The Lancaster Bible College women's soccer team opens its 2016 season on Thursday and the Chargers will once again look to improve as Head Coach Leah Sipe-McDermott begins her second season at the helm of the Chargers. Lancaster Bible finished 10-11-1 in Sipe-McDermott's first season and advanced to the North Eastern Athletic Conference Semifinals before falling to eventual champion Penn St. Berks, 2-0. Lancaster Bible battled injuries all season long in 2015, but with everyone finally healthy and 11 new recruits in the fold, the Chargers will look to return to the NEAC Final for the first time since 2012 when the Chargers won their only NEAC Championship.
 
The Past
Lancaster Bible started slow last season, dropping its first three games, but caught fire over a four-week stretch in the middle of the season when the Chargers went 7-2 and climbed the NEAC standings in the process. After a late-season hiccup, the Chargers finished the regular season with a 2-1-1 mark and then defeated Keuka, 3-0 in the NEAC Quarterfinals at Charger Field. After losing in the NEAC Semifinals to the Nittany Lions, Lancaster Bible closed its season with a 3-0 loss to Houghton in the NCCAA Division I Midwest Semifinals and the Highlanders then went on to win the NCCAA Division I National Championship. Kirsten Webster and Maddie Dionne were named NEAC All-Conference 1^st Team selections, while Raegan Horst and Alyssa Wesner were named 2^nd Team selections. Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Scheuing earned her second all-conference nod as she was named to the 3^rd Team.
 
The Fresh Faces
There will be 11 new players in uniform for the Chargers on Thursday when they host Alvernia at 4 p.m…Among them are five players from local high schools (Katie Witwer, Hannah Bernstein, Greta Strunk, Erin Groff and Rheeana Miles), while Maggie Arnold, Joy Trumbull and Caroline Majeski are also from Pennsylvania…Kate Spiezio and Barb Foster hail from Maryland, while Danni DeVinney is from New York…Coach Sipe-McDermott said Foster and Bernstein have made an early impact, crediting both with great vision on the field…Sipe-McDermott said both will have immediate impact on the field for the Chargers when the season opens, as will Arnold, who Sipe-McDermott says is very quick and will get lots of good looks to put the ball in the back of the net…Sipe-McDermott said all 11 of the newcomers will make contributions this season and she is excited for what the future holds for all of them.
 
The Experience
Lancaster Bible returns 10 players, nine from last year's team and Anne Hayward, who is returning from an injury that sidelined her for the entire 2015 season…In addition to Hayward who is a senior, Scheuing, Wesner and  Brianne Lieb return for their senior seasons as well…Sophomores Dionne, Michaela Ragsdale, Kiersten Hatch and Abi Brady are also back, as are juniors Horst and Rachel Kumher…After being injured late in the year last season, Horst is back and ready to go as she led the Chargers with seven assists last season…Wesner was one of two players with double-digit goals last season (10) and she will look to put the bow on her storied career with a NEAC Championship…Wesner enters the season with 36 career goals, tied for the fourth-most in program history…Scheuing meanwhile, will take her spot between the pipes for the fourth straight season as she is just one shutout away from tying the program-record of 26 set by Emily Lloyd ('13)…Sipe-McDermott said it is great to have Scheuing back and have a familiar voice back there for the defenders and because she provides such strong leadership…Horst, Kumher and Wesner will be the captains this season.
 
The Coach Says
"Despite our youth, we have gotten better in every single practice," Sipe-McDermott said. "We talk about getting better every day, but it is apparent that it is taking place with this team. Once the freshmen get comfortable, we will be a much deeper team than we were last season. The team is ready to go and we are all excited to begin the year."
 
The Outlook
Sipe-McDermott admits that a lot has been thrown at the new members of the team, but she believes as they adjust and understand exactly what is going on, the team will continue to get better and better…With the players who are returning and Sipe-McDermott's excitement for all of the recruits, it's easy to see why the team is excited to get going…The schedule isn't easy early on as the Chargers face Alvernia (0-7 all-time against the Crusaders) and Houghton (2015 NCCAA Div. I National Champions) during the first week of the season, before opening NEAC play on Sept. 7 at Penn St. Abington who finished 11-1 in conference play last season…Lancaster Bible will play 18 total regular season games with eight at Charger Field and 10 on the road…Other non-conference games include Neumann, Franklin & Marshall and Susquehanna.
 
The Links
Schedule
Roster
2016 Media Guide
Live Audio and/or Video
NEAC Website