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MANSFIELD – After 17 days of practice, including three scrimmage games, Mansfield University head women's soccer coach
Tim Dempsey expects his 2012 team to show significant offensive improvement going into Saturday's season opener at Goldey-Beacom College.
“If preseason was a reliable indicator, I believe we will be an improved offensive team,” said Dempsey who enters his 11th season at the helm. “We're going to be better athletically and we've shown an ability to play balls over the top and down the field during camp.”
Although hampered by some preseason injuries, Dempsey has been pleased with how quickly a positive team chemistry has developed on a squad that features 13 returners from last season along with six newcomers.
The 13 returners include five players who were full-time starters last year along with four others who started sometime during the season. The team also returns Colleen Demspey and
Alexis Getty who missed all of last season with medical redshirts.
Senior Erica Moyer (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg) is already one of the Mountaineers all-time leading scorers and will start for the fourth straight year at one of the forward spots. Moyer, who scored three goals with two assists last season and is already the third leading scorer in school history, will benefit from the addition of freshman
Kelsey Chapman (Philadelphia/Springside). The team's leading scorer in three preseason scrimmages, Chapman is an athletic player with good instincts and a knack for the ball.
Alexis Getty (Wellsboro/Wellsboro) missed almost all of her freshman season after suffering an injury during preseason camp, but is expected to be ready to play early in the season. A quick and agile player, Getty will give the Mountaineers additional speed up front. Also seeing playing time will be freshman
Lexi Towne (Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) who has shown solid skills during preseason camp with Katelyn Smith (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) adding depth.
MIDFIELD
The Mountaineers have experience at midfield in juniors
Lauren Boess (Warrington/Central Bucks South), last season's MIP,
Jessica Kerwin (Bethlehem/Moorestown) and
Danielle Murray (Sand Lake,NY/Averill Park). Kerwin started 16 games as a sophomore while Boess and Murray, who could also see time at forward, appeared in every game last season.
Jessica Allen (Biglerville/Biglerville) will see her role expand after seeing limited action during her freshman season due to injury. Freshman
Karyn Anselmo (Kinnelon,NJ/Kinnelon) has displayed solid skills during the preseason and will vie for a starting nod. Newcomer
Jenna Motz (Brampton,ONT/PEAC) will also see time at midfield with her strong work ethic.
DEFENSE
Mansfield has a solid corps of veterans on defense led by returning starters senior
Amanda Quinn (Prospect Park/Interboro) and sophomore
Sara Weaver (Reading/Exeter), last year's team MVP, along with sophomores
Erin Bishop (Reedsville/Indian Valley) and
Kaitlin Gross (Carlisle/Big Spring) who combined for 11 starts last season. The defense will also get a boost with the return of junior
Colleen Dempsey (Mansfield/Mansfield). Dempsey missed all of last season after starting in 15 of 16 games in 2010. Freshman
Nicole Semenza (Lattimer Mines/Hazleton) could start at either defender or at midfield with her strong physical play and technical ability.
The Mountaineers also have experience at goalie in senior
Alexis Wilhelm (Annville/Northern Lebanon) and sophomore Alana Krieger (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown). Wilhelm has seen action as a starter in each of her first three seasons including starting 15 of 16 games last season. Wilhelm, who set a school single season record with 138 saves last year, is four saves shy of moving into the second place on the career all-time saves list. Wilhelm will be backed up by Krieger who recorded 29 saves in seven games including a start as a freshman.
-MU-
