Alverno College Athletics - Home of the Inferno

MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College women's soccer team battled through yet another game with no extra bodies on the bench for relief, but was still able to put together a stellar effort on the field with a 4-1 nonconference victory over North Central University (Minn.) at home.

Senior forward Ellie LaFond (Waukesha, Wis./West) was a major reason for the Inferno's success, netting three goals to become Alverno's all-time points leader with 82 points while also tying the all-time mark for goals with 39. Alex Salisbury, who graduated in 2007, was the former leader in points (81) and is tied with LaFond for leader in goals.

"It's exciting," said LaFond of her record-breaking effort. "I didn't know I was close to breaking any records. This is the most talent we've ever had on a team, and it's made me want to push myself even harder this year."

MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College women’s soccer team enjoyed ample success on the offensive end in its season-opening 7-0 shutout over non conference Mount Mary College, as the Inferno hammered the Blue Angels’ back line with 16 shot attempts on their home field.

Forward Kelsey Kochanowski (Oak Creek, Wis.) provided much of that offensive punch, recording the first four goals of her collegiate career in succession all during the first half of play. The feat immediately launched the freshman into Alverno’s record books, as she tied the totals for second-most goals scored in a game and second-most points tallied with eight.

Alverno Head Coach Brittany Oliveira, who notched her first win as a college head coach with the victory, was pleased with the complete effort of her team in its first 2009 contest although the squad was short-handed for the day with just 10 in uniform.

MILWAUKEE -- Although the Alverno College women's soccer team has only four returners from last season, those four seniors will be an integral piece of the team's success in the 2009 season.

The Inferno, who finished the 2008 campaign last in the Northern Athletics Conference standings at 0-12 and 3-16 overall, will require contributions on both sides of the field from the experienced players.

"All four seniors are hugely important to us," said first year Head Coach Brittany Oliveira. "To have their veteran leadership out on the field is vital to our team's success."

The senior returners include Jackie Barnes (Germantown, Wis.) and Joslyn Binkowski (Greenfield, Wis.) on the defensive end, and Alex Brenner (West Allis, Wis./Nathan Hale) and Ellie LaFond (Waukesha, Wis./West) as offensive threats.

MILWAUKEE -- Sarah Teegarden, a former All-American at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has been named assistant soccer coach at Alverno College.

Teegarden joins a completely new soccer coaching staff at Alverno, as head coach Brittany Oliveira enters her first season at the helm of the Inferno, and assistant coach Bill Armstrong joined the staff last month. The staff inherits a team that was 3-16 overall and 0-12 in the Northern Athletics Conference last season. The program is still in its building stage, entering only its ninth season of existence.

“I am very excited about joining the Alverno staff and working with Brittany and Bill,” said Teegarden. “This is a great opportunity to coach at a high level with such experienced coaches. I am looking forward to getting started and working with the team.”