The first week of the new season is a wrap, and some trends are already emerging: last season's youth have become the leaders of 2010. Those younger teams of 2009 are starting the season well, continuing their program's tradition of winning. As the season progresses, we will see which programs can focus this emerging talent on winning consistently - and when winning really matters.
One winning program that seems to never run dry of talented young women is The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Coming of a strong finish in 2009, the Lions won their third straight game with a 4-0 blanking of La Verne on Sunday. Making a statement, TCNJ has outscored the opposition 12-0 thus far this season. In the win, sophomore Jessica Davila had the game winner in the 28th minute.
Another winning program trying to build a tradition are the Vikings of Augustana College. The CCIW program is coming off a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2009 and has seen the post-season three times in the past four years. The Vikings have started well, going 2-0 on the season with its second straight road shutout, blanking Coe 2-0. Junior Jessica Dodds scored the game winner in the 75th minute.
On the men's side, 2009 Semi-finalist Calvin wrapped up their first weekend undefeated at 2-0 with a 3-0 win over Goshen. 2009 Final Four participant Dominican blanked Alma 2-0 to also go 2-0 on the young season. Carnegie Mellon went 3-0 in their first week, finishing with a 5-0 win over St. Vincent, York (Pa.) was a 3-1 victor over Cabrini, staying clean at 2-0, and Whitworth edged past UC-Santa Cruz 1-0 to move to 2-0. UCSC fell to 1-1-2 with the loss.
In Texas, Trinity got by UT-Tyler 3-2 Sunday at the ASC-SCAC Challenge held at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, improving to 2-1. Earlier, the Tigers fell to UMHB. Cameron Hogsett had the game winner in the 44th minute. UT-Tyler's Troy Coffee scored in the 61st minute to make it close, but Trinity held on for the victory. And in the Centennial, 2009 post season program Swarthmore defeated Immaculata 3-0 to start their second week at 2-0.
Back to the women, SCIAC member Claremont-Mudd-Scripts was a 4-1 victor over UC-Santa Cruz to remain undefeated at 2-0. And earlier in the weekend, the Athenas edged by NAIA power Westmont 1-0. In Wisconsin, WIAC power and 2009 post season pick UW-Stevens Point moved to 3-0 on their young season with a 2-0 shutout of Rhodes College. The Pointers have yet to allow a goal in their three wins, and playing off their power from last season, returned ten starters from last season's successful squad.
And in Minnesota, rising MIAC power Concordia-Moorhead defeated UW-Stout 7-0 to move to 2-0 on the season. 2009 was a breakthrough season for Cobbers; they went undefeated in the regular season, they took the MIAC crown for the third time in four years, and played to the Sweet Sixteen round in NCAA post-season play. And the Cobbers, like UW-SP, are returning ten starters this season. No doubt the Cobbers would like a winning tradition like the one that Sheila Miech and the Pointers have put together over the years - and with the proven experience returning, this might be the year for just that.
