The fall season is upon us, and in women’s soccer, it is a season of dramatic changes.
Change is exactly what returning Stags’ players are looking forward to. The Stags are eager to prove to opponents that there will not be a repeat of last season’s record.
Last year’s 5-13-1 finish was marred by the resignation of Maria Piechocki, who coached Fairfield teams to a 96-56-10 overall record during her eight-year stay.
The coaching void has been filled by Jim O’Brien, who becomes only the fourth coach in the 13 years of women’s soccer at Fairfield.
O’Brien, who began his collegiate women’s soccer coaching career at neighboring Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, brings along an outstanding coaching record of 105-56-8 over nine years with the school.
O’Brien said he is very positive and confident in his prediction of the upcoming season and his new teams’ ability.
“There’s no doubt that this team has the tools to be successful,” he said. “We have a young and talented core of returning players as well as a very athletic and competitive group…to get this program to where we want it to go.”
O’Brien said he is especially pleased with the positive attitude he said he has been getting from everyone on the team.
The MAAC pre-season polls predict Fairfield to finish fourth. The Stags were near the bottom of the MAAC standings at week’s end with a 0-1 in-conference record (2-3-1 overall).
The MAAC loss to Iona College this past Sunday was a tough one for Fairfield. The red-hot Gaels are 4-0 in as many games, with the last three being shutout wins. The Stags produced chances to score, but failed to capitalize on their attempts.
Post-game limping and bags of ice served as evidence that the women gave it their all; fatigue was most likely the determining factor in the lopsided loss. The Stags had battled their way to a 1-1 tie at Boson University just 36 hours earlier.
Fortunately for the Stags, most of their tougher MAAC matches and deep-seeded rivalries against teams like Loyola and Yale will be played on home turf this season. O’Brien said he’s sure his team will be tough competitors in every game, and reinforced that the most important games will be fought within the conference.
Leading the team so far with decisive game winning goals are Janna Breitenwischer ’08 and Shannon Helm ’06.
Last year, Breitenwischer lead the Stags in every offensive category and will be called upon to duplicate her duties again this year. Breitenwischer said she feels she hasn’t been playing “up to par,” but in her defense, she’s been alternating positions early in the year, attempting to find where she’ll be most effective.
But despite self-doubts of her performance so far, she is positive and confident that the team will be “better than last year”.
In goal, Brett Maron ’06 is standing her ground and displaying why she earned All-MAAC honors in 2004 and a 2005 pre-season All-MAAC team selection, with back-to-back shutouts against the University of Hartford and a rough Maine Black Bears team. Maron has had her work cut out for her, as Fairfield was drastically out-shot by opponents in four of its first six outings.
“I feel that we might possibly have the top goaltender in Division I women’s soccer,” O’Brien said of Maron. “She’s solid and gives us a chance to win every game.”
The Stags’ tri-captains, Megan Mones ’06, Betsy Nyman ’07 and Laura Mrowka ’07 will deliver this season’s team leadership on and off the field.
Mones’ ability to excel at numerous positions makes her one of the most versatile players on the roster, while Nyman’s experience from 38 collegiate starts will no doubt be a fine example for the up-and-coming younger players.
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