Eight Home Games Highlight 2012 Schedule for Women's Soccer

Today the athletic department at Vermont Tech announced the 2012 Women's Soccer schedule, a sixteen game slate with eight of those contests coming on the home field of the Knights. The team begins the season at home on Saturday, September 1^st when they will face the University of Maine-Presque Isle Owls, and will hopefully continue late into October, as the Yankee Small College Conference Playoffs begin October 14^th.

Head Coach Jenn Norton-Magnan, entering her seventh year, brings to the pitch a fairly young team surrounded by a few key returning upper classmen. The biggest loss from last year's squad is United States Collegiate Athletic Association All-American, YSCC All-Conference and team Captain Goalie Abbie Senesac (Williston, VT), who did more than her part in keeping the Knights in games throughout 2011. Although replacing a goalie and strong leader such as Senesac will not be easy, the Knights do return some powerful pieces from last year's team. Senior Forward and 2011 YSCC All-Conference Ashley Lockerby (Enosburg Falls, VT) will attempt to lead the Knights in goals scored for the second straight season. In addition, midfielders Senior Kelly Vellek (Burlington, VT) and Sophomore Halie Shea (Lisbon, NH) will do their best to control the ball and lead Vermont Tech back to the top of the YSCC.

After starting at home, the Knights are on the road against in-state rivals Lyndon State College (Sep. 6) and YSCC foe College of St. Joseph's (VT) (Sep. 8). The Knights follow the road stretch by returning home on Sunday, September 9^th versus Fisher College from Boston at 1:00pm. The following weekend Vermont Tech again takes the road, this time to Massachusetts to battle Pine Manor College (Sep. 15) and reigning YSCC Champion Hampshire College (Sep. 16). After the road trip, the team faces a mid-week YSCC home contest versus NHTI on Wednesday, September 19 at 4:00pm.

The September slate continues with an out-of-conference home game with University of Maine-Fort Kent on Saturday the 22^nd at 11:00am, and then a second game against YSCC opponent Hampshire College on the 23^rd at 1:00pm. Next comes a mid-week game at NHTI (Sep. 27), while the month concludes with a home stand on alumni weekend. On Alumni Day, Saturday, September 29^th the girls take on non-conference rival SUNY Canton at 2:00pm, and the next day they jump back into YSCC play Paul Smith's College for a 12:00pm match.

October is all about the YSCC playoffs, and in preparation for them the Knights play all mid-week games. They receive one home game before finishing the regular season with three straight on the road. CSJ comes to Randolph Center on Tuesday, October 2^nd at 4:00pm, and then Vermont Tech takes to the road against Paul Smith's College (Oct. 8), University of Maine-Machias (Oct. 10) and complete the regular season with University of Maine-Augusta (Oct. 11).

The first round of the YSCC Playoffs will occur at the field of the higher seeded team starting October 14^th, while the YSCC Final Four takes place at NHTI in Concord, NH October 19^th through the 21^st.