The Genesee Community College women’s soccer team is ranked No. 10 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) preseason top-10 poll, which was released by the association on Wednesday.
(Ready to roll: Mariah Niemiec (white) will be one of nine returning players for the No. 10 GCC women's soccer team)
Second-year head coach Jeff Reyngoudt returns after a trip to the regional finals and a 13-4-1 campaign during his first season at the helm in 2013. The Cougars were ranked as high as fifth in the NJCAA National Poll last season and Reyngoudt was named the Western New York Athletic Conference (WNYAC) Coach of the Year.
GCC will return nine starters including 2013 second team All-American goalkeeper Maddie Potter (Oakfield, NY) and All-Region selections Ashley Makowski (Kendall, NY) and Sarah Loranty (Alexander, NY). Potter made 15 starts in goal last fall and allowed an average of just 0.94 goals per game. She totaled seven shutouts and had a save percentage of better than 85 percent. Makowski was second on last year’s squad in goals scored (12) and tallied 28 points during her freshman season. Loranty helped anchor a defense that allowed an average of 1.37 goals per game and totaled eight shutout wins.
Genesee will begin its 2014 season on Aug. 28 at home against NJCAA Division I Mercyhurst North East. It will be the first of seven scheduled home games this fall for the Cougars and one of six contests scheduled against WNYAC opponents.
