Coming off its best season in three short years as a varsity program, the Massachusetts Maritime women’s soccer team will have a new look in 2011, and that starts at the top with newly appointed Head Coach Ray Cabral, who brings over two decades of experience and great success in leading both the men’s and women’s programs at UMass Dartmouth.  Cabral, who guided the Corsair women’s squad to the 1994 NCAA Division III national championship match, welcomes back nine letterwinners and eight starters to the fold from a three-victory campaign in 2010.

Cabral will look to three Buccaneer seniors to help lead the way in his first season in Buzzards Bay, as he has tabbed Kerri Conway (West Springfield, Mass./West Springfield), Colleen Fissette (Dracut, Mass./Dracut) and Nicole Newell (Plymouth, Mass./Sacred Heart) as tri-captains for the coming year.  Cabral describes the trio as “extremely loyal to the continued growth and development of this program.  In my short time here, they have all demonstrated tremendous work ethic and dedication, and their positive energy will help us grow and be successful.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2011 edition of Buccaneer Women’s Soccer:

FORWARD.  Senior Vanessa DiDomenico (Wrentham, Mass./King Philip) returns up front after netting a pair of goals in 14 appearances (12 starts) for Massachusetts Maritime a year ago, while junior Shelagh Hogan (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) lends additional experience after appearing in nine matches as a sophomore.  Freshman Laura Marin (West Yarmouth, Mass./Cape Cod Tech) will look to contribute as well at the forward position during her rookie campaign.

MIDFIELD.  Cabral has great depth of returning experience in the middle, led by sophomore Lauren Salem (Westfield, Mass./Westfield), who emerged as the Buccaneers’ leading scorer as a freshman with four markers and five assists for 13 points.  Fellow sophomore Jaclyn Labrecque (Sutton, Mass./Sutton) also enjoyed a solid rookie season with four goals in 13 matches, while Conway returned after a year’s hiatus to net a pair of goals in 12 contests.  Freshmen Marian McGrath (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and Jillian Petrarca (Manutuck, R.I./South Kingstown) will also be vying for spots in the midfield for Massachusetts Maritime during their inaugural seasons this fall.

BACK.  Newell and Fissette give Cabral valuable experience in the Buccaneer backfield, as Newell ranked third on the team in scoring with three goals and three assists for nine points in alternating between the midfield and back positions in 2010.  Fissette has proven to be a versatile performer throughout her career, playing both the sweeper and goalkeeper positions, as she started all 14 contests last fall, while sophomore Crystal Sherman (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) gained valuable experience as a  starter in her rookie season by also starting in all 14 matches for Massachusetts Maritime. 

GOALKEEPER.  Junior Kim Courcy (Warwick, R.I./Warwick) provides a solid last line of defense for the Buccaneers, as she made 43 saves in three starts a year ago and has alternated in several spots on the field during the course of her career.  Freshmen Amanda Price (Dennis, Mass./Cape Cod Tech) and Emilie Conway (Middleboro, Mass./Bristol-Plymouth) will also battle for time in the Buccaneer cage, as both enjoyed impressive high school careers.

Massachusetts Maritime begins the Ray Cabral era on Wednesday, September 7^th when the Buccaneers host Becker in a non-league match at Clean Harbors Stadium that begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT.