which resulted in a 1-1 tie.
“Bennett had a great chance, but it just got away from us a little bit,” said Martelli. “In the second half we did a good job regrouping and setting the tone. We had a good first half, but the girls saw how we could improve. We had a couple of half chances, and they had a couple that didn’t go, but it was a great result against a tough team for us. We’re young and improving, it was a good, even match.”
The team can also look forward to starting with a promising recruiting class. The Panthers have signed five new players beginning fall 2010. The signees include Jewel Evans, Alyssia Feronti, Lyndsey Gaffney, Caroline Howatt, and Briane Pitre.
Alyssia Feronti of Melbourne, Fl. is a four-year varsity starter at Melbourne High School, who’s team was named state champions in both 2009 and 2010 and ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN and NSCAA. Feronti played club soccer for U18 Space Coast U.S. Cup team, the state’s top-ranked team. Feronti also played volleyball for her high school team.
Lyndsey Gaffney is a four-year varsity starter from Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, Ga. She was the leading scorer with 21 goals and 14 assists from 2008 to 2009, and was named to the 2009 All-County team. Aside from high school matches, Gaffney also played soccer with the Atlanta Fire United ’92 elite team, who were named 2008 State Champions. She also played for the 2008 Atlanta Cup champions in the U17 Cup Division. When Gaffney is not on the soccer field, she is busy volunteering with the Special Olympics, children’s soccer camps, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and her church’s food bank.
Caroline Howatt of Roswell, Ga. is an early graduate of Roswell High School. She began taking courses at Georgia State in spring 2010 and will begin practicing with the women’s soccer team in the coming weeks to play in the fall. Howatt played for the 2009 Georgia State and Region III Premier League champions, the GSA 92 Phoenix Red. She also played one age group ahead on the NASA 09 Elite team, who won the 2008 Georgia State Cup. Howatt was a member of the Georgia ODP program ’92 team from 2004 to 2008.
Briane Pitre is a defender from Round Rock , Texas. She is a four-year varsity letterwinner at Round Rock High School. She played club soccer for Lonestar Soccer Club in Austin, Teas, who won the club state championship in 2005 and were state runners-up in 2008 and 2009. She was an All-district selection in 2006 and 2009 and an All-tournament honoree in 2009. Pitre was also a member of the Round Rock High School Orchestra, the Wells Branch Armada summer league swim team, and served as an athletic trainer.
Martelli is enthused about the class playing this fall.
“We’re adding some very talented players that have already had success on the high school and club levels,” he said. “These five players have combined for a number of championships on the club level, and we’re happy to add them to our team.”
Women’s soccer looking forward to 2010 season, bolsters squad with recruits
Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 19:04
 "Photo: N/A")
Emily Dover led all freshman with 10 shots on goal.
Be the first to comment on this article!