Only two days after naming the 2006 co-captains, Dartmouth's women's soccer opened its spring season. On May 6, the girls faced a mixed team of the Boston Renegades' first team and their U-19 feeder program. After playing three 45-minute parts, the Big Green came out 7-3 winners, starting their spring encounters in style.
On Wednesday, May 3, Whitney Douthett '07, Colleen Kelly '07 and Megan Wijas '06 were named the team's captains for the 2006 season.
"Our captains will each contribute different but complementary qualities to the leadership of the team and I have complete confidence in their ability to lead the Big Green," head coach Angie Hind commented on the selection.
"I am so honored to be chosen captain and to be working with Wij and Whit next year" Kelly said. "I am really looking forward to the fall season.
"Although we graduated three great senior players, the majority of our team will be back next season. Everyone, especially our six freshmen, has been training so hard...as a result, we have improved not only individually but collectively as a team," Kelly added.
Wijas, one of the captains in the 2005 season, will be serving as a co-captain for the second year.
"I am delighted to have Megan lead the team for a second year," said Hind. "Her leadership qualities last year were a huge driving force throughout the season. To have Megan back with the experience she now has in a captain's role is very exciting."
Wijas herself was very enthusiastic about the upcoming season as she wants to see an improvement from last season's NCAA first round outing by Boston College.
"I think all three of us are really pumped about being captains. We have a great team and have high expectations for the fall. As far as the future is concerned, we want to keep improving. We had a great season this past year and we want next year to be even better," said Wijas.
Hind was also very enthusiastic about the other two captains, classmates Douthett and Kelly.
"Whitney Douthett is a natural leader and the ultimate teammate. She is a winner and having that constant mentality in a captain creates a very competitive atmosphere throughout the team," said Hind.
"Colleen Kelly simply leads by example. I am sure Colleen will take confidence from her outstanding 2005 season and use this to inspire the team to greater achievements this year," Hind added.
The win on Saturday proved to be a good start of the season for the trio. The Big Green was ready for a serious challenge and anxious to get in action. The Renegades, a semi-professional team out of the Boston area, was the challenge that the Big Green looked for.
"The Renegades were a solid team and it was a good and competitive game to start off our spring season," Kelly said. "It was the first game we have played since the fall and everyone was so excited to just get back out on the field and compete.
"After spending much of the spring thus far as a time to practice and get in shape, we were excited to finally be able to play," said Wijas.
The team won the first two 45-minute periods 3-0 and 3-1 respectively.
"Roxy Davis ['07] scored two goals and played really well. Becky Poskin ['09] had some really nice crosses, two of which were finished by Emily Tracy ['07]," Wijas said.
Playing only their first game of the spring season, the Dartmouth players' stamina was not up to par with that of the semi-professional Renegade players. In the third period, the Big Green lost 2-1, but still won the encounter with a 7-3 overall score.
"We got tired in the third period, and our play suffered. We lost 2-1 in the final period and played much more evenly with them. Our play got frantic and we didn't have the energy to chase the ball down, so we struggled," said Wijas.
However, the co-captain was happy with the team's overall performance.
"Overall it was a good team effort. While there is always room for improvement, I think we are all very pleased with our effort," Wijas added.
Douthett was also very enthusiastic about the shape the Big Green players were in and the progress they had made.
"We looked great on Saturday. Everyone looks as though they have gotten faster, stronger and all around a lot better since this past fall. I am very excited for this season and cannot wait to get going again," Douthett said.
Dartmouth faces South Central Premier and Seacoast United on Saturday, May 13, when they host the two teams back-to-back on Chase Field starting at 11:30 p.m.
