BEREA, OHIO -- The 2008 edition of the Baldwin-Wallace College women's soccer team will look to secure its fifth straight season of double-digit victories and win its first Ohio Athletic Conference title under the direction of Head Coach Reid Ayers.
Last season, the Yellow Jackets finished 11-6-3 overall, including a 5-1-3 mark in the OAC. This season, Ayers is expecting his team to be even better and the goal is to win an OAC title. He returns seven starters and 13 letterwinners who are extremely talented, and more importantly, determined to win a conference crown.
Despite the returning starters and letterwinners, the goalkeeper position remains as the one big question mark that Ayers will have to address in camp. B-W lost four-year starter and two-time OAC Goalkeeper of the YearMichelle Neff to graduation.
Ayers returns three of his top defenders from last year, including junior All-OAC player Stephanie Geiger (Berea). Although Geiger's main responsibility will be to organize the defense and help the new goalie keep the ball out of the net, she also has shown the ability to help create offensive opportunities as evidenced by her two goals and one assist in 2007. Joining Geiger on defense will be sophomore Caitlin Sutter (Toledo/ Sylvania Southview) and junior Tyler Fridley (Niles/ McKinley). Both gained valuable experience as starters last season.
On offense, Ayers can rely on the one-two scoring punch of senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC midfielder Allie Wojtkun (North Olmsted/ Magnificat) and sophomore All-OAC forward Linsey Clapacs (Willoughby Hills/ South). Clapacs had eight goals and four assists to lead the team in scoring with 20 points and Wojtkun delivered seven goals and four assists for 18 points.
In the midfield, look for Ayers to rely on sophomore Jess Poiner (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) and senior Maddy Davis (Hudson). Both are back to stabilize the center of the park and create scoring opportunites for Wojtkun and Clapacs. Poiner had two goals and two assists and Davis had a pair of assists and is an outstanding team leader.
B-W opens its 2008 season on August 30-31 at the Penn-State Behrend Tournament in Erie, Pennsylvania. The home opener on the newly installed FieldTurf surface at Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea will be on September 13 against Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve Univeristy at 4:30 p.m. B-W begins OAC play with an October 4 date at Mount Union College in Alliance at 1:00 p.m.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail atkruple@bw.edu or Asst. SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.
