Captain and second team CIS all-Canadian Mélanie Poirier will lead a young Concordia Stingers women's team into the 2006 Quebec university soccer season.
The Stingers have just nine players returning from last season's 8-5-1, fourth-place team. Besides Poirier, all-star defender Erica Geertsen, forward Joanne Barnard and goalie Melissa Morgan will provide the leadership. Third-year striker Julia Pawlusiak will be the key offensive player. She is expected to improve on the three goals and two assists she collected in 13 games last season.
There are 15 rookies on the roster this season. Head coach Jorge Sanchez is very pleased with the 2006 recruiting class that he considers the best in his five years with the team. First-year players to watch include mid-fielders Alli Burgess and Olivia Dunbar who should be regular starters. Karen Stewart has also been outstanding in training camp and will see regular playing time as a complement to Pawlusiak.
"My general goal is that each time we step off the field after a game, the players and coaches can look each other in the eyes and say that we were not outworked on the field," says Sanchez. "To know that we played hard, played smart and gave everything we had."
More specifically, the coach would like to take the team a step forward and move up into third place or higher in the eight-team Quebec conference.
Concordia opens the 2006 season on the road with a game versus the Bishop's Gaiters on Friday at 4 p.m. The Stingers' home opener is Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at Concordia Stadium.
