CIFUENTES WILL ASSIST
WOMEN’S SOCCER IN 2005

Neil Cifuentes will be joining the women’s soccer team for the 2005 season as an assistant coach replacing Roman Escobar in that capacity. He will be making this transition along with his new role in the Athletic Department as the Coordinator of Student/Athlete Services.

“We are truly excited to have Neil join our staff this year,” said Head Coach Deb Biche. “What’s not to like about having a St. Lawrence University graduate with his experience join our team particularly on a full-time basis.”

Cifuentes will assist the women’s program after working on the men’s side this past season. He also worked with the men while pursuing his graduate degree, a stint which included the 1999 run to the NCAA Division III National Championship. Before returning to St. Lawrence last season he taught and coached at the Taft School, taking his soccer team to the New England prep school semifinals. He also taught at the Elwood Middle School and John Glenn High School on Long Island and coached the middle school soccer team.He has trained youth soccer teams on Long Island and has coached at a number of soccer camps. Neil is an experienced Coerver Coaching Instructor.

“I look forward to having the opportunity to bounce ideas off of Neil and work together to continue the development of our program. We are privileged to have someone with his skill and expertise on board,” Biche said.

SIX SAINTS EARN ACADEMIC AWARD

The six Saints below have earned Liberty League All-Academic Team status for their excellence in the classroom.

Heather Brewer   Senior   History   
Devon Cain   Junior   Psychology   
Nikki Lopez   Senior   Math   
Liz Masterson   Senior   Government   
Zippy Podhaizer   Sophomore   Biology   
Leah Yandow   Junior   Biology   

CAIN & YANDOW NAMED CAPTAIN TO THE WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

The captains for the 2005 Saints Women’s Soccer team have been announced. Veteran players and seniors Devon Cain and Leah Yandow will don the armband and represent the team as captains next fall.

“I am very excited to have Devon (left) and Leah (right)captain the team next season,” said Coach Deb Biche. “Their work ethic and dedication has earned the respect of their teammates and I know both have worked on developing their own leadership styles. Their primary focus will be to develop and maintain team chemistry and set a high standard for our training and playing environment on a daily basis. I know the will rise to the occasion and fill the shoes of the great leadership that we have had in the past.”

Both Devon and Leah have been major contributors to the program playing and starting in most every game since their rookie year. This spring both captains are studying abroad in Kenya.

2004 SEASON WRAP-UP

The St. Lawrence women’s soccer team finished their season with a final mark of 7-9, going 3-4 in the Liberty League. The Saints will lose a strong senior class to graduation, Liz Masterson, Nikki Lopez, and Heather Brewer combined for 14 of 31 goals and 9 of 22 assists for SLU.

Masterson was named to the NSCAA Northeastern All-Region Team, the NYSWCAA All-State Soccer Team, and was First Team All-Liberty League (for the fourth straight year). She started all 16 games for the Saints and scored 8 goals, including 2 game winners, and added 5 assists.

Lopez battled injury throughout the season, but played in 13 games, starting 12 of them. She scored 5 goals, including 2 game winners, and contributed 4 assists. She was awarded Liberty League Honorable Mention status for her efforts this season, and had previously earned Rookie of the Year honors and second-team status as a first year.

Heather Brewer played in all 16 games and started 9 in her final year as a Saint. She had one game winning goal on the year.

Key returnees for SLU include: Leah Yandow, Zippy Podhaizer, Devon Cain, Sam Bealer, Margaret Tansey, Alana Mahoney, and Carly Draper.

Yandow earned spots on the NYSWCAA All-State Soccer Team, and the Liberty League First Team, leading the team in assists with 6 and added 4 goals. Podhaizer earned Second Team Liberty League status, starting all 16 games in the backfield for the Saints. Cain also started all 16 games and contributed 4 goals, including 1 game winner, and 1 assist. Bealer played in all 16 games, starting 15 of them, and added 2 goals. Tansey started 9 games, playing in 14, and contributed 3 assists on the year. Mahoney played in all 16 games and started half of them, scoring one goal on the year. Draper started every game in the net for the Saints, recording 75 saves and 2 shutouts. Her goals against average was 1.95, and her saves percentage was just over 72%.

The Saints will also look forward to continued success from the rookie class of 2004, including: Erika Gutfreund, Joy Wyman, Julie Giller, Whitney Huse, and Jess Burke. Gutfreund started 14 games and played in all 16 as a back for the Saints. Wyman started 12 games as a first year and played in 15 as a defender. Giller played in 15 games and started 7 in the forward position, scoring 3 goals, including one game winner, and contributing 2 assists. Whitney Huse played in 15 games and started 9, scoring 3 goals on the year. Burke will enter her sophomore year with much game experience having played in 13 games and starting 2 as a first year.

Next year, the Saints will look to leadership from Yandow, Cain, and Podhaizer in order to fight their way back into the Liberty League Tournament.

MASTERSON NAMED TO NSCAA/ADIDAS ALL-REGION TEAM

Dec. 9: Senior captain Liz Masterson earned a spot on the NSCAA/Adidas Northeast All-Region first-team. Masterson led the Saints in goals with eight on the year, including two game winners, and finished second in assists with six. The first-team selections will now be on a national ballot used to choose the 2004 NSCAA/Adidas All-America Team. The team is scheduled to be released Friday.

Masterson, was named to the 2003 NSCAA/Adidas All-America Team as a junior. As a freshman she was named to the Northeast All-Region team. In her career, Masterson has scored 20 goals, including six game winners, and added 15 assists for a total of 55 points.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS EARN NATIONAL ACADEMIC AWARD

Dec. 1: The St. Lawrence men’s and women’s soccer teams each earned the NSCAA/adidas Team Academic Award for posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2003-04 academic year.

A total of 363 intercollegiate soccer programs (73 men, 290 women) were recognized. Of that total, only 53 schools had both its men's and women's teams acknowledged.

This is the second straight year St. Lawrence has had both teams honored.

MASTERSON, YANDOW MAKE NYSWCAA ALL-STATE TEAM

Nov. 30: Senior Captain Liz Masterson and junior back Leah Yandow earned spots on the NYSWCAA All-State Soccer team, as announced yesterday by the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association.

Masterson led the Saints in goals with 8 on the year, including 2 game winners, and finished second in assists with 5. Yandow led the team in assists with 6 and added 4 goals.

MASTERSON, YANDOW, PODHAIZER, AND LOPEZ EARN HONORS

Nov. 4: Senior Captain Liz Masterson and junior back Leah Yandow earned first-team Liberty League status in voting by the league's coaches. Zippy Podhaizer earned second team honors, and senior captain Nikki Lopez earned honorable mention status.

Masterson, who has earned first team all-league status all four years at St. Lawrence, scored 8 goals and added 5 assists on the year, 2 of her goals were game winners. She had earned Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week honors twice this season, and ranks in the league in points, points per game, goals, and goals per game.

Yandow (left) scored 4 goals and added 6 assists on the year to spark the offensive for the Saints. This is her second first-team honor, as she was awarded first team status last season as a sophomore.

Podhaizer, a sophomore back, earned second team status for her consistant play throughout the season. This is nothing new, as she earned second-team honors last season as a first year.

Lopez was awarded honorable mention status for her efforts this season. She had previously earned Rookie of the Year honors and second-team status as a first year. As a sophomore, Lopez earned first-team status; and as a junior, she earned second-team all-league honors. On the year, Lopez scored 5 goals and contributed 4 assists, including 1 game winning goal. She finished her career at St. Lawrence in 5th place in overall points with 74.

The Saints closed out their season last weekend with a 4-0 win over Oswego.