2009 Elmira College Field Hockey Season in Review

Despite their struggles during the 2009 season, the Elmira College Field Hockey team showed continued improvement while competing in the extremely challenging Empire 8 Conference. The women finished with a 0-16 overall record, but were competitive in every contest throughout the season. Head coach Anna Rogers will begin her fourth season at the helm this off season as she looks to build on the successful foundations of 2009.

The Soaring Eagles were led by nine fourth year players throughout the ’09 season. Team co-captain Deanna Henson ’10 (Carmel, NY -- Carmel) provided an offensive spark for the Purple and Gold throughout the year. Henson recorded a team-best 6 goals and 22 shots on net. For her efforts, Henson earned Second-Team All Conference honors.

Sarah Torilli ’10 (Southboro, MA -- Algonquin Regional) also received Empire 8 Second-Team All Conference honors for her accomplishments during the 2009 season. Torilli tallied 3 assists and 3 shot attempts from her defensive position.

Elmira College goaltenders Jalene McCulloch ’10 (Belleville, ONT -- Millbrook School) and Allison Holsinger ’10 (Denton, MD -- North Caroline) combined for many strong performances throughout the season and kept the Purple and Gold close in every contest. McCulloch finished her final season registering 1001:26 minutes in net, allowing only 58 goals, and producing an incredible 270 saves for an outstanding .823 save percentage. Holsinger registered a quality 112:21 minutes in goal for EC with 8 saves on the year.

McCulloch completed a dominating career as a Soaring Eagle finishing as the all-time single-game saves record holder with 39 against Washington and Jefferson in 2008. McCulloch also currently holds the single-season saves record at Elmira College with 314 in ’08, and career saves record with 785 total saves throughout the 2006-10 seasons.

Fourth year standouts Jessica Kischko ’10 (Springfield, VT -- Springfield), Jennifer Heydt ’10 (Leesport, PA -- Schuylkill Valley), Veronica Fernandez ’10 (North Berwick, ME -- Noble), Alyssa Boutin ’10 (Rollinsford, NH -- Somersworth), and Myriah Fitterer ’10 (Ithaca, NY -- Ithaca) provided the Purple and Gold with a reliable offensive attack throughout the 2009 season.

Kischko finished the 2009 season second on the team with 3 scores and one assist for the Purple and Gold including 19 shots on goal. Co-captain, Heydt, started all 16 games for EC producing one score on a penalty shot opportunity and 8 shot attempts. Fernandez proved to be a consistent offensive threat for the Purple and Gold throughout the season as she appeared in all 16 contests. Fernandez tallied 2 goals and finished with an outstanding .833 shot on goal percentage. Boutin appeared in 12 games for EC registering 4 shots on goal, and Fitterer started all 16 contests for the Soaring Eagles notching one shot on goal from her midfield position.

Class of 2011 players Ariana Farricielli ’11 (Hamden, CT -- Hamden Hall Country Day), Megan Werner ’11 (Vestal, NY -- Vestal Central), Caitlin Roman ’11 (Verbank, NY -- Millbrook), Sharon Johnson ’11 (South Portland, ME -- South Portland), and Andrea Nickerson ’11 (Friendship, NY – Friendship) demonstrated vast improvement as the ’09 season progressed.

Farricielli appeared in 14 contests for EC with one shot on goal. Werner appeared in all 16 games, while starting 15 for the Purple and Gold. During the ’09 campaign, Werner produced 17 shot attempts and assisted on one goal. Roman saw action in 11 games for EC, third year player, Johnson, took the field 14 times and registered 8 shots with 4 being on net, and Nickerson appeared in 8 contests at midfield.

The 2012 women will look to improve as they move into their third year of play. Sarah Thomassen ’12 (Stewartstown, PA -- Kennard-Dale) appeared in 15 games in her second season, and recorded 1 goal for Elmira. Thomassen was also awarded by the Empire 8 Athletic Conference as the Sportswoman of the Year for her contributions as a Soaring Eagle. Ashley Leja ’12 (Auburn, NY -- Dana L. West) also made quality contributions in her first season as a Soaring Eagle. Leja recorded one assist during her 15 starts at the forward position. Delaney Evans ’12 (Wayne, ME – Maranacook) took the field 15 times for Elmira during the ’09 season and recorded one shot on goal.

First year players Alexandra Maffei ’13 (Wayne, NJ -- Morristown-Beard) and Gina Maffei ’13 (Wayne, NJ -- Morristown-Beard) provided Elmira College with a solid foundation for the field hockey program for the next three years. The two athletes will look to benefit from the valuable experience gained in ’09 as Alexandra appeared in 14 games for EC with 3 starts and Gina saw action in 11 games with 5 starts.

Rising to the challenge of an extremely tough schedule, the Soaring Eagles Field Hockey program will look to the off-season to continue their development while looking for success in the 2010 season.