Women's soccer kicks-off strong

The Norwich women's soccer team started its season off on "the right foot" by beating Johnson State College 3-2 for the fourth straight year, according to the Norwich athletics website.

The Cadets looked to its upperclassmen for scoring. Two sophomores, Baylie Lamarre and Grace Fitzpatrick, scored the first two goals for the Cadets, and junior Bianca Bogda scored the game-winning goal.

After a scoreless first half, the Cadets caught a break, as midfielder Lamarre grabbed a loose ball and kicked it into the net, giving the Cadets a 1-0 lead. The game was tied back up within 19 minutes. However, Fitzpatrick answered back with a goal to get the Cadets back ahead.

"Being their first game, the freshmen contributed well, and held their ground," said Captain Kacey Abbriano, a 21-year-old  senior physical education major from Hicksville, N.Y.

"I played a little rusty for my first game back," said Bogda, a 21-year-old junior biology major from Cranston, R.I.

Bogda's game-winning goal came when she received a corner kick from Captain Brittany Casey. "By the end of the game we were all playing well," Bogda added.

The Cadets look to Casey to be the same explosive player she was last year. "She was our leading scorer last year," said Head Coach Beth Van Parys.

The team has a lot of experience this year. There are 15 returners on the roster, and six of them are seniors.

"It is still a learning process with the new players, but we still managed to get the win," Van Parys said. "We want to improve on our first half performance and possession combinations."

Some of the new faces on the team are Alex Frank, from Medford, N.J.; Katie Bages, from Glendora, N.J.; Morgan Lamorey, from Northfield, Vt.; Shelby Descoteax, from Hudson, N.H.; and Hannah Magee from Woburn, Mass.

Practice seems to be intense with the efforts given by the freshmen. "We will give the freshmen a chance to make an impact on the team," Van Parys said. "It will only show as we progress through the season."

According to sophomore Lamarre, "Everyone in practice works very hard and we push ourselves to the limit." Lamarre, 19, a nursing major from Tyngsboro, Mass., said. "We are determined to make it back to the GNAC finals."

The team's bond off the field is "better than ever," said Casey, 21, a junior criminal justice major. According to Casey, the team eats together after every practice and tries to keep a tight relationship.

The team volunteered to help Northfield flood victims from Tropical Storm Irene. Players helped owners clean out their homes as much as they could.

"We would scoop out mud and dirt and wash dishes," said Lisa Esparza, 20, a junior athletic training major from Dover, N.H. "There is a lot of repair that is needed for these houses."

Following the win against Johnson State, the Cadets picked up five more wins against Colby-Sawyer, Emmanuel (Mass.), Pine Manor, Emerson and Anna Maria. But the Cadets fell to Lasell and tied against Saint Joseph's (Maine), making their overall record 6-1-1 and their conference record 4-1-1.

Upcoming games the Cadets have scheduled are at Johnson and Wales (RI) on Oct. 8, and at home against Mount Ida on Oct 10.