Women's Soccer Eyes CUNYAC Championship Berth in Year Two
The Brooklyn College Women's Soccer team will look to improve upon its 6-7-1 overall record and 2-4 mark in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) from its inaugural season, as the Bulldogs enter their second season of play.
Head Coach Patrick Horne returns nine players from last season's squad, to go along with 14 newcomers, as BC will look to compete for a spot in the CUNYAC Championships, which will be hosted by Brooklyn College this season.
The key returners for Coach Horne include Shani Abrahams, the reigning CUNYAC Rookie of the Year, and CUNYAC All-Stars Sayla Flores (First Team), Shani Nakhid-Schuster (Second Team) and Janet Rodriguez (Second Team).
Abrahams started in all 14 games on the year tallying a team-best 11 goals (one game winning goal), to go along with an assist for 23 points on the year. She had a streak of six straight games with at least one goal during the season.
Flores also started in all 14 games, while registering five goals (two game winning goals) and three assists for 13 points on the year. Nakid-Schuster started in all 14 games, scoring three goals (one game-winner) to go with three assists for nine points; while Rodriguez appeared in 13 games on the year, while making 12 starts helping to anchor the BC defense that totaled six shutouts on the year.
Goalkeeper Karolina Gorna also returns after appearing in eight games, making seven starts, posting a 5-3 record with two shutouts.
To go with his strong nucleus of returners, Coach Horne has brought in a plethora of newcomers to continue to build a solid foundation for a strong program.
A few of the key newcomers include transfers Bergelie Louis, Elyzaveta Paradna, Stephany Ibarra, Natalie Calixto and freshmen Jordan Kerwin, Jasmine Fermin, Leslie Gomez, Kimberly Chacko and Sangam Gurung.
Louis comes to BC from CUNYAC foe John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she was a two-year member of the Women's Soccer team. While at John Jay, Louis was named the 2011 CUNYAC Rookie of the Year, after tallying eight goals and an assist for 17 points, and a 2012 CUNYAC First Team All-Star after recording 11 goals and an assist for 23 points.
Similar to Louis, Paradna also comes to Brooklyn from a conference rival after playing a season at the City College of New York, the reigning CUNYAC champions. While at CCNY, Paradna appeared in 13 games, while making one start, to go with a goal and an assist for three points.
Ibarra comes to the Bulldogs from SUNY Canton, where she played one season, appearing in 14 games and making 12 starts, to go with a goal (game-winner) and an assist for three points. Calixto is another key transfer, coming from Borough of Manhattan Community College, and will add immediate collegiate playing experience to the BC roster.
Kerwin is a freshman who comes from LeRoy High School in LeRoy, New York, where she was a four-year member of the girls varsity soccer team and a two-time LCAA All-Star. Fermin and Gomez are also first year players from nearby James Madison High School, where Fermin was a three-year member of the girls varsity soccer team and Gomez was a two-year member of the girls varsity soccer team. Both players helped lead Madison to the PSAL B Divison runner-up finish in 2011. Chacko, who will compete for playing time in goal, comes to Brooklyn from St. Francis Prep and has played competitive travel soccer with the Little Neck and Manhattan Soccer Clubs. Gurung played two seasons on the girls varsity soccer team at John Dewey High School.
"We are going in the right direction, building a solid foundation for a successful program," said Coach Horne. "The new recruits will make immediate contributions, which make us a much improved team from last year and a strong challenge for the CUNYAC championship."
The Bulldogs will kick off their 2013 season at home on Tuesday, September 3rd against Sarah Lawrence College. The match is scheduled for a 6:00 pm start at Brooklyn College Field.
