Virginia Tech Hokies
2012 Overall Rank: #20
Conference Rank: #8 ACC
Virginia Tech Team Page
Virginia Tech made a nice run in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off West Virginia and Texas A&M. All was going well until they ran into another ACC team. The trip to Charlottesville was a tough one a month earlier during regular season play and the result was the same for the Hokies in both games, a 4-0 loss. While this is a team that may again struggle to beat the best in the ACC, they have proven that they are players on the national scene. Another deep tournament run is very feasible for this team, but they will have to navigate through the tough ACC to get there.
2011 Record: 14-8-1, 4-5-1
2011 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Charles Adair
Strengths:
With the return of Kelly Conheeney, Shannon Mayrose, Jazmine Reeves, Anne Lumpkin and Kelsey Loupee, the Hokies will have little trouble finding the back of the net. Conheeney, a senior midfielder, led Virginia Tech with 12 goals and added six assists. The offense will run through her, but do not be surprised if Mayrose steals a little bit of the thunder in 2012. Mayrose has been hampered by injuries and did not even start a game last season. Despite not starting, Mayrose still netted nine goals and dished out three assists. When Coach Charles Adair needs a goal Mayrose will be on the pitch, whether she starts or not. With another offseason to help recover from injuries that plagued her freshman and sophomore seasons, Mayrose should be ready to play the entire game as needed. Reeves will join Mayrose up front. Reeves, another experienced upperclassman, scored five goals and totaled a team high nine assists. Lumpkin was just a part-time starter in the midfield last year, but should play a bigger role as a senior. Her role was pretty large in 2011 as she did score three goals and dish out four assists. Loupee is the other playmaker in the midfield. She is not a great goal scorer, yet is certainly capable of scoring, but does a great job setting up her teammates. She was just a freshman last year, so she could take on a bigger role as a sophomore. The defense returns Kelsey Mitchell, Amanda Gerhard and Julia Goldsworthy. Those three started all 23 games last year. The defense was solid in 2011 and should be even better in 2012. Dayle Colpitts took over the starting keeper job a few games into last season and should hang onto it for this year. In 19 games she allowed 18 goals and tallied 76 saves.
Weaknesses:
The loss of Katie Cramp, Brittany Michels and Brittany Popko, all who started every game in 2011, will be felt for a little while. But this group has a nice mix of senior leaders and young players who are ready to step up and take on a bigger role left behind by the departing players. With a talented group of freshmen, led by midfielders Ashely Meier and Delia Maresco, Coach Adair will have plenty of options. The bigger issue is the ACC itself. In 2011 the Hokies twice played four ranked ACC teams in a row. The first time, to start off the ACC season, they only mustered up one draw against Wake Forest. The second time they stole a win at home from eighth ranked North Carolina and lost the other three without scoring a goal. The schedule will be brutal yet again.
Final Projection:
The 2012 Hokies should be ready for that tough schedule. They are an experienced bunch who has played in some of the toughest places against the toughest teams in the nation. However, there is little margin for error in the ACC. A 4-5-1 conference record was good enough to get Virginia Tech into the NCAA Tournament last year, but that means the Hokies cannot afford to lose to any teams that they should beat, even if it is on the road. Unlike last year, the opportunities will come at the beginning of the ACC campaign this time around, as the Hokies conference slate begins with four of their first five at the friendly confines of Thompson Field. A hot start at home could turn things into a top ten team and give them the momentum they need to finish strong.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Tournament
Returning Leaders:
Goals: Kelly Conheeney, Senior, M, 12
Assists: Jazmine Reeves, Junior, F, 9
Shots: Kelly Conheeney, Senior, M, 64
Saves: Dayle Colpitts, Junior, GK, 76
Madness 2012 Women’s Soccer Recruit Rankings:
#20 Ashley Meier
#96 Delia Maresco
