Soccer Ready for Fast Approaching Season

Photo by: Bob Christy

8/16/2016 4:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer

KENT, Ohio- Kent State's women's soccer team looks to carry momentum from two preseason exhibition wins into the 2016 regular season as they begin the year by traveling to No. 23 Ohio State on Friday, Aug. 19 to take on the Buckeyes beginning at 7 p.m.

In their two exhibitions this past week, the Golden Flashes defeated Duquesne 3-2 and Cleveland State 4-2. Reigning Mid-American Conference Player of Year, Jenna Hellstrom, picked up where she left off last season, scoring four goals in the two exhibitions, including a hat trick against Cleveland State. Fellow 2015 First Team All-MAC honoree, Donavan Capehart, got in on the scoring, tallying a goal in each game. Junior forward, Hayden Pascoe, contributed to the scoring with a goal against Duquesne and an assist in each contest.

Heading into the 2016 regular season, the Golden Flashes will rely on a well-versed group of veterans while looking for considerable contributions from their six freshman. In total there are 16 returning letterwinners from the 2015 squad that finished the season with an 11-6-3 (7-4 MAC) record.

The five seniors set to lead the Golden Flashes include Hellstrom, Abigail LaVigna, Abbie Lawson, Brittany Maisano and Morgan Williams. In three seasons of playing together, the five have a combined 241 games played and 94 points (29g, 36a). Hellstrom and Lawson, along with redshirt junior Donavan Capehart, were tabbed as captains for the upcoming season. In two season with the Flashes, Capehart has found the back of the net 15 times with a team-leading 12 goals coming last season.

"Our leadership between Abbie Lawson, Jenna Hellstrom and Donavan Capehart has done a really good job preparing the team and making sure that they understand the standard that we're looking at playing. The leadership definitely starts there and everyone is following up to produce some good quality," said head coach Rob Marinaro.

Hellstrom and Capehart will be joined on the attacking third by juniors Pascoe and Karli Paracca, sophomore Dominique DiNardo and freshman Katie Kovacs.

Lawson will anchor the midfield alongside juniors Kristen Brots and Mackenzie Lesnick, and sophomore Miranda Lambert. Brots tallied 10 points in 2015 with three goals and four assists.

"A lot of us have played together for years now, so we're starting to get into a rhythm where we understand each other's style of play. We are a skilled team and it's really starting to come together," said senior midfielder Abbie Lawson.

The backline for the Golden Flashes is bolstered with experience, led by Maisano, junior Jaime Eiben and sophomores Paige Culver and Cassandra Sauter. In 2015, the Golden Flashes gave up just over one goal a match on average. This year's freshmen class gives the defense a lot of depth, as Maddie LaVigna, Sierra Henderson-Muschett, Amanda Reed and Trine Seistrup will all see action this season.

Sophomore Ashleah McDonald will get the nod in goal as she looks to build off her 2015 freshman season in which she recorded 11 wins in 18 starts.

Following their season opener with Ohio State on Friday, Kent State will host its first of seven home matches on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m., when the Canisius Golden Griffins come to Zoeller Field for the second year in a row.