Cleared for Takeoff

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Most of the goals set by last year’s Susquehanna University women’s soccer team found their way into the back of the net, except for one.

Despite setting a single-season program record for victories with nine, the Crusaders were unable to earn the first playoff berth in the team’s seven-year history after finishing with a 3-4 mark in Commonwealth Conference play — just one win shy of qualifying for the postseason.

With 72 percent of the team’s record-setting offense returning — including the program’s career and single-season leader in goals and points — the Crusaders are determined to take the next step on the road to success in 2001.

“Between our veterans and the incoming freshman class, hopefully we can put everything together and earn a spot in the conference playoffs,” said third-year head coach Jim Findlay, who returns seven starters and 12 letterwinners from last year’s team.

Without a doubt, the key to the Crusader attack is senior forward Kim Anderson (Baytown, TX/Parkland, PA H.S.), who became the first player in program history to earn NSCAA All-Region honors last year after setting single-season records of 13 goals, seven assists and 33 points to earn third-team status.

Anderson, also named a Commonwealth Conference second-team All-Star, led the conference in goals per game at 0.87, while her 2.2 points per game placed second in the eight-team loop. She scored at least one goal in 10 of Susquehanna’s 15 matches and scored two goals on three occasions.

After three seasons, Anderson is the Susquehanna career record-holder in goals (31) and points (73) and is the only player to score 10 or more goals in a season — doing so in both 1998 (12) and 2000 (13).

“Kim has been a dynamic player for three seasons, and with the offensive firepower that our freshmen bring to the team I think that she can raise her game to a higher level,” said Findlay.

In the midfield, junior Kristin Abernethy (Wescosville, PA/Emmaus H.S.) was the Crusaders’ second-leading scorer last season with eight goals, four assists and 20 points. In a four-game stretch during the 2000 campaign, Abernethy scored six goals and added an assist as the Crusaders won three of the four contests.

Fellow junior Julie Augustin (North Versailles, PA/East Allegheny H.S.) tallied three goals and three assists and may be one of the team’s fastest player on the wing. Rounding out the returnees in the midfield are sophomore Rachel Berson (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek H.S.), who made seven starts last season, and sophomore Heather Rispoli (Bath, PA/Northampton H.S.), a reserve in eight contests last year.

Helping to bolster the midfield unit are a pair of highly-touted freshmen in Lindsay Nevins (Basking Ridge, NJ/Gill-St. Bernards) and Jess Paulshock (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville H.S.). Nevins was a second-team Somerset County All-Star as a prep senior while Paulshock scored 14 goals during her senior campaign despite playing as a defender.

“Both Lindsay and Jess have played well in preseason camp,” said Findlay. “I’m hopeful that one or both of them will be able to take some of the scoring load off the shoulders of Kim Anderson.”

The defense will need to overcome the graduation of four-year standout Kristin Gilbert and the transfer of a freshman starter from last year’s squad, but the returning unit is anchored by senior Katie Sonnefeld (Monkton, MD/Hereford H.S.) and junior Christy Smith (Wenonah, NJ/Gateway Regional H.S.) as central defenders along with sophomore Lauren Haner (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock H.S.).

Sonnefeld and Haner both started 13 matches last fall while Smith started 10 times as the Crusaders limited the opposition to 14.7 shots per game.

Joining Sonnefeld and Smith are three freshmen who Findlay feels are ready to step into the starting lineup — Jackie Lawlor (Richboro, PA/Nazareth Academy), Kate McMaster (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley H.S.) and Danielle Zaborowski (Allentown, PA/Salisbury H.S.).

“The three freshmen have really shored up our defense with their soccer skills and overall athletic ability,” said Findlay. “Jackie, Kate and Danielle are outstanding athletes.”

In goal, sophomore Melissa Karschner (Montoursville, PA/Montoursville H.S.) is back for her second season as the starter after playing every minute of the 2000 season. Karschner finished with a 2.03 goals against average, four shutouts and a save percentage of .834 that ranked second in the Commonwealth Conference and was the fourth-best single-season save percentage in school history.

“Melissa has come back this season with a good work ethic,” said Findlay. “I think she will benefit this season from the opportunity to work with our new goalkeeper coach (former Franklin & Marshall assistant coach Kathy Kroupa).”

The Crusaders face a challenging route to earn a spot in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs. The team will play five of its seven league contests on the road, including trips to 2000 playoff participants Elizabethtown, Moravian and Lebanon Valley.

The highlight of a seven-game home schedule is an October 9 match against defending conference champion Messiah.

Susquehanna opens its 17-game schedule on Saturday, September 1 at 1 p.m. against DeSales in the first round of the Ursinus College Invitational. The Crusaders debut at home on Saturday, September 8 at 12 noon against Franklin & Marshall.