Rookie of the year looks to future seasons

RYAN KIRBY STAFF WRITER REK722@CABRINI EDU

Thirteen goals, two assists, Pennsylvania Athletic Conference rookie of the year and second team allPAC honors aren’t enough for freshman field hockey star Desiree Umosella. “We have a great coach, great leaders and a lot of young talent. No one is satisfied with our record and we feel like we could have won every game,” Umosella said.

The Cabrini field hockey team had high expectations going into the 2007 season with a lot of freshman recruits and a few upper class leaders but struggled around the .500 mark all season and finished with an 8-12 record, 6-4 in the PAC. The team clinched the sixth seed in the PAC playoffs, only to fall to Gwynedd-Mercy College in the first round 3-2 in overtime.

“We have everyone coming back next year so we will be even better. I am going to call it right now that we will go undefeated, we have that much talent and a great coach and I know we can do it,” Umosella said.

Consistently crediting her teammates and coaches with her success, Umosella noted that the Cavaliers have a lot of great players and leaders, such as junior pre-physical therapy major Melissa Benedetti and junior exercise science and health promotion major Kate Ryan. Benedetti and Ryan were co-captains and both were selected to the PAC first team.

“Having both captains back along with more recruits will hopefully help us win the PAC and get a bid to the NCAA tournament next year,” Umosella said.

Umosella finished second on the team with 13 goals, started 19 of the Cavaliers 20 games, scored multiple times in five games, recorded a hat trick against Notre Dame, finished seventh in the conference in goals and ended the season with 28 points.

“I would love to be a captain eventually; I love the leadership role. Especially for this team I would love to be a leader because of how close everyone is with each other, our team chemistry is the best around and it really feels like a family,” Umosella said.

The team has put together an indoor squad for the winter and will also play in a spring tournament next semester to prepare of the 2008 campaign.

“Even when we lost to Philly U. it was only 1-0 and we could have won. We were playing a very high level of hockey and anyone that was at that game could see how much potential we have for the future,” Umosella said.