15 Returning Letterwinners Give Cardinals Reason for Optimism as 2009-10 Season Unfolds

While the Cardinals will have to make up for the loss of second-team all-NESCAC and four-year starting netminder Rachel Stemerman '09, who graduated, along with the loss of four other seasoned graduates, including top scorer Hannah Jackson '09, Wesleyan has a core of 15 letterwinners back to fashion the 2009-10 squad.

Top forwards back from last year include Sena Ito '11 (8-3-11), who had more goals than any two players on the team combined, Jill Reynolds '12 (4-3-7) and Julia Mulhearn '12 (2-4-6). Two of the team's three captains, Heather Lindgren '11 (#19, photo insert upper right) and Julia Heffelfinger '11 (#6, photo insert lower left) are talented forwards as well. Also back are Izzy Huston '10, Leah Coe '12, Alex Bean '11, Molly Friedemann '10 and M.J. Cardin '12, giving the team more than enough veterans to sponsor three lines of attack.

Wesleyan also had five defenders returning to the ice, led by tri-captain Erin Fitzsimmons '10 (wearing #8 in 2009-10, photo insert upper left). Other are Emma Ram '12, Rebecca Snelling '12, Claire Feldman-Reich '12 and Ann Wheeler '12.

The troops will be bolstered by six newcomers, two of whom are frosh goalies - Nicole Bonneau '13 and Ashleigh Corvi '13. They will battle it out for the vacancy left behind by all-time saves leader Stemerman. Other featured newcomers are Kelsey Muller '13, Cassie Murphy '13, Becca Koppel '13 and Manhattanville transfer Jaime Bonner '12.

To say Wesleyan had its work cut out for it from the get-go might be an understatement as the squad hosted Little Three rival Amherst Fri., Nov. 20 with a second game on tap for Sat., Nov. 21 against the Lord Jeffs. Amherst posted a 16-0 conference mark in 2008-09 and a 24-5 overall record while defeating Elmira in overtime for the NCAA Division III title. Amherst racked up its 43rd consecutive NESCAC regular-season win by defeating Wesleyan, 8-0, behind a 67-6 shot advantage. Cardinal keeper Corvi (#21, photo lower right) got a baptism under fire but handled her role extremely well with 59 saves in her inaugural collegiate appearance. The Cards trailed 3-0 after the first period, 5-0 after two and the score stood 6-0 until Amherst added a pair of goals in the final minutes for the final outcome.

Click here for recent headlines