2010 Schedule | 2010 Roster
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The dress rehearsals are over and now it's time to put the pads on for real as Nazareth opens its 2010 women's soccer season today with a non-conference home game against Buffalo State at 5 p.m. The game will be web cast and can be followed through Live Stats.

"I believe that we have the ingredients to be better," said Nazareth Coach Gail Mann, who begins her 18th season with 212 career victories. "Everyone did what they were supposed to do over the summer, so I'm encouraged by what I've seen in pre-season."

The Golden Flyers finished 11-7-1 in 2009 for their 16th straight winning season and the 14th time in the past 15 seasons in which they've amassed double-digit wins. Nazareth finished 6-2 in Empire 8 Conference play and fell to Ithaca in the E8 title match.

"We just want to play well enough to give ourselves a chance to make the NCAAs at the end," said Mann, whose teams have made eight NCAA appearances.

The Golden Flyers' lineup features a pair of first-team all-conference players in senior forward Erica Conte and senior goalie Hillary Simon. Conte led the Golden Flyers in scoring last season with 20 points on eight goals and four assists, while Simon stymied the opposition to the tune of a 1.10 goals-against average and four shutouts.

Senior Kara Eaker, a second-team all-conference pick in 2009, is the team's most experienced defender and provides back-line stability along with steady sophomore Amanda Sudore. Senior midfielder Meagan Rivera also has been a fixture in the Golden Flyers' starting lineup the past two seasons as have juniors Kaylee Benz, Kerry Gannon, Jessica Jones and Kelly Kuhn. Junior Deborah Towle also played regularly for the Golden Flyers in '09 and earned second-team all-conference honors as a defender. She, however, suffered a knee injury late in the season and will likely be out until mid-September.

The Golden Flyers will look to several players to provide assistance for Conte on offense. Sophomore Christine Belding had three goals and two assists last season and should help out along with sophomores Sarah Eichelberger and Katie Wyant. Eichelberger enjoyed a strong first season as an outside midfielder and contributed three goals and one assist. Wyant, a forward, missed all of last season with an injury, but is back at full strength and is equipped with speed and athleticism to ably complement Conte. Seniors Meghan Finn and Rachel Piemonte should also help.

Newcomers include midfielders Kaile Bushey, Sarah Cipperly, Anne Czelusniak and Julia Teran Pulford and defenders Olivia Derleth and Erica Rayworth. Rounding out the roster are sophomores Sarah Baluta, Kassandra Prutsman, Emily Slentz and Emily Van Gorder; junior Chelsea Rinere, senior Shaughna Szymanski and freshman keeper Bethany Novak.

The Golden Flyers have a big weekend ahead as they host 16th-ranked William Smith (14-3-3 last season) and 10th-ranked Otterbein (20-2-1) in consecutive games as part of the Nazareth Tournament. On Saturday, Colby Sawyer and Otterbein play at 11 a.m., followed by Nazareth and William Smith at 2 p.m. Colby Sawyer plays William Smith Sunday at 12 p.m., followed by Nazareth and Otterbein at 2:30 p.m.

On Sept. 11, Nazareth hosts Brockport in the "Golden Challenge" game -- as in Golden Flyers vs. Golden Eagles. Nazareth will wear special pink jerseys and Brockport will wear black jerseys with pink numbers to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. All money raised, through admission, t-shirt sales and concessions, will be donated to the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.