Trinity Women's Soccer Places Four Players On All-NESCAC Team
Hartford, Conn., Jan. 5, 2011 – Trinity College women's soccer junior forward Leigh Howard (Bethany, Conn.) and junior goalkeeper Lily Pepper (Princeton Junction, N.J.) were each selected to the New England Small College Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team, while women's soccer senior co-captain midfielder Maika Scifo (River Edge, N.J.) and sophomore back Stefanie Griglak (San Diego, Calif.) each graced the All-NESCAC Second Team.
Trinity, coached by Michael Smith (13th Season), posted a 7-4-4 overall record and tied Middlebury for fourth place in the NESCAC with a 4-3-2 league mark. The Bantams qualified for the NESCAC Championship Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and the seventh time overall, falling to Middlebury, 2-0, in the first NESCAC Championship home game in the history of the program in the opening round.
Howard, a three-time, All-NESCAC honoree (1st in 2009, 2nd in 2008), started the first 10 games of this season but missed the last five with an injury, yet led the Bantams in scoring with a team-high seven goals (0.70 gpg, 2nd in NESCAC) and two assists for 16 points (1.60 ppg, 3rd in NESCAC) including three game-winning tallies. Howard also led the Bantams with 42 shots, and was the lone Trinity women's soccer player to earn NESCAC Player of the Week this season. She tied the Trinity season record for points in a season in 2009 with 26 (10g, 6a). Howard is a graduate of Amity High School where she was All-State four times and graduated as the top-goal scorer in Connecticut history. She is the daughter of Janice and Michael Howard.
Pepper totaled 44 saves and led the league in save percentage at .936. Pepper played 690 minutes of Trinity's 1,433 minutes in goal with a 3-2-1 record, three goals allowed for a College-record 0.39 GAA (2nd in NESCAC), and three shutouts. She finished second nationally in save percentage in 2009 at 0.38. A graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, Pepper earned NESCAC All-Academic honors this fall as an international relations major at Trinity. She is the daughter of Annie and Mark Pepper.
Scifo, an All-NESCAC Second Team honoree as a rookie in 2007, played in every game this fall with 14 starts at center midfielder. Scifo was a four-year starter for the Bantams and represented the squad on the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team in 2008. She finishes her fine career with two goals and two assist on 64 shots in 57 games. A graduate of River Dell High School, Scifo is majoring in International Studies and German Studies at Trinity. She is the daughter of Thomas and Beatrice Scifo.
Griglak joined the Bantams this fall, after transferring to the College from Lehigh, and played in every game with 145 starts in the backfield with one assist. Griglak is a graduate of The Bishop's School and earned NESCAC All-Academic honors this fall as psychology major at Trinity. She is the daughter of Karen and Martin Griglak.