Women's Soccer Welcomes Back Eight Starters From Record Tying Campaign, Looks To Continue To Make Strides This Fall
The Massachusetts Maritime women’s soccer team continued to make great strides last fall, as the Buccaneers tied the school single-season record for victories while garnering conference, regional and national accolades along the way. Head Coach Ray Cabral is looking for that upward trend to continue this season in his sixth campaign at the helm, as the veteran mentor welcomes back nine letterwinners and eight starters to the fold in 2016.
Solid leadership has been one of the program’s staples since its varsity inception in 2008, and Cabral will look for that tradition to continue this fall with seniors Aoife Callinan (West Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) and Kianna Carpenter (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) returning as Massachusetts Maritime’s co-captains for a second straight season. Cabral says that “the leadership by example that Aoife and Kianna have demonstrated throughout their tenure in the program has provided an intangible quality that will be a key to our upcoming season. They have set a high standard and expectation for excellence, and I know that they will continue to set those examples for their teammates both on and off the field.”
Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2016 edition of Buccaneer Women’s Soccer:
FORWARD. Sophomore Madison Taylor (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) led Massachusetts Maritime in scoring during her rookie collegiate campaign with seven goals and an assist for 15 points a year ago, while Callinan (five goals, three assists) and junior Stephanie Hunt (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield – six goals, one assist) each followed with 13 points. Freshmen Melissa Cochrane (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and Cammi Balentine (Haverhill, Mass./Pentucket Regional) will also look to contribute up front for the Buccaneers this fall.
MIDFIELD. Seniors Mackenzie Wilson (Plymouth, Mass./Notre Dame Hingham) and Ashley Solari (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) lead the way in the middle for Cabral’s crew, as the tandem combined for a goal and five assists in 2015. Sophomore Brittany Munson (Tolland, Mass./Southwick-Tolland) also chipped in with a marker and helper in 14 starts, while freshmen Jessica Baldassini (Middleboro, Mass./Middleboro), Emma McNally (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) and Brantley Collins (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) will be vying for time in Massachusetts Maritime’s midfield mix.
BACK. Carpenter leads an experienced Buccaneer defensive backfield that also includes junior Nicole Moquin (Middleboro, Mass./Bristol-Plymouth) and sophomore Rachel Gardner (Bourne, Mass./Sturgis West), as the trio combined for 29 starts in 2015. Junior Brianna Pingree (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee), along with freshmen Jaylene Austin (Foerstdale, Mass./Upper Cape Tech), Sheena Korzec (Hardwick, Mass./Quabbin Regional) and Abby Buker (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), will provide additional depth on defense for Massachusetts Maritime this fall.
GOAL. Cabral will look to freshman Sara Coffey (Norton, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy) to provide the last line of defense for his squad in 2016, as she takes over for four-time all-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference and three-time all-regional honoree Katie Levesque, who holds every school goalkeeping record as the most decorated performer in program history.
SCHEDULE. The Buccaneers will tackle a 16-match slate this season, including home non-league contests with Anna Maria, Bay Path and Suffolk as well as MASCAC matches with Worcester State, Salem State, Framingham State and Westfield State at Clean Harbors Stadium. Cabral’s crew hits the road for non-conference clashes with Becker, Daniel Webster, SUNY-Maritime, Wheelock, Fisher and Pine Manor while also tangling with Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State and MCLA away from the Cape.
Massachusetts Maritime begins the new season on Thursday, September 1st by heading to Leicester, Mass. to take on Becker in a non-league clash that kicks off at 4:00 p.m. EDT.