Aug. 27, 2003

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Almost one year removed from its trip to the America East finals, the 2003 Stony Brook women's soccer team is set to begin the 2003 season hoping to continue its surge towards the top of the America East. Stony Brook will get an early test when it travels to New Jersey to open the 2003 season with a battle against Rutgers on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Series Notes: This is the first meeting between the two teams.

For Openers: Stony Brook is 6-13-1 in season openers and is looking for its first season opening win since 2000.

About Rutgers: Preseason All-American pick Carli Lloyd headlines a Scarlet Knight team that went 10-8-1 last year and advanced to the Big East semifinals where they lost to West Virginia. It returns nine starters to a team that was 3-2-1 in conference play last year.

About Stony Brook: Perhaps the youngest team in the program's history, the 20-player roster has only two upperclassmen on it. Juniors Brittany Norwood and Leanna Yust are the veterans on a team made up of 10 sophomores and eight freshmen.

Who To Look For: Two-time all-conference back Brittany Norwood and the America East Rookie of the Year Cindy Bennett in goal give Stony Brook a formidable defensive combination. Sophomore Danielle Lewis is poised for a breakout season.

The Federal Way Norwood, a native of Federal Way, Wash., is a veteran who has proven herself to be among the elite players in the America East Conference. A two-time all-conference pick, she was also named to the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz All-Northeast Region teams following a terrific defensive year that saw the Seawolves hold their opponents to only four goals in their final eight games. Norwood is a dazzling combination of speed and strength which provides the anchor in front of the Stony Brook goal.

Super Cindy: Sophomore goalie Cindy Bennett is ready to assert herself as perhaps the best keeper in the America East. Last year's America East Rookie of the Year posted six shutouts and a 1.42 GAA. After missing six games due to a separated shoulder, Bennett returned to the lineup with a vengeance, shutting out defending champ BU on its home turf to ignite a 4-2-1 stretch which saw SBU qualify for America East postseason play for the first time. She was equally super in the America East semifinals, keeping New Hampshire off the scoreboard in regulation, overtime and in the penalty kick round. With the game on the line, Bennett turned aside three Wildcats penalty kicks to help Stony Brook advance to the conference finals.

Youth Movement: The Seawolves may indeed be one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2003. Without a single senior on the roster, 17 underclassmen will have the opportunity to make their presence felt this year and for many years to come. "Our freshmen class from last year had a huge impact and in the spring I was very encouraged by their all-around progress and improvement," said coach Ryan. "The crucial aspect to this season is for them to continue not only to have an impact, but they also have to mature and play beyond their years. With only two upperclassmen, the sophomores will be the cornerstone of this year's team."

Getting Off On The Right Foot: Stony Brook got off to a slow start last year, beginning the year 0-4 but finishing with a flourish to make the playoffs. Its conference final appearance will ensure that conference foes will not take Stony Brook lightly and that rivalries will continue to blossom -- ingredients that have not been there in the past.

In the Back: The Seawolves should be strong in front of the goal this season. With Bennett between the pipes and all-conference standout Brittany Norwood anchoring the defense, opponents should have a difficult time scoring. Joining Norwood along the back line is sophomore Katelyn Martin who was outstanding in 2002. Rookie Katie Kramer, a 5-9 back from Michigan, will look to fill the void caused the departure of Emily Snyder and Lea Kyle. Lauren Kohn provided solid play in the goal when Bennett went down with a shoulder injury last season. In seven games, Kohn posted a 1.52 GAA.

Putting the Ball in the Net: If last year proved one thing, it is that Stony Brook built their success from the goal out. Heading into the season knowing that defense will again be their strength, the team will need to find more scoring this season if it wants to get back to the conference playoffs. The Seawolves scored only 24 goals in 21 games last season and will need to increase that number in 2003. Sophomore forward Danielle Lewis (2g, 3a) came on strong towards the end of last season and should be ready for a breakout year. Jackie Anthony (4g, 2a), Victoria Feliciano (3g) and Melanie Archuleta should all help the team at attack this season. Newcomer Marisa Nucci will compete for a starting role up front.

Home Sweet Home: The Seawolves will play all of their home games in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium this season. After being scheduled for only one game in the stadium last fall, heavy rains led to poor field conditions that forced the Seawolves to play four games at LaValle. The Seawolves found the new stadium to their liking, going 2-0-2 in the four games.

Under The Lights: The Seawolves will play five night games this season against Lehigh (Sept. 17), St. Peter's (Sept. 19), Albany (Oct. 2), Hartford (Oct. 16) and Princeton (Sept. 29).SBU was 1-0-1 under the lights last year.

Spanning the Country: The 2003 Seawolves offer a glimpse and how popular the sport of soccer has become throughout the country. The 20-player roster is made up of players from 13 different states with Michigan and New York being the most well represented with three. California and Washington each have two.

The Hawks: All three Michigan natives have something in common other than just their home state. Danielle Lewis, Cindy Bennett and newcomer Katie Kramer all played their club ball for the Michigan Hawks.

A First Class Team: The Seawolves not only excel on the field but also in the classroom and in the community. Last year, the women's soccer team won the Seawolves Community Service award after a year-long effort that saw them raise $1,000 for breast cancer research, auction off "Mia" (see page 8), participate in Read Across Across America and speak at clinics throughout the area. Seven Seawolves made the America East Honor Roll, a distinction granted to those who earned a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better.

A New Coach: The coaching staff will be at full strength heading into the season. Joining the staff in 2003 will be Megan Mills, who will focus on teaching the team's defenders. "The addition of Megan makes the staff whole again and that is a strong position to be in heading into the season". A standout back for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1998-2001, Mills was a two-time All-Big Ten and three-team All-Academic Big Ten selection. She helped captain her team to the NCAA Women's College Cup Final Four and was named an NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region All-American in 2000. Mills is no stranger to coach Ryan. Ryan was her club team coach where Mills was part of two national championship teams with the Northport-Cow Harbor Piranha in 1997 and 1999. Mills joins Sarah Dwyer-Shick, who is responsible for the goalkeeping, to round out the Stony Brook staff.