On Thursday evening, in a preseason clash with Ferrum at 5 p.m., Robin Ramirez heads into his second year at the helm of the Salem soccer program with a mixture of experience and youth when the team opens the 2022 regular season at Regent on September 3rd.
Ramirez concluded his first year at Salem with a 7-10-1 overall record, winning three matches against USA South Conference opposition along the way. He took over the reins of a program that had not taken the field since 2020, missing the entire 2021 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His seven victories equaled the win totals of his predecessors—Jay Callahan (2008-17) and Octavia Saunders (2018-20)—in their first season as well.
KEY CONTRIBUTORS RETURN FROM 2021 SQUAD
The 2021 unit established the program record for most single-season saves (135) and tied the 2008 unit for 11th-most goals (35) in program history. One of the key contributors to the success in goal for Salem was Jordan Tomberlin, who converted 85 saves and an .842 save percentage en route to three victories. In her junior season, Tomberlin finished fifth among USA South goalkeepers in saves and was a part of four shutout wins for the Spirits. Tomberlin's best individual outing came against intracity rival Greensboro on September 28th, where she posted a career-high 14 saves.
Kylie Clark, Alexcina Wartski and Miriam Moctezuma also make up the 2022 Salem senior class. A two-sport athlete at Salem during her career, Clark played in 15 matches, making 13 starts for the Spirits on the pitch last season. She handed out one assist along the way and attempted six shots (two shots on goal). Clark took three of those shots in a September 22nd clash with crosstown rival Carolina University.
Wartski logged 10 games in net for the Spirits in 2021, earning a pair of wins over Warren Wilson (Sept. 1) and William Peace (Oct. 23) along the way. She was responsible for at least five saves in her eight appearances, stopping six shots in a 1-0 overtime setback to Ferrum in mid-September. Wartski posted five saves in wins over Warren Wilson and Randolph.
Moctezuma, a defender for Salem, played in 10 matches and attempted one shot. She was an integral part of a Salem defense that finished the slate with five shutouts, allowing just 30 goals, 276 shots (166 shots on goal) and 20 assists by opponents throughout the course of the 2021 season.
Ramirez will have six players who have one year of playing experience on the roster in 2022, including juniors Isabel Scott and Layla Locklear as well as sophomores Caelan Gaul, Olivia Nivens and Ashley Linden. Another individual with playing experience under Ramirez is Alyson Gammons. Gammons is a senior in the classroom and set to graduate in May, despite having played only the 2021 season for the Spirits after missing 2020 due to COVID-19 canceling the season.
Gammons is the top goal scorer remaining from a year ago, scoring four in her first season on the pitch at Salem. She posted two of those goals in a 9-0 win over Warren Wilson and one against Guilford (Sept. 5) and Pfeiffer (Oct. 6). She capped off the campaign with 17 shots and 12 shots on goal, resulting in a .706 shot on goal percentage, delivering a game-winning goal at Pfeiffer (Oct. 6).
Linden and Scott also contributed multiple goals for the Spirits a season ago. Linden netted her first of three goals against Carolina, before coming through with one each against USA South Conference foes Averett (Oct. 2) and Southern Virginia (Oct. 20). Meanwhile, Locklear scored two goals, along with adding two assists for Salem in her first year as a collegiate, finding the back of the net in the shutout of Warren Wilson and in the final road match of the season at Southern Virginia.
Scott anchored the defensive efforts for Salem, starting all 18 games in 2021. The Jacksonville, Fla., native made an impact on offense with a goal and an assist.
The sophomore tandem of Gaul and Nivens will also give Ramirez experience in his lineup. Gaul started in 12 of the 15 matches in which she competed and delivered a goal and two assists along the way. She capped off the season with 16 shots, including nine shots on goal, to post a .563 shot on goal percentage. She was responsible for one of Salem's eight goals against Agnes Scott (Sept. 4). Her classmate, Nivens, played in 11 matches and made 10 starts for the Spirits. She made eight straight starts between September 1st through September 18th.
Looking to maintain the winning culture that has resulted in sustained success over the course of the last 15 years within the Salem soccer program, Ramirez added nine players to his 2022 roster since the closure of last season. Those additions will be looked to help the Salem soccer program, which is one of only two in the Department of Athletics—softball being the other—to make multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament (2013, 2014) to improve on its 166 total victories.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR SALEM SOCCER
The new additions include Nathaly Berrezueta, Abril Salas, Sarah Salinas, Darilyn Bonilla-Nieto, Sydney Masi, Cristina Battistini, Mireya Sanchez and Serenity Powell.
Ramirez hit the recruiting trail to nab Salinas from the Lonestar State, while adding his goalkeeper of the future, Sanchez, from Tucson, Arizona. Another out of state addition is Masi, who hails from Largo, Fla.
The combination of Berrezueta (Kannapolis, N.C.), Bonilla-Nieto (Greensboro, N.C.), and Powell (Morganton, N.C.) remained the Tar Heel state to compete at a collegiate level. Battistini, a native of Cesena, Italy, spent one season at Winston-Salem Christian Academy before making her commitment to play at Salem this fall.
"We are all very eager and excited to get the season started," expressed Ramirez. "We have our fantastic group of returners, each of whom gained valuable experience last year, and we have a talented group of incoming players, who fit the character and culture of our program. I'm excited to see them all come together and compete hard this season."
WHEN DOES THE SEASON BEGIN?
Ramirez announced the program's 2022 schedule on Monday, June 13th. The schedule will feature 10 matches at Varsity Field, including the regular season opener against Sweet Briar on September 6th.
The Spirits begin their 2022 campaign with the preseason clash versus Ferrum on August 25th at Varsity Field. Nine days later, Salem treks to Virginia Beach, Va., for the first-ever head-to-head meeting with Regent on September 3rd.