Preseason Sights and Sounds
Preseason Media Day
Coach McClellan Interview with WNBF 1290 (8-21-15)

Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton women's soccer coach Sarah McClellan likes her team's cohesiveness and roster depth as the Bearcats ready for the 2015 season. Though the midfield has been retooled after absorbing some losses, Binghamton's lineup will feature numerous familiar faces up top and on a sturdy back line.  

Seven starters and 20 letterwinners are back for McClellan, who enters her eighth year at the helm. The Bearcats have advanced to the postseason nine times in the last 11 years and that goal remains the same for 2015.

"Our focus is to get better each week, individually and collectively," McClellan said. "By the time we get to the conference opener (Sept. 27 at UNH), we want to be operating at a high level on both sides of the ball."

The preseason has showcased a tightly-knit group whose skill level will present McClellan with plenty of options on the field.

"We have 23 healthy players who can all hold their own," she said. "They have an attitude to learn and improve each day. The overall soccer IQ, athleticism and talent is probably as high as we've ever had here."

Goalkeeper
Graduated starter Gaby Gold transitions to the coaching staff but sophomore Katie Hatziyianis is ready to grab the starting reigns. Hatziyianis split halves with Gold throughout the 2014 season and allowed just nine goals in 17 appearances (0.96 GAA). Third-year keeper Haley Downin has worked her way through early-career injuries and has looked sharp in preseason. Each will see time and provide leadership for freshman Megan Ferrara.



"We have very solid, athletic shot-stoppers in goal," McClellan said. "Katie is a dynamic keeper who got valuable experience last year. Haley has looked very good in training and both goalies are at a high level right now."

Back line
Center backs Allison Mack and Alyssa Vallar anchor this unit, which remains largely intact from last fall. That 2014 back line tightened its belt in America East play, surrendering only seven goals in its last nine outings. Mack, a junior, and Vallar, a senior, have earned trust and praise from McClellan.

"They are running the show for us back there," she said. "Allison and Alyssa have grown so much tactically … they are problem solvers, they stay connected with the midfield and they are team leaders who are very important to our success."

Sophomore Hannah Shankman returns to a starting role on the outside right, where her energy and attacking ability will again be a strength.

Talented sophomore Emma Maslin returns to the back line and can play on the outside or in the middle. A local recruit from Whitney Point, Maslin earned a starting spot as a freshman before injuries curtailed her season early on.

Senior Samantha Crane, a versatile and charismatic player, will drop back from forward to defense, where her speed and attacking mentality will be a threat on the outside. She has played in 42 career games.

Junior Kelly Corrado moves from the outside to the middle this season after starting 17 games last fall. At 5-foot-11, she has a strong presence in the back and will continue to be a key component.

Rounding out the defensive unit are sophomores Katherine Millet and Michele Galvin and freshmen Kaycee Pickard and Anna Jandura-Cessna. Millet, who saw time in six games as a freshman, has shown great improvement and will see time on the outside. Galvin returns from an injury that cost her the entire 2014 season.

Junior Kasey Brida, who played in 15 games and was a key contributor down the stretch last fall, will miss the 2015 campaign with an injury.

Midfield
This group took the biggest hit in the offseason with the graduation of starter Emily Nuss and the departure of leading scorer Katie O'Neill and playmaker Rebecca Raber – both starting center midfielders. But McClellan is excited about the new look.

"We have new faces but our midfield will be able to improve quickly and become one of our team strengths because of the talent level," she said. "We're healthy in the midfield and have so much more depth than last year. With three freshmen each capable of making an impact … I fully expect that by the end of the season, that group will be our biggest asset."

Leading the way is senior Katherine Corcoran, an all-conference forward who will drop back to her more natural position as an attacking center midfielder. Blessed with speed and long-range shooting accuracy, Corcoran tallied two goals and six points in 2014.

"Kat will be more dangerous at center midfield," McClellan said. "She can create opportunities and will draw attention because of her ability to shoot from distance and her craftiness on the ball. She has stepped up her leadership and responsibility and I think she will be an all-conference midfielder too."

Joining Corcoran in the attacking center midfield tandem will be freshman Sierra Barr, who has impressed the coaching staff with her readiness to jump into the speed of college play. Barr was a three-time all-state scholastic player at Elmira High, where she pumped in a district-record 80 career goals.

Classmates Melissa Righetti and Patricia Loonie also begin promising collegiate careers. Righetti can play the attacking or midfield holding position and is a strong defender. Loonie can also move up to the forward line.

Sophomore Valerie McNamara, a strong-willed defender, will take over the holding position. She played in 14 games last season and scored twice, including a dramatic game-tying goal in the final minute of the quarterfinal game at New Hampshire.

"Valerie is intense and focused and we're looking forward to seeing what she can do this year," McClellan said. "She gained a lot of experience as a freshman and I think she can develop into a leader with younger players around her. She likes to challenge on 50/50 balls and is a tough player."

Junior Aly Falinski can play the holding or attacking center midfield role. She can deliver the ball with either foot and now at full strength, will be a contributor.

Forward
Up top in McClellan's 4-3-3 alignment is an assortment of players who can create and finish. Fourth-year player Stephani Church tallied three goals last season and is the most veteran of the group, having played 37 collegiate games. Assertive sophomore Jacque Rice earned America East All-Rookie honors after netting three goals last fall. She missed the playoff game with an injury but has come back to camp strong and will be a scoring threat. Sophomore Tricia Hanley has caught the eye of the coaching staff after a solid freshman season where she picked up three points in 15 appearances.



"Tricia will be an impactful forward for us this year," McClellan said. "She has come to preseason very prepared … she's striking the ball well and her defending up top is good."

Junior Leighann Bennett, who has been hampered by injuries, is having the best training camp of her tenure and will be counted on for minutes, as will sophomore Dominique Russell, a speedster who transferred from Coastal Carolina.

Freshman Julianne Johnston, senior Jacqueline Ehrenreich and sophomore Jocelyn Acor round out the unit. McClellan also could utilize Crane and Loonie up top.

Schedule
The 17-game schedule begins with four straight at home, followed by seven consecutive road games. The opener is August 21 against St. Bonaventure and then after six extended preseason days before classes begin, BU will host Canisius (Aug. 28) and Lehigh (Aug. 30) in a three-day span.

"The home games will give us a first look at where we are in our progress," McClellan said. "Then we'll look to build some maturity and consistency on the road, which is something you have to work on as a college player."

The nine-game non-conference slate will allow McClellan to line her team up against all different styles and scenarios, so that nothing is new come conference play.

The America East slate is an eight-game test with the top six advancing to the postseason. The Bearcats went 3-3-2 last season to tie for fifth in the standings. Seven of the eight games were decided by one goal or a draw with five games going into overtime. McClellan knows the margin is narrow and her focus is immediately on the rematch with defending champion UNH, which parlayed its penalty kick advancement over the Bearcats into a title run last fall.



"Every single game will impact how far we go, starting with the opener against UNH," she said. "The quality of soccer in the America East has grown and every single game is played at a high level and nobody can be overlooked. It makes for an exciting, create-your-own-story scenario for each team, which is ultimately what you want your conference season to be."

McClellan hopes that championship story is written in Binghamton Green.