Nicole Hill

FIELD HOCKEY
One of Wesley’s most decorated ath­letic programs, the field hockey team, set a school record with a 7–0 start that included a win over perennial confer­ence power Mary Washington. Also included in the streak were three of the Wolverines’ four shutout victories of the season. The fast start also propelled the team to its 12th straight season of at least 11 wins.

Junior Brooke Tadlock (Middletown, Del./Middletown) led the team and ranked among the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) leaders with 11 goals and 25 points. Over the course of the year, the nursing major moved into fourth place all-time at Wesley in both scoring categories. Sophomore Sheree Pleasanton (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) also entered the career top 20 in goals, ending the season with six to bring her career total to 15 and reaching 18th in the record book.

Sarah Johnson (Honeybrook, Pa./Twin Valley) turned in a strong season in goal, ranking among the con­ference leaders by stopping nearly 80 percent of the opponents’ shots on goal. During separate weeks this season, she and senior Erin Bailey (Rehoboth Beach, Del./Cape Henlopen) were named to the National Honor Roll by womensfieldhockey.com

In the CAC playoffs, the Wolverines had a dramatic 3–2 overtime win over St. Mary’s (Md.) in the first round, Wesley’s fifth overtime contest of the year. During the game, freshman Abigail Hill (Dover, Del./Lake Forest) tied the game with just 1:34 left with her second goal of the afternoon. Then in overtime, it was Pleasanton with the game-winner to lead Wesley to a semifinal matchup with a Salisbury squad ranked No. 2 in Division III. To find out details of the season ending, visit the athletics website at www.gowesleyathletics.com

MEN’S SOCCER

On the men’s soccer pitch, the Wolverines turned in another winning season — their seventh in the last eight years. Wesley’s season opening win at McDaniel was the 200th career victory for head coach Steve Clark. All of his victories have come coaching the blue and white.

Injuries seemed to plague the squad to some extent all season, but the team still came through to register 10 wins due to the contributions of several newcomers. While the defense was led by senior Ryan Fisher (Eastampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) and juniors Nick Talarico (Little Egg Harbor, N.J./ Pinelands) and Dan Canova (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City), the offense was paced by several newcomers. Kyle Long (Delaware, Ohio/Buckeye) scored seven goals, the most for a Wolverine since 2006. The next three leading scorers, Frank Buffa (Pheonixville, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), Luis Rivera (Rockville, Md./Rockville) and Josh Chellah (Columbia, Md./Long Reach), were freshmen.

Frank Buffa

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The women’s soccer team featured a roster with 16 freshmen and a schedule with seven games against regionally ranked opponents, yet still managed to salvage a seven win season and the team’s first berth in the CAC playoffs since 2007. The team played well late in the year and nearly knocked off three regionally ranked foes, falling in each match by just a single goal.

Samantha Hannibal (Baltimore, Md./Loch Raven) led four freshmen who topped the team in scoring with seven goals, three assists and 17 points. Sammi Nevin (East Greenville, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), Kaitlin Barry (Chester, N.J./Immaculata) and Lindsey Campbell (Bear, Del./Padua Academy), also freshmen, each scored at least five goals.
Wesley also broke in a freshman goalkeeper, Sydney Kahan (Cranston, R.I./Cranston), who stopped 79 percent of the shots taken at her. She also post­ed six shutouts on the year while mak­ing 124 saves and playing every minute in net for the Wolverines.

VOLLEYBALL

The Wesley volleyball team stepped up its scheduling in the program’s fourth year. While the team took a step back in the win column from 2008, the experience should help a youthful team in the future.

Seniors Lilia Brekke (Prescott, Ariz./Caesar Rodney (Del.)) and Nettie Choice (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) paced the team in hitting and blocking once again as they finished their careers as the school’s first four-year players in volleyball. Sophomores Sophie Reed (Dover, Del./Dover) and Kristen Roberts (Loveland, Colo./Middletown (Del.)) and freshman Carle Ax (Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) also turned in strong performances hitting, setting and serving to provide hope for 2010.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Kristine Bailey

The women’s cross country team featured one student-athlete pulling double-duty on the field hockey team in Tristin Burris (Camden, Del./ Polytech). Twice this season, she played field hockey on Friday and Sunday with a cross country meet on Saturday. She earned a CAC Runner of the Week honor on October 6 after fin­ishing fourth overall at the Wilmington Invitational, the day after scoring her first career field hockey goal and the day before helping the field hockey team to another victory.

One of Wesley’s 10 fastest women at both 5,000 and 6,000 meters, Burris was joined by another strong newcom­er in the record books. Junior Kristine Bailey (Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen) formed a strong one-two punch with Burris for Wesley, pacing the Wolverines at three different meets in her first season with the team.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

On the men’s side, senior John Clarke (Middletown, Del./Middletown) paced the squad at three meets, while freshman Terry Harens-Walgreen (Shadyside, Md./Southern) led the way at two more races.

To see how the Wolverines fared at the CAC Championships, click here.