Marietta Soccer hosts annual MC Classic this weekend

Sept. 2, 2004
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Marietta College men and women?s soccer teams kickoff their 2004 seasons this weekend with the annual Marietta Soccer Classic. The seven-team field (three men?s teams and four women?s teams) represent colleges from Georgia, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin, and promise to bring plenty of competition to Don Drumm Stadium and the Devola Complex this weekend.
 

The Pioneer men are coming off a 6-8-5, 3-6 in the OAC, campaign and return 12 letterwinners and nine starters from a year ago. Head coach Patrick Holguin is looking for his talented freshman class to see plenty of playing time and help make an impact on the successes of this year?s squad.
 

?This is the most talented team i have assembled in my tenure at Marietta College,? said Holguin. ?We expect to rebound from last year and make a run at the OAC title.?
 

Holguin expects tri-captains Joe Bothner, Brad Maddox and Jason Pendell to provide the leadership for his team.
 

Bothner and and fellow senior Marcos Vaca return after having All-OAC seasons a year ago. Bothner played solid defense all fall and finished with one goal, while Vaca led MC's offense with six goals and two assists. He currently sits eighth all-time on MC's career assists list with 13.
 

Maddox, a junior, added four goals and one assist in 2003. Adam Cervenka will tend goal after splitting time in 2003. Cervenka allowed 15 goals and made 48 saves in 683 minutes a year ago.
 

The Lady Pioneers are anxiously looking forward to the 2004 season after making great strides over the last two years.
 

After finishing fifth in the (OAC) in 2002 with an 11-7 record, the Pioneers made the next jump last season. In 2003, Marietta compiled a 12-7-1 record and placed third in the OAC. The third place finish gave them a bid to the conference tournament for the first time in school history. The 12 wins was also a school record, breaking the mark of 11 set in 2002.
 

The success of the last two seasons has helped Marietta's recruiting, and the coaching staff is excited about the potential of the freshmen who join the 14 returning letterwinners.
 

If the Pioneers are to return to the OAC Tournament in 2004, it will be because of the strong leadership from their tri-captains senior Katherine Gessner and juniors Amy Lehosit and Kristin Drain.
 

Lehosit, a All-OAC Second Team selection, led the Pioneers with 19 points, scoring six goals and adding seven assists, last season.
 

Gessner was the leading goal scorer for the Pioneers in 2003. The All-OAC Honorable Mention honoree tallied eight goals, including two game-winners.
 

Drain, the anchor of the Pioneers' defense in 2003, also received All-OAC Honorable Mention honors. She was a part of a defense that recorded eight shutouts and allowed only one goal per game. Offensively, Drain scored one goal last season.
 

Joining Drain on defense once again will be junior goalkeeper Bethany Blahnik. Blahnik played all 1841:21 minutes in goal last season, collecting eight shutouts. She finished the season ranked fourth in the conference with 123 saves (6.15 spg) and a goals against average of 0.98.
 

?We have quite a bit of work ahead of us in order to improve upon last season,? said Holguin. ?The team worked extremely hard during training this offseason and we expect the dividends to pay off this fall.?
 

The teams that join Marietta this weekend are Agnes Scott (GA) (women), Carthage (WI) (men and women), SUNY-Brockport (women), and Wooster (men) .
 

The College of Wooster, who finished 12-3-3 last season, losing in the finals of the NCAC Tournament, brings in a strong team, led by 11 seniors. The Fighting Scots played Marietta to a 1-1 tie last season.
 

Carthage has 27 returning lettermen, including 10 seniors, from the 2003 team that went 9-7-3 and fell one game short of qualifying for the CCIW Tournament.
 

On the women?s side, Agnes Scott is coming off a nine-win season and a second place finish in the GSAC. Head coach Joe Bergan is a 1984 graduate of Marietta College.
 

Carthage returns 24 veterans from last years 11-7-1 squad and is hoping consistent play will lead them to the CCIW Tournament in 2004.
 

SUNY-Brockport finished 12-6-1 and reached the SUNYAC semifinal last season. The Golden Eagles are led by seven seniors.
 

?This is always an exciting weekend,? said Holguin. ?Our players are anxious to start the season. We?ve worked hard this preseason, and this early tournament will help us prepare for OAC play."

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