ESG - Women's soccer
Scholastic must overcome more for golden five-peat; open features new faces
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Jenny Griffin, sliding, is one of several returning players to the Western Region's women's scholastic soccer team. Griffin was an All-Western New York and All-New York State player last fall at Williamsville East. File photo

If the Western Region scholastic women's soccer team is to win a fifth gold medal at the Empire State Games, they will have to overcome not only their opponents but the playing surface they are facing them on.

According to Western coach Doug Kircher, this is the first year ESG women's soccer games will be played on turf and grass fields. Western's divisional games against Adirondack and Long Island on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, will be played on turf. Their game with Hudson Valley on Friday is on grass. All games will be played at Manhattanville College, 1900 Purchase St. in Purchase. The Games are being held in Westchester County.

Kircher, who has coached Western for the past 17 years, said games were always played on grass fields so he doesn't know how his team or teams from other regions will react to playing on turf.

"Our performance on turf could be great or we could look like an average team at best," said Kircher, who has been trying to have his team practice on both kinds of surfaces in preparation. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Regardless of the playing surface, Western should be the team to beat. Kircher has a roster loaded with returning talent although four players associated with the Rochester Junior Rhinos, including would-be returners Sarah Henderson and Lindsay Tegas, recently left the team to play in "Score at the Shore," a college showcase soccer tournament in Greensboro, N.C. going on during the ESGs.

Returning for Western are Lockport's Shannon Algoe (defense) and Heather Rhodes (defense), Williamsville's Jenny Griffin (forward), North Tonawanda's Amber Smyth (midfield), Rochester's Brittany Godin (midfield), Jessica Shufelt (forward), Pittsford's Laura Hansen (midfield) and Victor's Liesel Toth (defender).

Algoe earned All-WNY honors as a midfielder for Williamsville North last fall. She qualified for Western in 2005 but had to back out because of mononucleosis. Algoe is a tri-captain with Shufelt and Hansen.

Griffin made the All-WNY and All-New York State first team and helped Williamsville East win the Section VI Class A title. Kircher expects Algoe to be a leader on defense and for Griffin to contribute more offensively.

Newcomers include Iroquois' Sarah Christensen (midfield), Kenmore's Jenna Rickan (forward), North Tonawanda's Ashley Beamish (midfield), Lockport's Katie Taber (midfield), Pittsford's Jessica Dulski (goalie), Rochester's Erika Luedke (forward), Batavia's Ann Palermo (forward) and Greece-Athena's Laura Hartung (defense, midfield).

"I think our midfield is going to be strong and with Heather (Rhodes) and Shannon (Algoe) and Liesel (Toth) all returning, the defense should also be a strength," said Kircher. "Offensively, we'll be all right and should score goals. The midfield should be able to contribute so we won't have to put the burden on our forwards."

What has been amazing about Western's gold-medal streak is the team doesn't have a lot of time to prepare. Because of players' commitment to club teams, they only have about a week and a half to practice.

"It's a very short duration of time we get to spend with the kids but it works," said Western assistant coach Kevin McNamara. "In the last five years, the players have come in with a lot more soccer smarts. That's shows good coaching."

"The talent is there," added Griffin.

Although the Western team is only together for a little while, many of the players already know one another from playing on club teams. Algoe, Griffin, Christiansen, Smyth, Taber, Beamish and Rhodes play on the same Buffalo United Soccer Club elite team that last year won a New York State championship. Dulski, Godin, Shufelt and Luedke play for the Rochester Junior Rhinos.

As an ESG veteran, Algoe tries to instill newcomers with an idea of what to expect.

"We carpool a lot because most practices are up in Rochester so we have an hour and a half both ways to chat so it is mostly about what coaches are looking for and players' past experiences," she said.

One of those new faces is Christensen, a soon-to-be senior for Iroquois who didn't make the Western team last year and was an alternate this summer until two weeks ago.

"I was at a friend's house and my mom called and said I made the team," said Christensen, an All-WNY honorable mention last fall. "I was really excited."

The consensus among Western players is they want to leave the ESGs with gold around their necks.

"I've had some tough breaks in championship games with Buffalo United and ODP (Olympic Development Program) so winning gold would give me some closure," said Algoe.

"It would definitely mean a lot to the girls who won last year and for me because it's the only year I can play on the team," added Christensen.

Western's opening game with Adirondack could make or break the team's quest for gold. Western beat Adirondack, 2-1, on penalty kicks in last year's final.

"They're in our division so whoever wins that game will probably go to the medal round game," said McNamara.

Western has been in a medal round game since 1998.

Open

The open team's biggest problem isn't what playing surface they will compete on, it's getting the talent to try out. Western only returns six players from last year's silver medal team.

"We always have players that get pulled in different directions," said Western coach Dave Giordano. "Some play for the Rochester Rhinos and some don't try out anymore."

Returning players include Hilton's Jaclyn Burch (defense) and Paula Starwald (midfield), Fairport's Kristina Cristofori (midfield), Rochester's Lyanne Dupra (defense), Webster's Kristen Hubright (goalie) and Pittsford's Laura Odorczyk (defense).

Rochester's Laura Mallia makes her return to the open team after a two-year hiatus. The Amherst Central and Nazareth College graduate played for the women's scholastic team in 1999 and open from 2000 to 2004. Mallia will start in the midfield.

"She's probably, if not, one of the most important parts of the team," said Giordano. "She has a great attitude and a willing to take on many roles for us. She knows the system and we'll be happy to have her back in the lineup."

New to the ESGs all together is Kenmore's Emily McKinnon. The Kenmore West graduate who currently attends Buffalo State College had never tried out for the Games before this year.

"It's going to be a great feeling to represent Western New York," she said. "I'm really excited about it. Many of the girls are from Rochester so it's a really a pleasure to be on the same team as them."

Also on the team is Grand Island's Jessica Remmes (forward), Rochester's Laura Bojko (midfield), Deanna Dinardo (defense), Kelly Jackson (midfield) Roseanne Simiele (midfield), Kelsey Turley (defense), and Ashley Vanvechten (defense) and Canandaigua's Caitlyn Serefine (defense).

Western opens at 5 p.m. Thursday against Adirondack at Manhattanville College. It is a rematch of last year's final won by Adirondack, 2-1, on penalty kicks.

"I think we have a real good mix of people who want a gold medal," said Giordano. "It will be a formidable task. Adirondack is the favorite every year."

"To win a gold medal would be indescribable," added McKinnon. "I would be very proud of the team."

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com