For just the third time in school history, the Roanoke College women's soccer program reached the NCAA DIII Tournament in 2011. In 2012, Coach Phil Benne looks to take his squad back to the dance as they take on a very competitive field.

“There are over 400 NCAA DIII schools, thus even making the tournament is extremely difficult,” Benne said, “however, our strong non-conference schedule, along with solid opponents within our own conference will give us the opportunity to extend our season for the fourth time.”

The Roanoke College women's soccer team finished the 2011 season with a record of 14-5-2, advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Maroons fell in their first round game, 8-7 in penalty kicks to Centre College of Danville, KY.

For the Roanoke coaching staff, comprised of Benne and assistant coaches Esteban Martinez and Russell Dishman, success will be measured in a variety of ways.

“Success will be measured in more than just wins/losses,” Martinez started, “how well the girls mesh and accept their roles will be important. Staying healthy and the overall journey of competing in college athletics will be some of the “parts” we will consider in evaluating our season.”

Helping the Maroons reach those goals will be a strong returning squad. Returning at midfield will be First Team All-ODAC and VaSID selection, Carmen Graves. The speedy senior could also see some time at forward after scoring eight goals and four assists in 2011. Joining the track All-American will be seniors Stephanie Parenteau and Candace Connolly who will add depth to the midfield, along with junior Genevieve McManus.

Up front, seniors Cindy Suttora and Rebekah Adams return to forward and combined for 12 goals and four assists in the 2011 campaign. Also returning in the forward position are Kara Kapell, Devon Harrell and Sara Valero, who give the team added pace and aggressiveness. The trio totaled six goals and four assists last year.

At the defensive end, Maya Kantor, two-time First Team All-ODAC and All-Region, along with seniors Maggie Dent and Jordan May will add experience and leadership to the back line. Sophomores Sara Dorrance and Pierce Bradner, and junior Brianna Quintilliani will also return on defense for the Maroons. Sophomore Carolyn Sarbacher will return to her place in goal this season. Sarbacher appeared in 17 games and had 10 shutouts last year. Also seeing time in goal for the Maroons will be Kristyn Brogan and Lauren Fischelis.

The experience that this team has gained from going to the NCAA DIII Tournament is something that they will be able to pass on to their incoming freshman class.

“The added depth provided by our freshman class will certainly help given we are scheduled to compete against five teams (Lynchburg, Emory, Va. Wesleyan, Rowan, and Shenandoah) who competed in the NCAA tournament last year,” stated Martinez.

The incoming class is comprised of student athletes from seven states who are capable of making an immediate impact. Many of them play multiple positions and will compete for starting roles and/or significant minutes.

“In addition to their soccer skills, the incoming class is full of great students and leaders from their respective schools,” Martinez added.

The Maroons open the 2012 season with four invitational games against teams that had a combined record of 49-21-5. Roanoke will meet Fredonia State University and Maryville College in the Roanoke Invitational Tournament on August 31^st and Septmber 1^st. The next weekend, the Maroons will face Averett University and Kenyon College in the Lynchburg College Shellenberger Classic. After the opening tournaments, the Maroons move straight in to ODAC play against Guilford College on September 9^th.

The women's soccer team had a taste of the NCAA Tournament last season, and that is the same experience that the team is looking to compete for in 2012.

"Our expectations are to compete at the highest level and position ourselves to win the conference tournament and compete in the NCAA tournament."

The Maroons will play Fredonia State University on August 31st at Kerr Stadium. The contest is scheduled for a 5:00 PM start.

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