NB’s Higham named tri-captain of Marywood soccer team

Marywood University, Scranton, Pa., head women’s soccer coach Andrew Smith announced the team’s captains for the upcoming 2010 campaign, and they include Leslie Higham from North Brunswick. The ex- Raider star will join fellow seniors, returning captains Andrea Barker and Meghan Coyle, as the trio who will attempt to lead the Pacers to the 2010 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship and back to the NCAA tournament.

Barker (Binghamton, N.Y.) recently completed her third outstanding season for the Pacers, captaining Marywood to a 14-3-1 mark (9-0-1 CSAC). Barker was named to the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Third Team All-Region a year after garnering NSCAA Second Team honors as a defender. Named to the First Team All-Conference squad the past two seasons, Barker was named the CSAC Co-Player of the Year in 2008. A standout in the classroom as well as on the field, Barker, an English and secondary education major, was named to the 2009 NSCAA College Scholar All-East Region Second Team and is a three-time conference All- Academic selection.

Coyle (Endicott, N.Y.) has enjoyed one of the finest careers ever by a Marywood goalkeeper. Coyle already owns career records for shutouts (21), goals-against average (0.92), and save percentage (.830) while also setting program bests in consecutive scoreless minutes and shutouts in a season. Named a First Team All-Conference selection in 2009, Coyle was named the CSAC Tournament MVP after backstopping Marywood’s run to its firstever conference championship and NCAA berth in 2008. An elementary and special education major, Coyle was named to the CSAC All-Academic squad the last two years.

Ex-North Brunswick High School star Higham joins Barker and Coyle as a captain after three strong years leading the Pacers’ midfield. Higham, is a marketing major and has played in 56 of Marywood’s 57 games during her career, missing just one game during her freshman year,

Higham started in all but two of Marywood’s games since her sophomore year, including all 18 during her junior year. An All-CSAC Honorable Mention selection in 2009, Higham has four goals and two assists to her credit but is recognized mostly for her defensive work and for winning 50/50 balls.

“I truly believe these three young ladies will keep the entire team focused on our only goal for 2010: reclaiming the CSAC championship and returning to the NCAA tournament” Smith said. “Each brings their own unique leadership style to the team, and I think Leslie will mesh well with both Andrea and Meghan, and all three will be well respected by their peers.”

Over the last three years, Marywood has gone 38-11-8 (.737) with a 24-2-4 (.867) mark in CSAC action. The Pacers won the conference title in 2008 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. The Pacers followed that up with a CSAC tournament runner-up finish last fall.

In addition to announcing captains for the upcoming season, Smith announced an 18-game regular-season schedule that includes eight home games, three of which will be played under the lights.

The schedule includes an ambitious non-conference slate of games. The Pacers have added NCAA tournament “elite eight” participant Ithaca College to the mix. The Bombers will likely be ranked in the top-10 in the country when the Pacers travel to Ithaca on Sept. 8. Marywood will also be playing Utica College (N.Y.) for the first time when they return to the season-opening Erinn K. Brozman Cup at Hartwick College.

“I believe our schedule provides us with some quality non-conference competition, which should not only get us ready for the top teams in our conference but it should also prepare us for the quality of competition we would face in the NCAA tournament should we advance,” Smith said.