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Women's Soccer

Women's Soccer Preview: Talent Takes Center Stage in 2008

Senior Yvonne Vasquez, an All-Region, All-CCAA and CCAA Newcomer of the Year, returns to lead a potent Toro squad towards its CCAA Title run.
Carson, CA -- Two thousand eight officially ushers in a new set of leaders for the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's soccer team after 2007 bade a fond farewell to nine seniors, including five who helped CSUDH capture the 2004 CCAA Championship as true freshmen. 

But after earning a berth in last year's CCAA Conference Tournament and winning a 1st round match-up against perennial power UC San Diego in the NCAA Division II Far West Regional, this year's squad has the confidence and experience to progress even deeper in the national playoffs, and are led by a pair of electric senior forwards and a sophomore keeper, all of whom earned All-CCAA honors last season.
   
In addition to the decorated trio, the 2008 team boasts three 4-year seniors of its six total on the squad, a junior, three sophomores and a highly-touted recruiting class that look to power the Toros back into national prominence, and into the CCAA winner's circle for the first time in four years.

Just as important, head coach Joe Flanagan added two key components he's been searching for in an attacking midfielder and a pure scorer, who look to make an immediate impact to an already talented and experience squad.

“We lost a great nucleus but we did bring in a couple of girls last year who really stepped in and got comfortable in the system,” begins Flanagan.  “Knowing we were going to have to fill some shoes this year, we had a quietly strong recruiting class last year that got some minutes, got into some big games, and they're ready to step in this year.  And we have some very good girls coming in who can step in and make an impact right away.”

Here's a closer look at who look to lead the Toros back to the promised land in 2008:
Forward

Seniors Yvonne Vasquez, Kelly Matosian and Kristen Boskovich highlight the returning sharp-shooters in 2008 after combining for 22 goals and 13 assists last year.
   
Vasquez, named a co-captain in 2008, was named a 2nd-team NSCAA All-Region, 1st-team All-CCAA and CCAA Newcomer of the Year in 2007, also earning one CCAA Player of the Week Award.  The feisty Norwalk native led the CCAA in goals and game-winning goals, finished 2nd in points and tied for 3rd in assists, and enjoyed two multi-goal games at HSU (Oct. 7) and vs. CSUSB (Oct. 28), with three of her six assists coming in the 3-0 win over cross-town rival Cal State L.A.

“Yvonne is fun to watch,” Flanagan says with a smile.  “She scores goals, she sets up goals for everybody else and makes it very difficult on defenses because she runs at them and takes everybody on and creates scoring opportunities for herself and for other people.  She's just a handful, a defender's nightmare.”

Matosian equally was as effective in her first year in Cardinal & Gold.  The 5-6 Lakewood native earned 3rd-team All-CCAA honors and was selected the CCAA Player of the Week once.  Matosian placed 4th in the CCAA in points, tied for 4th in goals and tied for 5th in assists, enjoying two multi-goal games at GCU (Aug. 30) and vs. CSULA (Sept. 21), and two assists against CSUSM (Sept. 24).

Boskovich, who will complete her fourth and final year in Carson, tallied 5 goals and 2 assists in 2007, including a multi-goal effort in 3-0 win over CSUSM (Sept. 24).  The Palos Verdes native also scored a goal and assisted on a score twice, at SSU (Oct. 5) and vs. CSUSB (Oct. 28)
   
“Kristen is a great finisher and she puts herself in great scoring situations,” says Flanagan of his co-captain.  “She'll get on the end of things and get knock-ins, and rebounds.  She was a role player to begin with and now she's a player we count on.  We need her to score, and she will.” 

Newcomer Jessica Murphy also will look to contribute not only this year, but for years to come.  “Jessica is a great finisher,” says Flanagan.  “This girl is definitely going to be a fantastic player, and someone who can set some records down the road.” 



Midfield

Unlike years past, the center midfield position will be this year's foundation.  With junior newcomer Melanie DeSalvo making her Toro debut in 2008, CSUDH's midfield will be its most lethal and dangerous in recent memory.

“Melanie's the attacking center midfielder we've been looking for the past couple of years,” Flanagan begins.  “She's a great passer, can dribble, can create, and overall just a smart soccer player who will make our forwards even more dangerous because we're going to have that attacking center midfielder who will run at people and create.”

Junior MaKensie Pedrotti and freshman Paige Peel are two other newcomers who will help solidify the midfield position, and complement senior Cassie McKay, junior Natalie Moreno and sophomore Melissa Livergood as more weapons on an experienced and talented NCAA-qualifying team.

Last season, McKay, Moreno and Livergood combined for 3 goals and 6 assists in a position that was dominated by upperclassmen, with McKay assisting on five.  The trio played in 56 games in all while gaining valuable experience under Flanagan's system.

“Hopefully we can have Cassie play more of her natural position, which is defensive midfielder,” says Flanagan about one of the many pleasant surprises last year.  “She's a great ball winner, a great anticipator in terms of how defend and step into an attack zone so I think she'll have a strong season for us as well.”

And with Pedrotti and Peel in tow, look for the Toro offense to click on all cylinders early and often, giving CSUDH's forwards good look after good look.

“MaKensie is a very smart midfielder and will just make people around her better,” Flanagan begins, while Peel “is very strong, fit, left footed, and can score goals as she moves forward.  She's a great find for us.”

“Our center midfielder position, which we've always looked for in the past, will be our strongest position all around,” Flanagan concludes.
Defense
   
The backline will have talent and loads of experience as it looks to fill the void left by a quartet of four-year seniors, including Sandy Lloyd, who started every game played in her stellar Toro career.
   
Four-year senior Jackie Chavez saw action in 23 games with 2 starts last year, chipping in 1 goal in a 2-0 win over Sonoma State (Oct. 5), which was also good for a game winner.  As someone who's come into her own over the course of the three previous seasons, Flanagan expects Chavez to fill Lloyd's shoes, no easy task.

“Jackie's going to have to fill some big shoes in Sandy Lloyd, but she's ready for it, and if there's anybody who's gonna do that, it's Jackie,” begins Flanagan of his co-captain.  “She's risen to that position by just going out there and doing her job.  She works hard at practice, she has fun at practice, she does her job and is competitive in the game.  We can't really ask anymore from Jackie; she's done everything we've asked her to do.”

Fellow senior Monique Castro returns for her fifth and final year after a redshirt sophomore campaign.  In 2007, the San Diego native saw action in 19 games, making 2 starts, and earned her lone goal of season came in 4-0 win at GCU on August 30, with 11 of her 24 shots on the season coming on goal (45.8%).  With health dogging Castro throughout her career, Flanagan can't help but wonder what kind of player Castro could be if she remained healthy an entire year.

“Mo's a great leader and has come into fall in good shape, and if she can stay healthy, she's an all-conference player,” Flanagan begins.  “She's never really gotten that full season because of injury, so if it's the middle to late in the season and she's still healthy, you're going to see a great player out there. We're hoping for that not only for our team, but for her.”
Keeper

Stability emerged for the Toros last season as then freshman Alyssa Congdon established herself as the go-to keeper early on.  The Torrance native was named a 3rd-team All-CCAA selection after claiming two CCAA Player of the Week Awards (Sept. 17-23, Oct. 1-7) as she led the CCAA in saves, was 3rd in saves per game, 5th in GAA, 6th in save percentage and tied for 6th in shutouts.  Now a sophomore, she sits in 8th-place tie for wins in a season (12) and into a 10th-place tie for shutouts in a season (7) in the Toro record books after making a season-high 10 saves in 2OT draw vs. 2nd-ranked UCSD (Sept. 19) and 9 saves in 2-1 win over 6th-ranked UNO (Aug. 24) to open the season.

“Alyssa had a fantastic season last year and proved herself to be one of the top goalkeepers in the region,” says Flanagan of his All-CCAA selection, the first keeper selection for the Toros since 2003.  “Hopefully she will have as good or an even better year this season, but if she can have the same year as she had last year, we'll be happy.  She was awesome last year.”
The Schedule

The Toros open their schedule against former CCAA school Grand Canyon, with kick off for the 2008 season set for August 28, at 4:30 pm in Toro Stadium.  After a trip to the northwest for three games, including a rematch against Seattle Pacific, which knocked CSUDH from the 2007 NCAA postseason, the Toros return home on September 9 for a primetime battle against NAIA Azusa Pacific University.

CSUDH then begins CCAA Conference play with four-straight on the road, including back-to-back games at perennial power UC San Diego on Wednesday, September 17, and at 2007 Far West Regional Championship Game Participant Cal State L.A. on Sunday, September 21.

That quartet precedes a string of four home games, before a trip up north to battle Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus leads up to home contests again the Tritons and Golden Eagles, and CSUDH's final regular season home game against Cal State San Marcos on Wednesday, October 22, where the Toros will honor their seniors.

The Toros then close out the regular season at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Bakersfield on October 31 and November 2, prior to the CCAA Conference Tournament, set for November 7 and 9, at a location to be determined.
Final Thoughts

“Everybody's been talking about how positive everything is with all the new girls, so we're looking forward to getting everyone up to speed and on the same page and hopefully start strong,” begins Flanagan, a day away from the 2008 season opener against Grand Canyon.

“It's a talented team, but now we're just trying to put people in the right place and changing the formation a little bit, but the talent is there.  When you lose the nucleus that we lost, especially on the defensive side, we think we have some defenders who can step in from last year.  And bringing in our midfielders and our forwards who are just as good as they were last year or maybe even better, I think overall we'll have a better attacking team. 

“I really like our team, and can't wait to get started.”

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