Cavaliersgearinguptortallsportsseason

by Paul Moser and Ron D'Orazio sports editors

The Cabrini College sports fall season kicked off recently. There are quite a few teams in the field who just fell short of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference title. Here are a collection of previews that are meant to wet the whistle of even the die hard Cavalier fan.

Men's soccer

Men's soccer coach Duncan Hubley expects his team to accomplish one task during the upcoming fall season and that is to win. Hubley said that he wants his team to finish with a winning record and to make the PAC-playoffs.

With a number of returning players from last season's team that bowed out of the playoffs after a 3-2 defeat at the hands of eventual champion, College Misericordia, Hubley has a compliment to a talented group of first-year players that gives the team , depth. The team has five returning seniors including senior captains Wayne Brown and Don Eadie. Paul Donaghy, Matt Kaiser and Mike Robinson, who are corning off of a strong game against Misericordia, are the other returning seniors.

The key player this season will be sophomore goalkeeper and captain Eric Lukach. Hubley said that he expects Lukach to be the best goalie in the PAC.

This squad should be able to contend for the PAC championship and could earn a berth in the East Coast Athletic Conference playoffs.

According to Hubley, the major competition in the PAC this season will come from Misericordia, Wesley College, a team that is new to the PAC and Eastern.

The men's PAC season opens at Neumann College on Sept. 16, at 1 p.m.

Women's soccer

Last season the Lady Cavaliers went a step further than the men did but still were not able to capture the PAC championship.

The Lady Cavs made it to the big dance but came home empty handed. The Lady Cavs were defeated in the conference final 3-0 against College Misericordia, which completed their sweep of Cabrini's soccer teams.

The Lady Cavs return to action this season after losing only three players to graduation, a problem that they will not face at the conclusion of this season. The Lady Cavs enter this season with no players of senior status on the roster.

Returning to the team are junior captains Megan Myers, sweeper and mid-fielder Erin Barney. Junior defenders Michelle Gabriel, Megan Hyde and mid-fielder Jen Reichart shore up the backfield Sophomore forward Karin Hale is back for her second season.

Myers and Gabriel come back to the team as AU-PAC selections after last season. Another key player this season will be sophomore Jessica Huda, a first-year player and starting netminder for the Lady Cavs.

In addition to the veterans on the team, eight new players have joined the squad including Huda.

The young Lady Cavs will have to endure a longer season if they wish to capture the PAC title. The expansion of the PAC has created a longer road to the championship with the addition of more playoff rounds.

Field Hockey

Last season the Lady Cavs fell one goal short of taking the PAC title home, losing a 2-1 contest to Eastern College. This season the Lady Cavs return to the PAC chase with 12 players back from a season ago. Look for the Lady Cavaliers to seriously challenge for the PAC title.

Becky Grabie, Mary Lear, Amanda Seeds and Jesse Valerio are the senior players on the 1998 squad.

Valerio is Cabrini's all-time leading scorer and its first career 50 goal-scored and Lear has been a three year starter.

In addition to the veterans there are eight first-year players and sophomore Lisa Reynolds, who is switching her high tops for some cleats for the time being.

The balance of veteran leadership and young legs should prove a profitable one for the Lady Cavaliers field hockey team.

Women's Tennis

The Lady Cavaliers are going into this season with possibly their best starting lineup in years.

Sophomore Carrie Smith has reclaimed her old spot at no. 1 singles, she is going to be counted on as a leader in the lockerroom.

Senior Michelle McDevitt has moved up the ladder to the no. 2 spot, supplanting sophomore Lori Gibbons who will handle the duties at no. 3 singles this year.

These three girls were the top three singles players last year as well.

First-year students have taken over the duties at four and five singles and look to contribute a lot for this year.

Coach Reggie Day has already classified this season as "a rebuilding year," however, sports fans don't fret, Day has classified almost every team he has coached as a rebuilding team, even in the years in which they challenged for the PAC championships.

Cross Country

The men's and women's cross country team enter this season after sweeping the PAC championships in the fall of 1997.

After the season the men's team went through changes, losing its two captains and the conference champion. Five players from last year's team that have returned are sophomores Colin Broderick, Ryan Jones, Ricky Romyn and captains Jason Bull and Dave McKay. Bull and Broderick received All-PAC honors after winning the championship. The runners who have returned are joined by the sole newcomer, first-year student Patrick Hutton.

As for the success of the team, assistant coach James Williams said, "If everything goes as planned this team will win the conference.

According to Jones, the team is one of the strongest groups in the region if they can stick together and will win the PAC title by far.

The women's cross country squad, another PAC champion, enters the season after losing two of their top runners, Academic All-American Lyndi Paladino and Nicole Volikas to graduation. The Lady Cavs do have defending PAC champion Sabrina Smith. Smith, a sophomore, brought home the honors of All-Regional and All-PAC after winning the PAC. Sophomores Kelly Dorrian and captain Becky Jurich are back to give the team leadership.

According to head coach Tom O"Hora, the team is looking for help from first-year runners Kristin Zielinski and Genevieve Lamb.

Zielinski was considered one of the top runners in southeastern Pennsylvania when she ran for Central Bucks East High School.

O'Hara said that both teams looked strong in their first scrimmage and have shown good spirit.

Women's Volleyball

Another team that is stacked with youthful talent is the women's volleyball team. After a season in which the team failed to qualify for the postseason, the Lady Cavs look to this season as a way to come together for a playoff drive.

Seven players have returned from last year's team. Leslie Kerrigan is the lone senior of the group. The team's two juniors are captains Natalie Daciwa and team Most Valuable Player Kristy Burton

The rest of the team is composed of sophomores and first-year players. The younger players have talent as evidenced by the play of sophomore Cabrini rookie of the year Tricia Arnold.

Sophomore Danielle Wawarzynk said that the team is young but it is expected to develop quickly.