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INTRODUCTION: Expectations are again high for The College of Saint Rose. The Golden Knights are ranked #6 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Preseason Poll and are favored to repeat as Northeast-10 Conference champions.
 
Eight starters are among 18 returning letterwinners from last year's squad that went 20-1-2 overall, finished second in the country with a 0.213 team goals-against-average and were 25th in scoring offense behind 2.3 goals per-game. Saint Rose also recorded its sixth straight 20-win season, set a school record with 19 shutouts and won its sixth NE-10 title within the past seven seasons. The Golden Knights also advanced to their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament Regional Championship game.
 
The veteran group will be augmented by a talented recruiting class, and thus the squad's depth should be one if its' numerous assets.
 
RETURNEES (17): Among those back in the mix are senior forward Carmelina Puopolo, who missed most of last year after suffering an injury in the third game of the season, and central back Jourdan Thompson. Both are two-time, first-team All-Americans. Puopolo is furthermore the school recorder for points (148), goals (51) and assists (46), while Thompson is simply among the nation's top defenders.
 
The rest of the returning starting group is comprised of senior midfielder/forward Emily Benjamin, senior back La'Quilla Upton, junior midfielders Kristin Carr and Michaela Phillips, junior forward Jennifer Busk, sophomore forward/midfielder Emily Meeks, and junior back Nicole Shively. Carr, Phillips, Upton and Shively all earned All-Conference honors, as did Thompson, a year ago. Carr and Busk are the top-two returning scorers. Carr had 13 points on six goals and an assist, while Busk recorded 12 points behind five goals and a pair of helpers.
 
The rest of the group is comprised of a senior, four juniors, and a like number of sophomores. Forward Meeghan Arno is the lone senior. She was named the MVP of the NE-10 Championship last fall after she tallied the lone goal in a pair of 1-0 victories.
 
Midfielders Amanda Vasquez and Gianna Smith both missed most of 2013 due to injuries as well. The former was an All-League pick as a freshman and Smith was also a starter that year. Back Ojwanna Wilson and back/midfielder Joani Medero also return. The sophomore class is comprised of keeper Ashley Homer, forward Sammy Blizzard, and midfielder/back Megan Reese. Blizzard and Meeks both garnered NE-10 All-Rookie accolades last season after recording five and three goals respectively. Meanwhile, Homer is expected to initially get the majority of playing time between the posts. She did not surrender a goal throughout 250 minutes of action that spanned eight contests last season.
 
NEWCOMERS (13): Again, the incoming class consists of several individuals that have the potential to play prominent roles this fall. Three transfers are in the mix including a pair of juniors in forward/midfielder Silvana Giovannone, out of Mohawk Valley CC, and midfielder Quinn Massaroni who arrives via Bryant, along with sophomore keeper Jaime Durant who spent a season at SUNY Potsdam.
 
Meanwhile, the freshman class consists of keeper Madison Taylor, back Emily Opalinski, forwards Morgan Burchhardt and Raven Small, midfielders Roxana Hernandez, Torez Ramsey and Sydney O'Shaughnessy, forwards Kayley Jansen and Courtney Benson, and forward/midfielder Amanda Roney.
 
SCHEDULE: The Golden Knights will open the year with four straight non-league contests, before embarking on a 14-game NE-10 docket. Two conference teams advanced to last season's NCAA Tournament including American International whom upended the Golden Knights 2-0 in the East Regional Final. The Yellow Jackets arrive in the Capital Region on Tuesday, October 7. Saint Rose will also host Adelphi on Tuesday, September 23. The Golden Knights defeated the Panthers 2-0 in a second round matchup and also upended them 2-0 in the NE-10 Championship Final.
 
SUMMATION: This is another skilled side that knows what the program's annual goal is, to win the national championship like it did in 2011. Outstanding depth, great team speed, a sound defensive unit and balanced scoring are all annual trademarks. Proven postseason success further bolsters the team's stock. That being said, Saint Rose should be mentioned among the more prominent squads when NCAA Tournament bids are announced in November.

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