HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's soccer team is seeking a return to postseason play as the 2015 season is about to get underway. The Fords, who graduated one of the most decorated classes in program history following the 2014 season, will look to ascend the conference standings with a balance of talent and depth this season.
Showcasing the aforementioned depth, the Fords had 12 different players score a goal last fall. Eight of those players will be back as the diverse offense looks to move forward in 2015 despite the graduation of leading scorer Connie Friedman. The squad will rely on youth with just two seniors, Jo Haller and Lexi Williams, on the team. Haller, a team captain, is one of the returning goal scorers while Williams saw time in starting lineup during parts of the 2014 season.
Kendall Logan is the top returning point scorer from the 2014 season. She scored two goals and recorded three assists during her rookie campaign. Classmate Skyler Ellenburg added one goal and two assists during her rookie campaign, while fellow sophomores Anna Dekle and Krista Federici also tallied a goal and assist as freshmen a year ago. Rounding out the Class of 2018 scoring was tallies from Safiyah Riddle and Sofia Licata, while junior Ali Lopez also cracked the scoresheet a season ago. Looking to join this group will be junior captain Alex Alavi. Alavi has appeared in six games during her first two seasons at Haverford. In the midfield, sophomore Raina Fitzpatrick started 13 games a season ago and finished the year with 13 shots.
The defensive side of the ball is where the Fords will experience significant turnover after the backline turned out multiple starters that was anchored by Robin Chernow, a four-year starter in goal for the Fords. Looking to offset those graduation losses will be two of the more experienced returnees in juniors Abby Letts and Tori D'Acunto. Letts, who will serve as team captain this fall, was the only player to start all 17 games for Haverford last season. D'Acunto started 15 games for the Fords' defensive unit last fall.
The only returning goalie on the roster is junior Kathy Prescott. A season ago, Prescott was called on to make three starts. She stopped 14 shots during her time in net that included a win over Franklin & Marshall. Other players looking to make an impact on defense this season include Kristen Fiore, Taylor Cross, Tori Fleischmann, and Riddle.
Fiore started 19 games on defense as a freshman and appeared in 11 games, making six starts, a season ago. Cross made seven starts for the Fords last fall. Fleischmann and Riddle also provided depth to the defense last season and will look to enhance their presence during the 2015 season.
Looking to bolster the returning roster will be the addition of nine incoming freshman. The Fords' Class of 2019 hails from six different states. The freshman class, along with the rest of the team, will get started with the 2015 season with a trip to Cabrini on September 1. The Fords will see their first live action on Walton Field at the annual Haverford College Kick Off Classic. The tournament opens with a matchup against Arcadia at 1 p.m. on that Saturday. The weekend will feature two of the 10 chances to catch the Fords at home during the 2015 season.