After being edged out of a spot in the Southern Conference playoffs the past two years in the last game of the season, The Citadel enters the 2013 campaign with a goal of climbing the league standings and returning to postseason play.
The Bulldogs are looking to build on a 2012 finish which saw them develop into a very competitive team. That stretch included a road victory over eventual conference tournament champion Georgia Southern, a third straight win over Appalachian State and no loss by more than two goals.
"We progressed each day all the way to the last game of the season," said Bob Winch, who is entering his eighth season as the head coach at The Citadel. "We had a strong spring season and a very good strength and conditioning semester which carried over into the summer."
The Bulldogs return 12 letter winners and eight starters, a group led by All-SoCon performer Mariana Garcia. The senior ranked among the national leaders in goals last season, but Winch will be looking for at least two more players who can score on a consistent basis in order to improve an offense which tallied just 27 goals in 18 games a year ago.
As always there will be a heavy emphasis on defense, an area that became a strong suit for The Citadel as the 2012 season played out. After allowing 15 goals in their first three games, the Bulldogs surrendered just 28 in their final 15 and no more than three in any single contest.
Despite the wealth of returning talent, there is still a need for at least some of the incoming six-player freshmen to make an immediate contribution. Those six include Naomi Carter, Ilana Green, Montana Hinson, Lea Raedle, Nata Torres-Diaz and Sara Winch.
"We have to eliminate some of the bad habits that our freshmen have coming into our program," said Winch. "They have to be able to pick up our system very fast since there is only eight days between our first practice and first game. They also have to be prepared mentally and physically since they will be coming off cadre, making fatigue an issue.
"There have always been two or three freshmen who produce a lot during the season," added Winch. "We just don't know who they are right now."
Regardless of who works their way into the lineup or how playing time is distributed, this will be a very tight knit group on and off the field. The core group of upperclassmen has been together for several seasons, and the leadership provided by captains Garcia, Ruth Leiva and Nicholle Griffith has created a sense of unity that should be reflected in the team's performance.
The 2013 season begins with a pair of exhibition games against Georgia and USC Upstate before the regular season starts with tough contests at Maryland on Aug. 23 and Navy two days later.
"We will have huge challenges right away and it will be a good gauge of our fitness and ability to play hard with the likes of Georgia, Maryland and Navy," said Winch. "These are going to be good games for us as we head into our conference schedule."
The SoCon slate is a great test for any team, with all 11 schools contenders for one of the eight playoff spots. The usual suspects – defending regular season champion UNCG as well as Samford and Furman – will field strong teams and Georgia Southern will be looking to defend its tournament title in its final year in the league.
Following is a look at the upperclassmen on the 2013 Citadel soccer team.
Seniors
Garcia enters her final season as the most decorated player in the history of the Bulldog soccer program. The Bogota, Colombia, native set several career records last season including goals (31), points (67), shots on goal (100) and game-winning goals (11).
Her 14 goals as a junior are the second most in a season in the school record book, and she finished the year ranked 11th in the nation in goals per game (.778) and tied for 33rd in points per contest (1.56).
Following the season Garcia was named first team All-SoCon for the second time in her career and was honored as The Citadel's Female Athlete of the Year.
"Mariana has improved every year since she's been at The Citadel," said Winch. "This season we expect her to be one of the better players in the country. We are counting on her to have a strong year in order for us to reach our goals."
Leiva joins Garcia as a senior captain and is being looked to for productivity whether she plays in the midfield or up front. As the most experienced player on the team with 57 career games including 48 starts, she has emerged as a strong leader with a great disposition and work ethic.
Through her first three seasons at The Citadel, Leiva has scored five goals and added five assists
Nicole Levermann saw action all over the field last year but is expected to settle in at forward in her final collegiate season. A tremendous athlete who also competes in several events on The Citadel track and field team, Levermann is a potent threat around the net and will look to add to her career goal total of 12, a mark that ranks seventh in school history.
Jillian Meyer is a versatile player who provides another big presence on the field but will become even more valuable as she becomes more physical. Last season Meyer played in the back and midfield while starting 13 times but saw a considerable amount of action at forward during the spring.
Sarah Katchen returns as the starting goalkeeper and will be an integral factor in the team's success this season. A year ago she made 87 saves, the fifth-highest total in school history, and her 2.56 career goals against average ranks third.
"We really need to have a great year from Sarah at the most important position on the field," said Winch. "She possesses excellent communication skills, which is vital for a goalkeeper, and is one of the fittest players on the team."
Juniors
The junior class is headed Griffith, the only non-senior to have been selected as a team captain for the 2013 season. She brings great spirit and is a "team-first" type of player while helping direct the action from the midfield.
Karina Schneider, Grace Raines and Ana Mesa return after starting a combined 51 games a year ago.
Schneider moved into the lineup in her freshman season and started all 18 contests in 2012, gaining extensive experience as a back. This season the Hamburg, Germany, product will be used more in a midfield role.
Raines started 16 times last season and was the anchor of the Bulldog defense but has also seen action as a forward and midfielder. She formed a solid midfield duo with Leiva in the spring, a look that could carry over to the fall campaign.
Mesa has played in all 37 games with 36 starts in her first two seasons at The Citadel. She is one of the better technical players on the team and a threat every time the ball is on her foot.
Mesa recorded six assists in 2012, the second most in one season in school history, and is tied for third with seven career assists. After making a successful transition from back to forward, she will now be looked to for increased goal scoring.
A newcomer to the team this season is Flo Amess, the first graduate student to play for the Bulldogs since Winch became head coach. A graduate of Kingston University in London, Amess will have two years of eligibility. She will see playing time at both back and midfield and as a left-footer will show opponents a different look.
Sophomores
It is always interesting to see how the sophomore class develops after coming off a tough year that includes adjusting to The Citadel as well as the collegiate game.
Kim Maldonado saw the most action of any first-year player in 2012, competing in 17 games with six starts. She is an attacking type of player and has a great deal of confidence in herself which must now translate to the field. Maldonado will be looked to as another goal scoring threat this season.
Another potential threat around the goal will be Andrea Davila, who played in nine games last year with two starts. She strikes the ball well but needs to become more physical in her play.
Sam Millspaugh played three games as a backup goalkeeper and turned in an outstanding performance in her lone start in the season finale against College of Charleston, allowing only one goal. She is a good shot saver and could play an important role in the net this season.
