The Lady Colonials ended their regular season with an impressive 16-0-2 record, making them first in the region and fifth in the nation. Their first NYCAC title came with one game left in Conference play with a 3-1 home victory over nationally ranked University of Bridgeport. The last game of the regular season saw the Lady Colonials face archrival C.W. Post, who beat them 1-0 in the 2003 ECAC tournament finals. The 2-0 Southampton victory allowed C.W. Post only one shot at goal and ensured the 2004 Lady Colonials would be the only Southampton women’s team to end any regular season undefeated. Next year Southampton is transferring their undergraduate program to C.W. Post, ending the Lady Colonials era.

Throughout the sesason, Denise Domena and Paivi Kivisto posed a constant threat with their incredible ability to find each other. Together they amassed 22 goals and 19 assists for a total of 66 points - Domena 33 points (12+9), Kivisto 30 points (10+10). 

The midfield was the driving machinery for the team’s success, moving the ball from defense up to the two always-dangerous strikers and preventing opponents from easily penetrating through the midfield. Central midfielders Asa Birgersdotter (3+2) and Annelie Andersson (4+6) played key roles, while Sam Balzer (4+2) and Katarina Bone (5+3) controlled the wings, creating scoring opportunities.

With arguably the best defense in Lady Colonial’s history, the team held opponents to only nine goals for the year. The defense was always reliable and constantly snuffed scoring opportunities. Goalie Corinne Morgan stepped up to make key saves, earning an impressive 16 wins and 12 shutouts in 18 games, while posting a career low 0.49 goals against average.

The defense was also successful with ball possession, setting up the midfield with  accurate passes into open spaces. Sofie DeBesche provided great defense and passing skills. Charlotte Svensson (4+2) provided good defense as well as helping out the midfield as the fifth midfielder.  Melissa Suarez (2+4) and Caroline Svensson (2+0) added strong offense and defense in the full back positions.

Colonials 2004

Standing:  Assistant Coach Joanna Ferguson, Sam Balzer, Katarina Bone, Tri-Captain Abbi Kenner, Stacey Ditroia, Emelie Bergendorff, Caroline Svensson, Tri-Captain Asa Birgersdotter, Kasey Smith, Sara Adolfsson, Charlotte Svensson and Head Coach Mark Dawson

Kneeling:  Annelie Andersson, Meagan Carrick, Erin Nally, Elizabeth Jentz, Joanna Vaccaro, Sofie DeBesche, Tri-Captain Paivi Kivisto and Jodi Alberda

Sitting:  Denise Domena, Corinne Morgan & Melissa Suarez

Head Coach Mark Dawson and Assistant Coach Mike LaCarrubba	Women’s Soccer Tri-Captains Asa Birgersdotter, Abbi Kenner & Paivi Kivisto

Full Focus on NCAA

Just a few weeks into the 2004-05 season, the Lady Colonials created history for Southampton Graduate Campus. They broke into the national top ten Division II rankings for the first time ever.Although this was a wonderful achievement, the players did not celebrate. They have only one focus for the year –winning, one game at a time, on the road to the NCAA tournament. That goal is something they believe should have been achieved last year, when they finished off the regular season with a six game winning streak. This brought their overall record to 16-5-1 and 9-1-1 in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). Most pundits agreed that record should have ensured them a trip to the NCAA. Instead, the Lady Colonials were selected to play and host the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament, losing 1-0 to arch rival C.W. Post in the finals.Coach Mark Dawson said his team learned a valuable lesson from that experience - an invitation to the NCAA tournament is much more realistic if the team performs well all season long, rather than making a dash in the final quarter.“This year we will approach every game as if it is a must-win situation. We are focused on that. We have the right mix of experience, skills and above all, the desire, to achieve our goal - the NCAA tournament,” he said.The experience Dawson talks about saw the Lady Colonials sweep the 2001 NYCAC awards, bringing home the “Player of the Year”, “Rookie of the Year,” and “Coach of the Year” titles, along with securing a spot in the Eastern College Athletic Conference playoffs. In 2002 the team won the ECAC title, finishing 15-6 overall, outscoring their opponents by a total of 38 goals over the course of the season.In recent times, the Lady Colonials have featured the dazzling chemistry of top local talent combined with a group of international all-stars, giving them a winning edge on the field. This season is no different, aside from one thing: the squad, made up of 20 veterans supplemented with four talented rookies, will more than likely be the last to officially represent Southampton Graduate Campus in women's soccer.

In 2005 Southampton Graduate Campus is transferring its undergraduate program to sister Long Island University college C.W. Post, so the team wants to ensure 2004 will be remembered for more than just being the last season the Lady Colonials took the field - they want it to be remembered as the year they gave it their all, on the road to the NCAA tournament.

Last year's Women's Soccer Page

Mark Dawson, a 1996 alumnus of Southampton Graduate Campus, begins his seventh season as head of the women's soccer team. Since 1995, Dawson also has served as assistant coach for men's soccer. Whether on the field with the men's or women's team, his knowledge of the sport has helped both squads find success. Dawson, 30, played midfield for the Colonials from 1992-94, and was a starter for Southampton College's 1994 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship team. A resident of Mastic, N.Y., he graduated in 1991 from William Floyd High School, where he now teaches Physical Education. "It's very gratifying to work for the same College and high school I attended," said Dawson, who received his M.A. in Physical Education from Hofstra University in 2003. "I'm able to give something back to both places.' He was named NYCAC Coach of the Year in 2001.

Assistant Coach

Joanna Ferguson, of Massapequa, NY, was a four-year starter at Southampton Graduate Campus.  She played from 1999-2003 but for season 2002 was forced off the field with injury and sat out the year on a medical hardship waiver. She compiled 20 goals and 24 assists in her career at Southampton. 

Her reading of the game and the way she communicates with her players belies the fact that the Lady Colonials assistant coaching position is her first coaching stint.