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Women's Soccer Team has Aspirations of Higher Finish
The Olivet College women’s soccer team has aspirations of a higher finish in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings. With a higher finish, the Comets would also host a first round game of the MIAA Tournament for the first time in two years.

Olivet finished the 2007 season with a 6-9-3 overall record and 1-6-2 MIAA mark. Three of the six league losses were by one goal and the ties were double overtime 0-0 draws.

Olivet will be led by senior co-captains Kellie O’Dowd (Jackson) and Megan Reardon (Macomb/Chippewa Valley). The duo will also anchor the Comet defense that allowed only 21 goals and posted 1.12 goals against average last year.

O’Dowd and Reardon also have the ability to bring the ball up from the defensive end of the field and help score goals. Last year, O’Dowd had two goals and one assist for five points, while Reardon tallied three assists along with one goal for five points.

Joining them on defense will be seniors Nicole Babcock (Three Rivers) and Katie Wolf (Marshall) along with sophomore Cara Underwood (Holland). After seeing playing time on the junior varsity team for two years, Babcock played in all 18 varsity games and recorded three assists last season. Wolf has been on the varsity team for the last three years and played in 47 career games. During her rookie season at Olivet last year, Underwood saw action in 14 games.

The offensive effort will be led by senior forward Cori Barrera (East Lansing) and sophomore forward Ashley Buyce (Portage/Portage Central). In three years at Olivet, Barrera has played in 53 games and scored 34 points -- 15 goals and four assists. Buyce was second on the team last year with seven points: three goals and one assist.

Returning players in the midfield include sophomores Alyssa Fredrick (Holland) and Katie Koralewski (Sterling Heights/Stevenson).

Sophomores Megan Colby (Cedar Springs), Leanne Scudder (St. Joseph/Lakeshore) and Sarah Westen (Grand Ledge) all are returning goalkeepers.

Colby returns after being sidelined for most of the 2007 season with an injury. Before the injury, she did not allow a goal. Westen played in 17 games, including 13 starts, made 118 saves and gave up 17 goals for 1.14 goals against average. She may also see time as a field player. In her first collegiate game last year, Westen played the first half in goal and then scored a goal in the second half. Scudder played in six games and allowed four goals.

In order to have a higher finish in the MIAA standings this year, the Comets will need to continue to play their solid defense from a year ago and improve their offensive production.