Western New England to Honor ’98 Women’s Soccer Team on Saturday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 18, 2018) – The Western New England University women's soccer program will honor the 1998 team at halftime of Saturday's Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) contest against the University of New England.

Led by Hall of Fame coach Ron Dias, the 1998 women's soccer team set a program record for wins, going 20-2 overall, and captured the ECAC Metro Championship title.

Western New England opened the season with five straight victories, averaging over six goals per game. The Golden Bears didn't slow down from there, as they posted an eight-game winning streak in the middle of the season and entered postseason play with an 18-2 record.

Western New England, which lost 1-0 in overtime to Western Connecticut during the regular season, was paired up with the Colonials in the first round of the ECAC Tournament. This time, the Golden Bears came away with a 3-1 victory to earn a spot in the championship match. Western New England completed its historic campaign with a 2-0 triumph over Drew University to clinch the team's first ever postseason title.

The success of the 1998 women's soccer squad kicked off Western New England's "Golden Era" of athletics, and the team was inducted into the Downes Athletic Hall of Fame for its accomplishments in 2003.

The following players from the '98 team will be in attendance on Saturday:

Captains Kate Brunelle  and Jen Bonafede
Molly Burke
Kristin Ogulewicz
Alison Reseigne
Diane Baron
Lisa DiTaranto
Callie Durbrow
Lilliam Guerra
Stephanie Szajna
Deanna Partlow
Stephanie Wordell