St. John's University Athletics
Women's Soccer Opens Season Friday Night At Belson Stadium
8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2008
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's soccer team will open up its highly anticipated 2008 campaign when it takes the field against Fairfield at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Belson Stadium.
• The game will feature live streaming video and audio by purchasing StormTracker All-Access on www.REDSTORMSPORTS.com. There will also be live stats featured on the Web site, which can be accessed for free.
• The contest between St. John's and Fairfield marks the sixth meeting all-time between the clubs. The Red Storm holds the edge in the all-time series with a 3-1-1 slate. The last time the two teams faced each other resulted in a double overtime 1-1 tie on Sept. 5, 2006 in Fairfield, Conn.
• After posting an unbeaten 1-0-1 record in preseason action, the Red Storm will look to continue its winning ways en route to posting its ninth season-opening win. In 21 seasons, St. John's has posted an 8-11-2 slate in its season opening games, including a 5-5-0 mark at home.
A Glimpse At Fairfield
• The Stags are coming off of an 11-7-3 2007 campaign, and its win total marked the most in a single season since the 2001 team earned 13 victories. Fairfield ranked 31st in the nation in 2007 with a 2.05 goals-per-game average. The team tallied 43 goals in its 21 games. The Stags return 65 percent of that offense, including 60.5 percent of the goals and 75 percent of the team's assists. Returning to the team this season is the Stags' leading point scorer (30) and assist leader (16) Nicole Cavallaro and the team's leading goal scorer (11) Casey Frobey.
2008 Red Storm Preview
• The 2008 edition of the St. John's women's soccer team features a total of 18 upperclassmen - three seniors and 15 juniors. This year's team is one of the most experienced squads to take the field under head coach Ian Stone and the Red Storm's seasoned players are prepared for the challenge of the BIG EAST Conference while looking for their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
• The team welcomes a rookie class of six talented freshmen, who will be able to gain valuable experience and cultivate their skills under the leadership of the veteran players and coaching staff.
Exhibition Review
• The Red Storm closed out exhibition action with a 1-1 tie of Hofstra on Aug. 18 in Hempstead, N.Y. The Pride took the early lead when Diane Caldwell fired a shot to the left side of the net, which just got by freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Hall to put Hofstra in front in the 12th minute of play.
• The Red Storm had some scoring chances, but the Pride's defense played well to maintain their lead. After a scoreless second period, St. John's Brittany Cavarra fed the ball to Kelly McConnell, who ripped a shot. Hofstra's goalie came out of the net to make the save, but Amanda Pasciolla got the deflection and found the back of the net to even the score in the 72nd minute. No overtime was played in the exhibition contest.
• St. John's opened up exhibition action with a 1-0 victory over New Hampshire at Lewis Fields on Aug. 14. The Red Storm did not waste any time getting on the board to take the early lead. After a Nicole Pasciolla corner kick was almost cleared by the Wildcats, Cavarra kept the ball in the zone and put it in front of the goal for Tatiana Duggan, who kicked it past the keeper in the 13th minute.
• Offensively, St. John's had a solid outing, as Kelly McConnell led the way with four shots and Jessica Simonetti fired three. On the defensive end, the line preserved the shutout and limited UNH's scoring chances. In goal, freshmen Brittany Cocozza and Hall split duties and combined for the shutout. Cocozza led the way with six saves.
St. John's Picked To Finish Fourth In The BIG EAST
• St. John's was picked to finish fourth in the American Division in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office on Aug. 13. The 16 head coaches vote on the preseason poll, but are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
• West Virginia was picked No. 1 in the American Division with 114 points and nine first-place votes, and Connecticut was a close second with 111 points and seven first-place votes. Marquette was third with 90 points, and the Red Storm earned fourth with 77 points. In the National Division, Notre Dame received 15 first-place votes to earn the maximum 120 points and rank No. 1. Louisville was picked second with 96 points, and Georgetown edged Rutgers by one point for third place with 87 points.
A Look Back To 2007
• The St. John's women's soccer team had another successful season in 2007, finishing the year with an 11-5-3 slate to mark the program's 10th winning season and the ninth under head coach Ian Stone. The Red Storm went on to finish with a 6-5 league slate en route to the team's sixth BIG EAST Conference Tournament appearance in seven years.
• The 2007 edition of the women's soccer team etched its name in the record books in two categories. The Red Storm's six BIG EAST wins broke the previous total of five set in 2006. In addition, the squad posted eight home victories, surpassing the previous number of seven set in 1992 and 1994.
