Season in review; Bucs achieve numerous marks in 2009

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Southern women’s soccer team had a banner year in which the Buccaneers set numerous school records and multiple players etched their names deep into the history books.

Despite not advancing deep into the 2009 Big South Conference Women’s Soccer Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting, the Buccaneers placed third in the regular season and dominated the league statistically. CSU went 12-6-2 overall and finished league play at 5-2-2. The 12 wins tied the school record for most wins in a single season (1993, ’94, ’07).

CSU led the league with a school record 472 shots, nearly 200 more than the second-place team, and averaged a staggering 23.6 shots per game. The Buccaneers scored 48 goals, 27 more than second place, and recorded a school record 50 assists, 32 more than No. 2. The 2.4 goals per game ranked 15th in the nation. CSU also had 146 points, 86 more than the team ranking second, and was the only team in the league with triple-digit corner kicks (112).

The Buccaneers averaged 7.3 points per game, and had by far the largest goal differential of +23. The next closest was +2 and CSU was one of only two teams with a positive goal differential.

Charleston Southern also had both the best home record (5-2-1) and the best road record (6-3-1) in the Big South, while finishing with a 1-1 mark at a neutral site. The Buccaneers own a 17-3-5 record at home over the last three seasons.

The blue and gold began the season 4-0 for the first time in program history, and only lost two games all season long in regulation. CSU had a five-game unbeaten streak during conference play, and also had a four-game stretch against league opponents where the team recorded three shutouts. The Buccaneers came within one goal of tying the 2001 mark for least goals allowed, giving up 25 in 2009.

Charleston Southern had a two-game stretch near the beginning of the season where it faced just one combined shot, dominating Alabama State University (Aug. 28) and University of South Carolina Upstate (Sept. 1). Against the Hornets, CSU shattered the school record for most shots in a single game (71), most goals (14), most assists (11), most points (39) and most corner kicks (16).

Five seniors played their final games for Charleston Southern, and they were Sarah Catenacci, Lindsey Trexler, Jen Vroman, Jena Lalich and Alicyne Smith. Alissa Schoblaski, who served as an student assistant this season, also ended her career as a Buc.

Catenacci finished her career second on the all-time shots list with 246 career shots. She is also tied for fifth on the CSU list with 25 career goals and is alone in fifth with 64 career points. She also finished with 14 career assists, seventh most by a Buccaneer. She tied for eighth with 72 career games played and tied for 10th with 64 career starts. Catenacci had 83 shots in 2009, six shy of tying the school record for shots in a single season, despite missing three games due to injury.

Trexler finished her career with 142 shots, sixth most in CSU history. She also set the school record for most games played with 77 and finished third with 73 career starts. Her 17 career assists are fifth most by a Buccaneer. She recorded six assists in 2009, which placed her in a tie for seventh on the all-time CSU single season charts.

Vroman finished her career in a tie for third with 21 career assists. She recorded nine assists in 2007 (fourth most in a single season), and her eight assists this season were fifth most. She also had a stretch of six-straight games with an assist (Oct. 5 – Oct. 23), breaking the previous school record of four. 

Lalich ended her storied career with the school record for lowest career goals against average (1.50) and lowest single season goals against average (1.08). She also finished her career with a .754 saves percentage, just shy of the school mark. She played 3589:14 in net, had a 19-12-5 record and recorded six shutouts in her career. She was 7-3-2 in 2009 and finished with three clean sheets.

Marky Boyce became the second player in CSU soccer history to be named Big South Player of the Year. She was also the first athlete at Charleston Southern since 2005 to earn the accolade.

She had one of the greatest single seasons in school history as she scored 14 goals and recorded seven assists for an astounding 35 points. She ranked second all-time for points in a single season at Charleston Southern, scored the third-most goals in a single season, took the fourth-most shots (72) and placed sixth in assists. She also set the school record with seven game-winning goals.

She is now seventh all-time at Charleston Southern with 141 career shots, tied for fifth with 25 career goals, tied for eighth with 13 career assists and sixth with 63 career points.

Boyce will return for her senior season, and Michelle Dennis and Caitlin Wesnesky will also join her in 2010 as seniors.

Dennis is currently tied for fifth in school history with 25 career goals, alone in seventh with 59 career points and tied for 10th with nine career assists. She is also 11th in school history with 119 career shots. Wesnesky has 108 career shots, and both are expected to crack the top 10 list before their careers are concluded.

Boyce and Wesnesky were both named to the All-Conference First Team, while Catenacci and Vroman were both selected to the All-Conference Second Team. Trexler earned a spot on the All-Academic Team, and Morgann Wood and Rebecca Hollstegge were each named to the All-Freshman Team.