New York, NY –The Sage women's soccer team has been picked third in the race for the 2016 Skyline Conference Championship as released on Monday in voting conducted by the league's coaches. The Gators, which went 14-4-1 a year ago after an impressive 8-1 showing in league play for the program's first share of the regular-season crown. The Gators garnered a pair of first place votes, while less than nine points separate the top three teams in the poll.
Sage, which produced five all-conference performers in 2015, will find new leadership at the helm of the program as Garrett Cobb takes over as the head coach. Cobb boasts a roster with 15 returning letterwinners and four returning all-conference performers.
Among the returning players from last year's squad is 2015 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Samantha Trimblett (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury). Trimblett led the team with 31 points on 11 goals and nine assists, while adding four game-winning goals. She was also named to the 2015 All-Star First Team for her play and was joined in the first team by rookie defender Nicole Bauer (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury). As a rookie Bauer made 18 starts and added an assist from her defensive position in 2015. Returning second team performers from the 2015 team are seniors, Taylor Lynch (Woodstock, NY/Saugerties) and Savannah Mason (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park).
Trimblett was nationally ranked in seven different categories. She is 29th in the nation with her 0.60 assists per game average, while standing No. 58 in game-winning goals and No. 74 in total points. She earned Skyline Rookie of the Week honors twice, while earning a spot on the weekly honor roll once.
Bauer, who earned Skyline Rookie of the Week honors in early October, played in 19 matches and added one assist. The Gators are among the league's toughest defense, yielding just 13 goals for a 0.72 GAA. The team ranks nationally in several defensive categories as well as No. 49 in win-loss percentage (0.778).
Lynch was the team's second leading scorer with 22 points on nine goals and has four assists. Lynch is now No. 11 in career points at Sage with 43 on 19 goals and five assists. She ranks No. 188 in total goals in Division III, while the Gators rank 15th nationally in total goals with 60.
Mason, who was the team's third leading scorer this season, having added 17 points on seven goals and three assists.
Mason moved into the No. 7 spot in the Gator career points list as she has 51 points on her 22 goals, which is No. 7 as Sage. She is nationally ranked in game-winning goals this season with three, while now connecting for seven career game-winners.
The Gators are coming off the most successful season in the program's history both overall and in the Skyline Conference since first joining the league in 2007. The Gators bettered the 2014 season's victory high-water mark of 12 victories as they won 14 on the 2015 campaign, while adding eight league wins.
Sage will open the 2016 campaign on September 1 when they visit Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for a 7 p.m. contest with the Panthers. After that Sage is in action on September 2 and 3 at the SUNY-New Paltz Tournament taking on the host Hawks on September 2 a 5 p.m. and Ithaca College on September 3 at noon. Sage will host Plattsburgh State on September 9 in the team's 2016 home opener at 4 p.m. at Albany College of Pharmacy's Athletic Complex.
2016 Skyline Conference Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll - Points
1. Farmingdale State (6) - 78
2. Mount Saint Mary (2) - 72
3. Sage (2) - 69
4. St. Joseph's-Long Island * - 54
5. Mount Saint Vincent - 44
6. Old Westbury - 43
7. Purchase - 39
8. Maritime - 22
9. Sarah Lawrence - 18
10. Yeshiva – 10
( ) indicates first place votes * Indicates Skyline Conference defending champion
