Women's Soccer | 9/2/2010 11:19:32 AM

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's soccer team enters the 2010 season looking to earn a playoff berth in the highly competitive Empire 8 conference. Seventeen players return from last season's squad, which won seven games and defeated a pair of nationally-ranked teams. In addition, the Tigers will have a new face leading the way in 2010, as Liz Masterson enters her first season as head coach.

Masterson will have big shoes to fill, as she replaces Tom Natalie, the all-time leader in coaching wins at RIT with 106. She comes to RIT after coaching the previous two seasons at Empire 8 rival Elmira. At Elmira, she helped the Soaring Eagles improve their win total in 2009 by three games.

“The 2010 season will be about building a winning culture and planning to leave the Empire 8 on a high note with a spot in the conference tournament,” said Masterson. “Our success as a team will depend on how quickly we can learn a new system of play. We will need a great work ethic on the practice field and in games, implement strong team character, communicate and sacrifice in order to be successful this season.”

Senior captain Monica Cook (Webster, NY/Webster Schroder) will be expected to lead a young Tigers team on and off the field in 2010. Cook, Shireen Irani (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports Academy), Sarah Frisicano (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia), and Danielle Painter (Mililani, HI/Mililani) are the four seniors on RIT this season.
“We will rely heavily on Monica for her leadership qualities,” said Masterson. “She encompasses all of the values that make an individual a successful leader.”

Up front, the Tigers will have a new look, as sophomore transfer Rachael Bromson (Suffield, CT/Suffield), the 2009 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year at Elmira, along with freshman McKenzie Worden (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs) will shoulder the offensive load. Bromson scored 12 goals a season ago, including two against RIT. In addition, juniors Terra Towne (Chaumont, NY/Lyme), and Kim Sisti (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), along with sophomores Ashlene Potter (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) and Katie Higgins (North Tonawanda, NY/Niagara Wheatfield) will be counted on to provide offense in 2010.

“We will look to rely on some new faces, between Rachael Bromson (Suffield, CT/Suffield) and McKensie Worden,”said Masterson. “Rachael has an uncanny ability to get behind the defense and has a knack for finding the goal. McKensie is a strong technical forward with a powerful shot. Ashlene Potter (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) is a creative player who also has a nose for the goal and puts defenses under a lot of pressure.”

In the midfield, sophomore Chelsea Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) is back after leading the squad with five assists in 2009. Fellow sophomore Jackie Jacobson (Westlake, CA/Westlake), along with Cook, Painter, junior Kasey Dobrodziej (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor), and sophomores Kaitlyn Gregg and Dani Absi (Cleveland, OH/Bay) will all see plenty of action.

“Chelsea Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) will play an integral role in our success,” said Masterson. “We look for her to take control of ball possession and feed dangerous balls to our forwards. Jackie Jacobsen is one of the most technically sound players. She is a great distributor and will help us in transition. Danielle Painter (Mililani, HI/Mililani) is very experienced in the midfield and will see time. I expect both Dani Absi (Cleveland, OH/Bay), Kasey Dobrodziej (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) to step up as well.”

The duo of Frisicano and Irani will lead a very athletic defensive unit. Frisicano, who earned All-NSCAA All-East Region third team honors and was an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2009, has played in all 55 games over her first three seasons at RIT. She is a tremendous athlete and is good at distributing to the midfielders. Irani, who also played four years of varsity hockey at RIT, is extremely athletic and strong on the ball. Junior Jen Wilkens (Rochester, NY/Greece Odyssey), along with sophomore Kristin Zavodjancik (Naugatuck, CT/Nonnewaug), and freshmen twins Alexa and Jamie Martinez (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) will compete for starting positions and add significant depth to the back.

“We have a strong defensive core returning with our All-Region central defender Sarah Frisicano (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) and all-conference back Shireen Irani (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports Academy),” said Masterson. “There will be plenty of competition for the final two spots on the backline between several returners and a few newcomers. We are very athletic.”

In net, Ashley Valenti (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) enjoyed an excellent 2009 season, earning All-Empire 8 second team honors, while recording a 1.26 goals against average, and .814 save percentage. Sophomore Alyssa Henkel (Newark, NY/Newark) will push Valenti for the starting spot in net.

“Ashley has two years of experience as a college goaltender with great hands and athleticism,” said Masterson. “We will rely heavily on her to back up a very strong defensive unit. We're looking for her to step up and become more of a vocal leader.”

RIT plays a very demanding schedule in 2010, opening with John Carroll, then SUNY Cortland or Keene State in the Rachel Miller Memorial Tournament. From there, the Tigers play a pair of games against SUNYAC foes Buffalo State and SUNY Oswego, before jumping into Empire 8 play with a game against St. John Fisher. A group of three straight non-conference games, including a home weekend against future Liberty League foes Clarkson and St. Lawrence, in addition to a road contest against perennial power Rochester close out the month of September. From there, the Tigers dive into the crucial portion of their schedule, with seven consecutive games against Empire 8 foes, including three straight home matches against rivals Ithaca, Stevens, and Elmira. Ithaca enters the season ranked eighth in the NSCAA preseason poll. RIT then closes out the regular season against Fredonia and perennial national powerhouse and 2011 conference rival William Smith. William Smith is ranked 16th nationally in the NSCAA preseason poll.
In conference play, the Tigers also travel to face Alfred, Stevens, Utica, and Hartwick. RIT has made the Empire 8 Tournament in two of the last four seasons.

“We're looking to finish our run in the Empire 8 with a spot in the conference tournament and have a chance to play in a championship game,” said Masterson. “We also want to continue building for the future and our arrival in the Liberty League. We will treat our Liberty League contests as if they are conference games.
Our schedule provides us with a good opportunity to be successful in both Empire 8 and non-conference play. We have a very challenging schedule, but we are eager to become a team that ranked teams are afraid to play.”