2013 Women's Soccer Preview

AURORA, N.Y. - The Wells College women's soccer team will look to carry their strong finish from last season into the 2013 season, the 34th season of women's soccer in Aurora. In 2012, the Express tied the program record for North Eastern Athletic Conference victories (five) while also posting the most victories at home since 1982.

Despite a 2-10 start to their season, the women's soccer team rattled off five victories late in the 2012 season, including a stretch of three-straight NEAC victories, to place them a win shy of qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2009. The Express had not rattled off five victories in seven games since the 2002 season where Wells rattled off five-straight victories at the end of the season before falling to Trinity (D.C.) in the Atlantic Women's Collegiate Conference playoffs.

In 2012, Head Coach Jamie Trudeau became the first women's soccer coach since Miguel Gil in the early 1980's to record back-to-back seven-plus victory seasons at the helm of the Express. Offensively, the Express recorded 32 goals and 17 assists in 2012, the seventh-highest single season total in program history.

In 2013, Trudeau has tabbed senior Chelsey Martinelli (Chichester, N.H.) and junior Shannon Blanford (Fayetteville, N.Y.) as her captains. Martinelli, one of two senior student-athletes on the team, has appeared in 36 games between 2010 and 2012, scoring all of her 10 career points (4-2=10) as a junior in 2012 and scored her first career game-winning goal against Wilson on Oct. 13, 2012. Blanford, who has scored 55 points (21-13=55) across her first two years as a member of the team, is the first-ever player at Wells in the NCAA Division III era to have that many points across her first two seasons.

Senior Lindsey Bush (Averill Park, N.Y.) will lead the backfield for the Express in 2013 after tying her career-high mark for games played (17) as a junior. Last year, Bush saw action in every game for Wells and recorded her first collegiate point, an assist, against Hilbert on Sept. 5. Junior Charlee Weidman (New Berlin, N.Y.) returns to the team after debuting as a freshman in 2011, playing in 18 games and scoring three points via a goal and an assist. In 2011, Weidman was a part of one of the highest-scoring offenses in school history as the Express combined for 116 total points (45-26=116).

Sophomores Heather Hiltbrand (Fayetteville, N.Y.), Dayna Vibbard (Burlington Flats, N.Y.) and Karley Raczynski (Fonda, N.Y.) each return after strong rookie campaigns. Hiltbrand saw action in 19 games for Wells, scoring three assists against Wilson on Oct. 13 en route to setting the season-high single game scoring mark for the Express. Vibbard will play defense for Wells after playing in 15 games for the Express in 2012, assisting the game-winning goal against St. Elizabeth on Oct. 14. Raczynski will patrol the midfield in 2013 a year removed from a six point season (3-0=6) – she scored the game-winning goal against Cobleskill St. on Oct. 27.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kylie Nishioka (Encinitas, Calif.) will serve as the starting netminder entering the 2013 season. In 2012, Nishioka was a member of the field hockey team at Wells and racked up four goaltending victories while posting a goals-against average of 2.30, the third-best in program history. Nishioka, who played soccer in high school, was also a member of Trudeau's softball program last spring.

Nine players will be making their Wells College debuts in 2013, including sophomores Kim Bader (Skaneateles, N.Y.), Arianna Harmon (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and Brittany Paul (Rochester, N.Y.). Bader, a graduate of Jordan-Elbridge High School in Jordan, N.Y., was a three-sport athlete for the Eagles and will assist the Express defense. Harmon, a transfer from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., was named the Most Improved Player at East Syracuse-Minoa High School while Paul comes to Wells after graduating from Gates-Chili High School in 2012.

Freshman midfielder Taylor Brown (Clinton, N.Y.) was not only a three-sport student-athlete at Clinton High School, but was named team captain for all three sports as a senior. Freshman Olivia Baum (Summerville, S.C.) will play defense for the Express after playing five years of varsity soccer for Ashley Ridge High School – she earned Most Valuable Player honors for soccer in back-to-back seasons while also earning an MVP nod in basketball. Amelia Thomas (Springfield, Vt.), a first year student at Wells, was a team captain at Springfield High School after playing three sports in high school.

Midfielder Heather Barscz (Troy, N.Y.) will join a predominantly youthful backfield for Wells after graduating from Lansingburgh High School where she played soccer and ran indoor and outdoor track. Freshman Savannah Scott (Albuquerque, N. Mex) rounds out the roster for the Express after serving as a two-year captain for the Lions of Amy Biehl High School.

The Express open their season on Saturday, Aug. 31  as they face-off against Green Mountain College in the SUNY Canton Tournament in Canton, N.Y. Wells will play the Eagles under the lights before squaring off against the host Kangaroos on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Wells College athletic department by "liking" us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WellsExpress) and subscribing to our Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/WellsExpress).