The 2010 fall athletic season is set to begin this week with each of Genevaâ??s seven fall athletic teams scheduled to open the season. Expectations across the board may have never been higher for each of these teams. After one of the most success fall campaigns in 2009, the Golden Tornadoes have set a standard of excellence that will look to be matched in 2010. The action begins on Wednesday with the home openers for menâ??s soccer, tennis and cross country. The womenâ??s volleyball team opens on the road on Wednesday with womenâ??s soccer opening its home schedule on Thursday night. The Geneva football team travels to Frostburg State on Saturday to get the 2010 season kicked off at 7:30 p.m.

The Golden Tornadoes are set to open their 120th season on Saturday in a rematch against Frostburg State on opening day. Geneva and Frostburg met in the first game of 2009 with the Golden Tornadoes coming away with a 41-28 victory. That win set the stage for Genevaâ??s 8-3 overall finish, which included a record fifth NCCAA Victory Bowl title. The 2010 team features the return of senior quarterback David Girardi, who set the single season Geneva record for pass efficiency, by completing nearly 2/3 of his passes. He currently ranks fourth on Genevaâ??s all-time list in pass efficiency. In the backfield, Gerard Muschette begins his assault on the Geneva record book after posting over 1100 yards in 2009. Muschette enters the season in 6th place all-time on the career rushing list. With nine starters returning on both sides of the ball, the expectations for another successful season are in place as head coach Geno DeMarco begins his record 18th season at the helm of the Geneva College program.

The Geneva College volleyball team opens the 2010 season looking to improve upon its 19-12 record from a year ago. Leading the charge is senior outside hitter Adriane Blake who led the PAC in kills per game on her way to a second straight NCCAA All-American award. The Golden Tornadoes will need to replace PAC assist leader Brandi Snavely and middle hitter Michelle Zimmovan, both players started for the Golden Tornadoes for the past three years. Co head coaches Wendy Smith and Curt Conser enter their ninth year together and will look to guide the Golden Tornadoes through another successful run after finishing 13-5 against PAC competition in 2009.

The Geneva College menâ??s soccer program begins a new era this week as head coach Gary Dunda takes over a program that posted a 15-5 record in 2009. The Golden Tornadoes lost just one player to graduation and welcome back all ten starting field players for the upcoming campaign. Dunda led Goucher Collegeâ??s menâ??s program for the past 11 years and takes over for Todd Beall on the Geneva College sidelines. Geneva advanced to the NCCAA east regional tournament for the third consecutive season in 2009 and will look to get over the regional hump in 2010 and try to gain a bid to the NCCAA national tournament. With six seniors in the mix for 2010, Geneva has a roster littered with veteran players and returning starters.

Coming up one win short of advancing to the NCCAA national tournament last year, the Geneva College womenâ??s soccer team is set to open up a new campaign this week. Dropping the east regional title game to Roberts Wesleyan after 11 penalty kicks, the Golden Tornadoes suffered a heartbreaking defeat to end the 2009 season. Head coach Linda Sumner has recharged her program and welcomes back a handful of returning starters including senior goalkeeper Lauren Londino. Londino has posted 17 shut-outs in the past two years and will serve as the defensive backbone for a solid group on the backlines. Up front, leading scorers Elise Mann and Maura Allen are back for more offensive fireworks in 2010.

Coming off one of the most successful seasons in recent history, the Geneva College womenâ??s tennis team is primed for more success in 2010. Bringing back its top three players including the impressive doubles tandem of Chelsea Cover and Kara Zimmerman, the Golden Tornadoes should be in a very good place for the 2010 season. Head coach Mandee Craft begins her 10th season at the helm and has led Geneva to success that is close to equally her own during her playing days at Geneva in the 1990â??s. Both Zimmerman and Craft posting winning records in doubles and singles a year ago and along with returning starter Maura McLaughlin, the Golden Tornadoes have several of the key components in place.

Head coach Brian Yowler has made the comment that the menâ??s cross country team at Geneva College may be among the best in school history coming into the 2010 season. The womenâ??s team could be equally as impressive with a record number of athletes on both rosters heading into the new year. Genevaâ??s teams each finished fourth at the PAC championships a year ago while several individual performances were worthy of NCCAA national consideration. Yowler has set significant goals for Geneva in 2010 and could be on the verge of watching the program explode onto the national scene. The Golden Tornadoes open their run on Wednesday as they host Thiel and Waynesburg at Brush Creek Park in Beaver County in the season opener.

Following is the athletic schedule for the upcoming week:

Wed., Sept 1 Tennis vs Chatham 4 p.m. (@ Brady's Run Park)
Cross Country vs Waynesburg/Thiel 6:30 p.m. (@Brady's Run Park)
Volleyball at Carlow 7 p.m.
Men's Soccer vs Penn State Behrend 7 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 2 Women's Soccer vs Penn State Beaver 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 3 Tennis at St. Vincent 3:30 p.m.
Volleyball at Johns Hopkins Tournament
5:30 p.m. Geneva vs DeSales
8 p.m. Geneva vs Johns Hopkins
Sat., Sept. 4 Cross Country at Wetminster 10 a.m.
Volleyball at Johns Hopkins Tournament
12 p.m. Geneva vs Goucher
Women's Soccer at Franciscan 2 p.m.
Men's Soccer at Franciscan 4 p.m.
Football at Frostburg St. 7:30 p.m.


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