MILWAUKEE -- The final contest of the 2009 season didn't exactly go as smoothly as the Alverno College women's soccer team could have hoped, as the Inferno were shut out by Dominican University, 7-0, in Northern Athletics Conference play on Wednesday afternoon on Senior Day at Alverno Field.
The Inferno (7-12, 2-9 NAC) fell behind early in the first half, playing shorthanded without their biggest scoring threat, senior forward Ellie LaFond (Waukesha, Wis./West), due to an injury incurred in this past Saturday's game with Edgewood College. The Stars notched three goals within the first 20 minutes of play, heading into halftime with a 5-0 advantage, and continued to pour on the offensive firepower in the second half to score twice more.
"It was tough not having Ellie out there and being down a player," said Alverno head coach Brittany Oliveira. "We lost track of a couple of runners in the box and they did a great job of finishing and made some really good runs to get in those positions to score. I think through the first half we did a better job of defending that, but it's just hard to catch up when you're down a man and trying to figure out the most dangerous player while still defending well."
Alverno was out-shot, 24-1, in shots on goal for the game, but senior goalkeeper Jackie Barnes (Germantown, Wis.) did her part to quell the number of Dominican's goals, coming up with a career-high 17 saves. 
"This year was kind of tough jumping back into being a keeper after having shoulder surgery and trying not to be afraid to go out and get the ball because I was afraid of getting injured again," said Barnes. "I think having Bill (Armstrong) working with the keepers was a huge improvement."
Although the Inferno dropped the final four games of their season, the squad can look back on the season as a whole and recognize what they have accomplished and how the team has transformed in just one year.
"I was really excited that we had a better season than in previous years, especially for the four of us seniors," said senior midfielder Alex Brenner (West Allis, Wis./Nathan Hale). "We put so much into every season and to finally have a team that put in the same effort that we did was really exciting. We didn't finish as strong as we would have liked to, but our numbers were down and Ellie was injured so I'm still happy with the entire season."
The players credit the coaching staff for the program's transformation this year, as the Inferno set a new school record in wins (7) and currently own top spots in the league in numerous offensive categories. LaFond is currently No. 1 in goals (19), assists (9) and points (47), while freshman midfielder Kelsey Kochanowski (Oak Creek, Wis.) holds the No. 4 spot in goals (14) and points (33).
"This program has completely changed since when we were freshmen," said Brenner. "Definitely the coaching staff has been a big reason for that. If we didn't have them, our season would not have been this good. Brittany is one of the most amazing coaches I've ever had. She's awesome and I hope she sticks with this team to keep making them better."
Barnes agrees, citing the new knowledge and skills she has been able to learn from Oliveira and her assistants, Bill Armstrong and Sarah Teegarden.
"I learned a lot this year from Brittany, Bill and Teegs (Teegarden)," Barnes said. "All three of them were great coaches, and I think they will continue to help improve the program. This season was great in comparison to the rest and it was a really great experience."
Oliveira, in her first season as a college head coach, was also pleased overall with the results of the season and with her four seniors, LaFond, Brenner, Barnes and defender Joslyn Binkowski (Greenfield, Wis.) for the dedication and tough work ethics they brought on a daily basis.
"Our seniors worked hard, were leaders for our team and really deserved to have a good season," Oliveira said. "I think we're starting to make a name for ourselves and we're surprising some teams with our improvement. We had games with some really good opponents toward the end of the season which makes the ending not as sweet, but at the same time we accomplished a big goal in getting those seven wins and seeing big progress throughout the season, which is a great way to start off this program."
