On Saturday, April 21 Arcadia University Women’s Soccer players past and present enjoyed an afternoon of spirited fun and competitiveness when they gathered on Easton Field for their annual alumnae contest.

“We had a bit of an Arcadia Women’s Soccer all-star group that attended this spring” said coach head coach Rick Brownell of his alumunae.  “With a few babies in their arms and at least one on the way, not everyone played -20 past players attended in total-but the group that laced up their cleats came ready to battle. In fact, this competitive bunch still plays and competes together,” noting an annual summer beach soccer tournament at the Jersey shore that draw alumnae from the program.

The Alumnae Team was headed by former 2006 team captain and current Arcadia assistant coach, Maria (DeGeorge) Kosmin ’06, who scored the first goal 5 seconds into the match. In good fun, the team all fell to the ground when she touched the ball off the tap as she took it to goal pronouncing, “That Counts!”  Those returning players who but just a few years removed from their collegiate playing days were impressed with the current team’s talent and eagerly scrapped and clawed in many one on one battles, in particular with current first year standout, Alex Stoner ’15.”

The good news for the alumnae-they were victorious in the 8 vs 8 game against the current Knights.  The bad news- the current team announced their desire to avenge the loss. They meet again in late August when the team returns for the 2012 pre-season.  “Looks like a rivalry is brewing!” noted Kosmin. “Although the current players will claim they were exhausted from competing in their own 8 vs 8 tournament earlier that morning, we (the alumnae) have the added advantage of an additional group of newly graduated senior players on our side!”

“The day was a hit,” says Coach Brownell. “We had tremendous support from all the families and friends who joined us, in particular, the alumnae and even their parents who, just like old times, lined the sidelines in chairs to watch the game.”  The day finished in typical fun fashion, with an alumnae dinner and a picture slideshow put on by recent graduate and the team’s 2011 captain, Brittany Drosdak ’12.

The Arcadia Women’s Soccer Team will host the next Alumnae Day on Saturday, October 13th, when the team hosts Commonwealth Conference newcomer Hood College on Family Weekend.  The contest will precede the Knight’s league battle against Hood at 1 p.m. on the recently renamed, Haber Green Field  -the team’s original grass field in the center of campus.  It will undoutedly be another great day for the current and incoming first year players and alumnae to connect over the game they love.

Alumnae participants included: