Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's women's soccer team will return to the Skyline Conference playoffs for the first time since 2018 after finishing with an overall record of 7-6-1 and a conference mark of 6-4. The first season for head coach Stuart Dick and his roster can only be classified as a success, especially when you factor in a lost 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"It has been a very productive season for us after losing last year to Covid. We have developed a great team mentality which has provided the foundation for us to implement a style of play that is beginning to bear fruit," Coach Dick told CMSVAthletics.com. "Credit to the student-athletes for not only taking on board a lot of information but putting what we do in training into games and being successful with it. Every game we have improved and that's really all we, as coaches, can ask for."

Dick assembled an strong existing roster with an impressive first year class. Everything has started with junior Emily McCarthy, whose breakout 2021 with 20 goals and eight assists will put her in the running for Skyline Conference Player of the Year. Senior Cristina Britton put together a strong final season with five goals and five assists, while junior goaltender Kora-Lynn McCullough returned in net and had arguably her best season to date. 

Freshmen standouts Alicia Rodriguez and Amanda Cotroneo emerged as key contributors from day one and will look to be pillars of the program moving forward. Veteran leader Lauren Vetoulis joined forces with Hannah Eschmann, Riley Leedholm and Isabella Naranjo as forces on the back end, while Naomi Juvera, Caitlin May, Lena Marin, Lilli Marin and others helped provide sparks once they stepped onto the pitch. 

The Dolphins have a tall task in front of them in the form of the Golden Eagles. Not only did CMSV drop a tight one goal contest earlier this season, but also lost seven of 12 career matchups. But on Saturday, the Dolphins will look to start a new era of success with the first round of the Skyline Conference playoffs on the horizon. 

"The game plan for Saturday doesn't change what we have done all season," Coach Dick continued. "We played St. Joe's a few games ago, so we know what to expect from them and they know what to expect from us. We have preached a style of play all year and tried to do it regardless of the opposition. We will stick with what has brought us success and I am confident that we still have a couple of levels to go up in terms of performance."

The highly anticipated matchup can be followed along right here on CMSVAthletics.com. Stay tuned for live video and links.