Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Tues., Nov. 8, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Women's Soccer

Devils seek post-season redemption in ECAC tourney

FREDONIA , N.Y. -- The Fredonia State women’s soccer team has re-set its sights on another post-season prize as it vies for the ECAC Upstate Tournament title starting Wednesday afternoon vs. New Paltz.

Game time is 1 p.m. at New Paltz with the winner advancing to face host Nazareth College at 11 a.m. Saturday in one semifinal. Teams from Medaille, Geneseo, and Utica College will compete in the opposite side of the six-team bracket. The championship game is noon Sunday at Nazareth.

The Blue Devils (10-6-4) were 2-1 winners over when they traveled to New Paltz earlier this season (Sept. 16) for a regular-season SUNYAC game.

“New Paltz is always a tough test, especially on the road,” Fredonia State head coach Chris Case said. “If we want to win, we will have to play well. The one thing that worries me is that beating a team the second time around is always tougher.”

The Blue Devils are coming off one of their finest season in Case's four years as head coach. The team established a school record for conference wins in a season (6-3-1 SUNYAC), had a player become the all-time leader in points and goals, won a SUNYAC Tournament game for the first time, and had five players chosen to the all-conference team, their most ever.

Meanwhile, the Hawks (10-6-2) have one all-conference player – freshman midfielder Jennifer Anselmi, a Second Team pick.

“This is the best team that I have coached since I have been here,” Case said of the Blue Devils. “It is arguably the best team in the school's history in women's soccer.

“This year has just been so much fun as a coach. A lot of that comes from the players on the team as well as my much more relaxed approach this year. I can't say enough about the players’ work ethic and determination that they showed throughout the year for themselves and their coaches.”

Case said advancing to the SUNYAC semifinals would go down as the highlight of the season, so far. It was made possible when forward Jessica Weiser (Rochester/Greece Athena) scored the overtime goal to defeat Plattsburgh, 2-1.

“I think (Weiser’s goal was) the most exciting moment for me this year,” he said. “That goal sent us to the conference final four for the first time ever. It was so important to me to make sure that our six seniors, my first recruiting class, experienced the weekend play of the conference tournament.

“It was our goal from Day 1 of preseason to make it there and we did.”

Weiser is one of those seniors, and the goal vs. Plattsburgh added to her all-time totals for points (74) and goals (30), school records she set earlier this season. Her high school teammate, midfielder Anita Salinas (Rochester/Greece Athena), and Jamie Pricola (Brockport/Brockport), have career totals of 13 goals each and 38 and 34 points, respectively, figures that place them among Fredonia State’s all-time leaders in both categories.

Among the all-time assists leaders, with nine, is midfielder Erin Schurr (Hamburg/Hamburg), who has been plagued with injuries, including one to her knee this season. In addition, forwards Danielle Rawcliffe (Rochester/Irondequoit) and Amy Wenzel (Elma/Iroquois) have seen significant playing time in four seasons at Fredonia State. Rawcliffe has emerged as a starter this season.

The seniors will be playing their final games as collegians this week, with a chance to play as many as three more times in the blue and white.

“We were excited about the second playoff opportunity that we were given,” Case said of his team in general. “The team is looking to rebound off our disappointing loss to Oneonta (4-0 in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals) and end the season with an ECAC championship. Anything less (and) our team would be disappointed.”

More information on the tournament is available at ECAC.org.

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