Fall Sports Review
3 min read
By KEVIN BOILARD
The University of Mary Washington’s men’s soccer squad wrapped up its 2012 campaign with a 12-8-1 overall record (3-3 CAC). The 12-win season was a significant improvement for the Eagles and second-year head coach Jason Kilby, who led the team to a 7-7-3 record a season ago.
After posting a disappointing 5-5 record in the first month of the season, the Eagles turned their season around, dropping only two contests in the month of October. As a No. 5 seed, Mary Washington decisively shut out Marymount in the first round of the Capital Athletic Conference tournament. They followed that win up with an unexpected overtime victory over Salisbury in the conference semifinals before eventually falling to York in the championship game.
Junior defender Tommy Sangbouasy was the Eagles’ scoring leader in 2012, with seven goals (three game-winning goals) and four assists. Freshman forward Patrick Kelly finished just behind Sangbouasy with six goals (one assist) of his own. Sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Back also played a large part in the Eagles’ success, racking up 82 saves and 10 shutouts on the season.
Mary Washington’s women’s soccer team finished with an impressive 13-2-3 overall record (3-1-2 CAC) this fall. The 2012 season was head coach Corey Hewson’s fifth at UMW and his best as the Eagles’ leader. The team’s 13 wins are the most it has had since 2004.
The Eagles ripped off five straight wins to start the season, outscoring their opponents, 31-12, over the first 10 games of the season. They also finished the season strong, going undefeated in the month of October. UMW built on its stellar regular season with an exhilarating penalty kick victory over St. Mary’s in the first round of the CAC tournament, but the team fell by a goal to Salisbury in the conference semifinals.
Junior Erin Reynolds and freshman Jessica Bednarcik, Mary Washington’s pair of talented forwards, tied for the team-lead in goals with 13. Bednarcik added seven assists, which also led the team, to give her a total of 33 points on the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Charlotte Owens met the century mark for saves (101), and compiled a season-long goals-against average of 0.92.
The Eagles will graduate only one senior, defender and team captain Emmalee Denkler, so the young team should be able to build on their 2012 success in the seasons to come.
UMW volleyball posted a slightly subpar 12-13 overall record, but the team performed well in conference play, compiling a 4-2 record against Capital Athletic Conference opponents. Dee Conway, who has been the university’s volleyball head coach since 1987, suffered only her second losing season in the past decade.
The Eagles got off to a hot start, winning five of their first six match-ups of the season. From there, the team went on a seemingly irreversible slide, losing 11 of its next 12 contests in the middle of the season. The Eagles, however, turned things around by winning each of their final five games of the regular season. Heading into the postseason with momentum, the squad topped Frostburg State in the first round of the CAC tournament before falling to Salisbury in the semifinals.
Junior outside hitter Kaitlynn Wickersham provided the Eagles with offensive firepower all season,collecting a team-leading 195 kills in 2012. Defensive specialist Christine Tran had 316 digs on the season, more than any other Eagle this season.
