McDougall Era of Women’s Soccer Starts Thursday at Elms

SUFFOLK AT ELMS
Date Time Venue Video Stats Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Thursday, Sept. 1 7:00 PM Leary Field Chicopee, Mass. Elms Stretch Elms Stretch Suffolk Leads, 2-0 Sept. 1, 2021, W, 1-0 Same W2

BOSTON – Suffolk women's soccer will write a new page in its record book Thursday, Sept. 1 when the Ellie McDougall era begins in in the Rams' 2022 season opener at Elms at 7 p.m. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAMS REWIND
Suffolk tied the second-most victories in a single-season in the Rams record books with an 11-6-0 overall record. Eight of those wins came in shutout form. The blue-and-gold made its presence known in its first year in the CCC with a 5-4-0 league ledger en route to the fifth seed in the conference playoffs. 

LOOK WHO'S BACK
Back in blue-and-gold looking to lead the way are all-region and all-conference performers Grace Owens and Hayley Long. Long, who was third on the team in points a year ago, is coming off a five-goal, two-assist junior campaign. Owens, meanwhile, was a staple on the Rams' backline starting all 17 games. 

Sophomores Jazmya Harris (4g, 2a) and Kylie Flynn (2g, 4a) were consistent contributors as freshmen a year ago and look to pick up where they left off as sophomores this season.  

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk women's soccer first-year head coach Ellie McDougall hit the recruiting trail hard since being hired in February 2021 and brought in nine rookies to add more depth to the Rams' 2022 squad.

All nine players will be making their collegiate debuts in Suffolk blue-and-gold with eight true freshmen – Sopia Barker, Alyssa Belmont, Maddie Brooke, Olivia DiGiacomo, Lily Goldmann, Molly Knight, Ella Marmash, Emma Moyer, Daniela Petronio and one sophomore Angel Hoye. 

MORE READING: Nine Rookies Added to Women's Soccer for 2022 

GEOGRAPHY 101
The 2022 Rams features 33 players representing seven states. There are 17 student-athletes that call Massachusetts home and four came up from Connecticut. Three made the short trip from the Bay State's neighbor to the north, New Hampshire, while a trio of traveled cross country from California. A pair comes from both Florida and Rhode Island, with Virginia represented by one Ram. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
Suffolk's squad is comprised of all four classes. The underclassmen lead the way with nine true freshmen and 11 sophomores to go along with nine juniors. Four seniors – Malia Evans, Jenna Jerahian, Hayley Long and Alex Stamatos – will take the pitch for the final time in their collegiate careers as the members of the Class of 2023. 

POSITION PLAUDITS
Position wise, 33 student-athletes are divided between defensemen (12) and midfielders (14) with five forwards and a pair of goalkeepers added to the mix as well. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
A group of upperclassmen, Alicia Bibi, Hayley Long and Klaudia Rushi will don the 'C' for the 2022 Suffolk women's soccer season as first-year head coach Ellie McDougall. 

MORE READING: Women's Soccer Names Tri-Captains for 2022 

COACH'S CORNER
Ellie McDougall was named the head women's soccer coach in February 2022 and will begin her first season at Suffolk in the fall of 2022.

McDougall becomes the fourth head coach in the Rams' history and second female to lead the program. Suffolk marks her first collegiate head coaching role.

McDougall heads to Boston after a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). 

McDougall has help on the sidelines as long-time Goalkeeper's Coach Stephen Hill returns, with Alexis Castrellon, Cassidy Leake and Allison Rodrigues joining the ranks as Assistant Coaches. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST

• Suffolk has strung together a 6-7-1 season opener record.
• The Rams have opened their last two seasons with 1-0 victories over Elms.
• The back-to-back season-opening victories in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, respectively, marked the first time in program that the blue-and-gold opened two consecutive campaigns with wins.
• A day one decision has been decided via shutout three times in Suffolk's history including the last two seasons.
• The Rams are 2-1-0 when a team is kept off the scoreboard in the first outing of the season.
• Suffolk will pull the curtain back on its campaign on the road for the first time since 2019. The Rams are 2-5-1 in the first game of the year as the away team.
• The Rams hold a 4-3-0 record when playing day one at home.
• The blue-and-gold has needed extra time to determine a winner in its first outing of the year three times.
• The Rams have put back-to-back 1-0 wins together over Elms on the last two opening days.
• Suffolk is 1-1-1 when playing in OT outings in the first game of the year.
• All three of the Rams overtime opening-day outings have gone into double overtime.
• Suffolk will meet Elms in game one for the third straight season. The Rams are 2-0-0 against Blazers not just in the season debut, but in the all-time series. 

WATCH AND SEE

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In a vote by the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) 10 head coaches, the Suffolk women's soccer team was predicted to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll.

MORE READING: Women's Soccer Picked Sixth in CCC Preseason Poll 

BLAZERS BREAKDOWN
Elms is predicted to finish in the middle of the GNAC after going 9-7-3 a year ago.  

A bulk of the Blazers 26-goal offense has returned in 2022 highlighted by Kelly Malheiro (5g, 3a) and Elaina Vilar (5g, 2a). Abby Goodnow (4g) and Carolina Wilcox (2g, 3a) were scoring threats as well as Hannah Duggan (1g, 3a), Kayla Pasquel (1g, 3a). 

Elms' starting goalie Angela Picheo returns to the net after putting together a 0.84 GAA and .833 save percentage over 12 games last season. Gianna Liquor (2.70 GAA, .667 save %) is also back for the Blazers.  

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk is unbeaten, 2-0-0, all-time against Elms in a series that start in 2019. 
• Both games between the Rams and Blazers were 1-0 decisions. 
• The series has been split between home (1-0-0) and road (1-0-0) contests). 
• Suffolk and Elms has need extra time to decide a winner once, the first-ever meeting, Sept. 1, 2019. That outing went into double overtime and ended in a 1-0 victory for the Rams. 
• The previous two games against Elms were played on the first of September. 
• Both of the Rams and Blazers games were season openers for the respective seasons that they took place.  

EYES ON THE GAME
 

MAKE THE PLEDGE TO BE THERE SATURDAY, SEPT. 10
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for college athletes. While athletes have many protective factors in place - community, resources, regular exercise - the pressure to succeed and time constraints can elevate their risk of developing suicidal thoughts. The stressful nature of participating in collegiate athletics, especially now with the added pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly affect student-athletes and their mental well-being.

Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. Suffolk Athletics is asking all members of Ram Nation – students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and fans – to take a pledge to be there; be there for yourself and others.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, join the Suffolk women's soccer team in making it a mission to be there and bring awareness to suicide prevention. 

READ MORE: Rams Take a Stand in Suicide Prevention 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk stays on the road Saturday, Sept. 3 when it visits Framingham State for a 12 p.m. outing.