Women's soccer team emphasizes consistency

While heading into the 2010 season, the women's soccer team is expected to stay focused on its game through team camaraderie and upperclassmen leadership, while excelling in the classroom, according to the Norwich head coach.

The second-year head coach, Beth Van Parys, went to Alleghany College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology, and in 2009 received her master's degree from Wagner College in adolescent education. She played soccer in college as well as serving as team captain for women's basketball.

"They're different ways to contribute and every year my freshmen will contribute with starting positions or off the bench positions or supporting roles in other ways, so they will have an impact on the team," Van Parys said.

Van Parys spoke about the student-athletes' abilities on and off the field and how each player was going to play a role throughout the season. The women's soccer team ended regular season play with an 8-10 record last year and barely squeaked into the playoffs before losing to the number-one seed, St. Josephs College (Maine).

 This year Van Parys is focusing on consistency, making sure that the team can play well together and ensuring that everyone is contributing in some way. She spoke about how the student's priorities were in the class room and then on the practice field.

"They are student-athletes not athlete-students; the reason why they are here is to do well in school," Van Parys said. "Come out every day and work as hard as they can on and off the field."

A freshman player stand out, Baylie Lamarre from Tyngsboro, Ma., has pushed her game to the next level while some of the upperclassman are out with injuries.

Kacey Abbriano, 20, a junior physical education major from Hicksville, N.Y., said team camaraderie on and off the field is important to the team. In order to win the seniors must step up their game; they also must help ensure the freshmen's ability on the field, she said. "Stay tough and put the goals in the back of the net," she said.

Karissa Doyon, 21-years-old, a senior, double majoring in criminal justice and sociology from Beech Falls, Vt., spoke about how one of her goals this season is to make the playoffs and maybe even win the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).

According to Doyon, a lot of the teams are neck and neck with each other so the games are usually very competitive.

"Most of the teams in the GNAC are equal, you can play 90 minutes and be scoreless or you can play 90 minutes and you're tied up, it's so competitive," Doyon said.

Anthony Mariano, N.U. athletic director, said the women's soccer team was in an independent league for a number of years and gradually moved into the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, which he said is not only great for women's soccer but great for all of the other athletic teams.

The conference gives teams an opportunity to have regular season competition with similar opponents and also gives the teams a chance to buy for the playoffs and get NCAA playoff berth.

Mariano praised Van Parys.

"Coming in as a first-year coach is always difficult simply because you don't know the players, you may be bringing in a new system and there are adjustments to be made, you're looking at players probably a little bit different than the former coach looked at players so there is all those dynamics that happen and I think she handled it well," Mariano said.

Mariano believes that the women's soccer team has a chance to make it to playoffs and even bid for the title.