Following a disappointing season in which they won just three games, the UVM women’s soccer will look to start fresh in 2008 behind the leadership of their new head coach, Kwame Lloyd.Lloyd, 38, brings 14 years of experience to the Catamounts’ women’s soccer program. A Susquehanna University alum and former player for the National Professional Soccer League, Lloyd most recently coached at Division III Christopher Newport University in Virginia. In seven years with CNU, Lloyd compiled a 91-40-8 record while earning USA South Conference Coach of the Year honors four times. Lloyd will replace Kerry Dziczkaniec, who resigned after four years as the women’s soccer head coach. Already, Lloyd says he is enjoying Burlington and the UVM community.”[Burlington] is a very welcoming community,” Lloyd said. “It’s been an easy adjustment, and the administration has been great and made it even easier.”Lloyd said he chose to coach at UVM because it was the “right size,” as well as the academic success of the program. Not only that, but as Lloyd said, “you can win at Vermont.””There is lots of talent here,” Lloyd said. “We want to get rid of the misnomer of a ‘mid-major team’ and become an elite team.”Lloyd acknowledged that despite UVM’s lackluster record last year, the team lost several close games. In the off-season, Lloyd challenged his team to take pride in their personal fitness, and the results are paying off already.”Our team fitness level now is higher,” Lloyd said. “We work on our fitness daily and everyday it’s improved.” “[Coach Lloyd] has high expectations for our fit levels,” senior captain Kaitlin Francis said. “We’ve done some intense weight training. It’s hard but nothing too extreme.” The Catamounts will welcome 10 newcomers to the team this year, and already the class of 2012 has impressed their coach and fellow players alike. “Their spirit is most impressive,” Lloyd said. “They loved being a Catamount even before they got here.” Francis echoed her coaches’ statements. “We have a great class coming in,” Francis said. “The potential is there to make it to an America East championship.” When setting goals for the 2008 season, Coach Lloyd looked first to his seniors for inspiration. “Our main goal is to send the seniors out the way they need to go,” Lloyd said. Lloyd added that, though they have had a tough three years, he has asked the seniors to focus on their legacy in their final year at UVM. As for his outlook on the 2008 season, Lloyd has set the bar high. “Why not win the America East?” Lloyd said. “Anything can happen in the playoffs. We won’t fall short for a lack of trying.”

The Vermont Women’s Soccer team got their first win over the UMass Minutwomen in Burlington since 1989, 1-0 in double overtime on Friday afternoon. The teams played even for the first 100 minutes of the game. But in the 105th minute freshman Margii Driscoll ended the game with her first career goal for the Cats. The play started when senior Cassandra VanLeeuwen controlled the ball in the midfield and fed the ball up to sophomore Kaitlin Francis who one-timed a pass to Driscoll who snuck behind the defense and buried the ball in the left corner of the net for the game-winner. Driscoll had another chance in the 69th minute but her shot went just over the bar. The Cats had another chance in the beginning of the first overtime period but a shot by freshman Courtney Penta went just wide. Freshman goalkeeper Eliza Bradley got her first career shutout while making four saves on the game. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Cats while it was the first loss in six games for UMass. On Sunday Vermont opened the America East season with a convincing win over Binghamton, 3-0. The Cats got goals from sophomore Lexie Kaknes and freshman Driscoll as well as an own goal scored by Binghamton. The scoring began on a Kaknes corner kick in the 4th minute of the game that bended into the net to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. Vermont’s lead increased in the 52nd minute when, during a scuffle in front of the net, Binghamton defender Nicole Montoya cleared the ball into her own net to give the Cats a 2-0 lead. Driscoll finished off the scoring in the 81st minute with her second goal in as many games. Bradley made five saves to record her second straight shutout for the Cats who moved to 8-7-1 in conference openers. Vermont improved to 3-5-1 on the season and 1-0 in America East, while the loss drops Binghamton to 3-5-2 and 0-1 in the conference.