PAC All-Conference Team honors four women players

SARAH PASTOR STAFF WRITER SEP722@CABRINI EDU

The fall season for the Cabrini women’s soccer team came to a disappointing close with a 6-0 fall to arch rival and No.1 seed Eastern University in the semi-finals of the PAC Conference Championships on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at Eastern.

But while there may have been a bit of unrest about the Cavaliers’ short changed playoff season, there was still a lot of pride to be taken in the diligence of the team and the stellar performances of several Cabrini players in both the Conference Championships and throughout the regular season.

Four women’s soccer players were named to the PAC All Conference Teams for their outstanding performance and leadership abilities presented throughout the 2007 season. Senior Corinne Szymczak, junior Nikki Duggan and sophomore Sabina DeGisi earned positions on the 2007 PAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team while junior Brittany Wright was named to the equally impressive All Sportsmanship Team.

All of the nominated athletes were humble in their recognitions and quick to denote thanks to their fellow teammates.

“I was completely shocked,” senior captain Szymczak said, a back fielder who played in all but one of the games this season and finished with one goal and two assists, a major accomplishment for any player in her position. “It took a few minutes for the reality of it to really sink in; I was so excited and happy that all of the hard work this season hadn’t gone to waste. No matter what seemed to be thrown at us, we always bounced back as a team. I’m so proud of everyone on the team and I’m glad I got to meet such a talented group of girls.”

Junior Nikki Duggan, a midfielder and another key player for the Cavs, started in all 20 games this season and recorded three total goals and five assists.

While adjusting to an offensive position from her former position as a defensive back was a challenge for Duggan, she credits the constant support from her teammates for making the transition go more smoothly.

Duggan responds to her All Conference Team nomination as “ …an honor, especially since we have some really talented players in our conference. Even though our season didn’t go as well as we had hoped, we definitely accomplished a lot and set ourselves up for a winning season next year.”

Two-time PAC All Conference Team player and last year’s conference Rookie of the Year Sabina DeGisi was humble in her recognitions.

DeGisi has established herself as one of the best forwards in the PAC. She was statistically listed among the top players in the conference for the second year in a row, tallying an outstanding 18 goals and three assists in this season alone.

“I am fortunate enough to have amazing teammates who are all equally responsible for every goal we score,” said DeGisi. “We are all really close on and off the field, and that support has led to the success of our team as a whole.”

The Cavs plan to continue training diligently into the off-season, capped by a team trip to Brazil next August to further prepare for a winning season in 2008. And no one knows the importance of optimism better than the Cabrini woman’s soccer team.

In the words of captain Szymczak, “We had our share of ups and downs, but we managed to overcome them at each practice and before every game. Team unity and support means everything.”