2004 Season Highlights

For the 2004 season Cara LeMaster was named as a graduate assistant. LeMaster joins the Bobcats after enjoying a stellar playing career at Division I Eastern Illinois University from 1999 to 2002, where she helped the Panthers to a 52-27-3 overall record and an 18-2-1 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference.  She is the first Panther to be named All-OVC four times, currently ranks fourth on the EIU career charts in goals (22), game-winning goals (6), assists (22) and points (66). She is also tied for sixth in goals in a season (9 in 2002), tied for seventh in assists in a season (7 in 2000, 2001 and 2002) and ranks eighth in points in a season (25 in 2002). LeMaster, a native of Collinsville, Ill., earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from EIU in 2003. She is pursuing her master's degree in education.  During 2004 the Bobcats accomplished many firsts for the program. In the first week of play Frostburg broke into the top 10 in the Great Lakes Regional rankings for the NSCAA as # 9 in the region, which had been done by FSU since the third week in 2001.  For the first time in the program’s history FSU tied Allegheny College 0-0, with senior goalkeeper Kelly Jones recording the shutout for the Bobcats. AC stills holds an all-time record of 5-0-1 against Frostburg.  On September 26, Karen Kotofski broke a five-year-old record of goals scored in a match with 6 goals against conference opponent Pitt-Bradford. Kotofski also set the record for points in a match with 14 points during the Bradford game as she had two assists to accompany her 6 goals.  On October 6, Frostburg had its 10- game regular -season conference-winning streak snapped when they were defeated 1-0 by Pitt-Greensburg, just the second conference goal allowed. Two members of the FSU squad were ranked among the national statistical leaders in the NCAA Div III for the week of October 3. Karen Kotofski was 3^rd in the nation for points per game with 4.00 points per game, 5^th in assists per game with 1.11 assists per game and 7^th in goals per game with 1.44 per game. Beth Hlebasko was also ranked in assists per game, tied at 13^th with 0.89 assists per game. Additionally, Kotofski’s six goals in an 11-0 win over Pitt-Bradford September 26 is tied for the highest single-game total in Division III and her two assists in the game finishing with 14 points ties for the highest single-game total in the nation this year. The team as well as the players was ranked nationally that same week, FSU was ranked 7^th in scoring offense having averaged 4.89 goals per game.  Danielle Carter was also nationally ranked during the season. She was ranked as high as 10^th in goals per game with a 1.19 average and 16^th in points per game with a 2.75 average. For the fourth year in a row Frostburg claimed the AMCC Championship title and for the first year received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they faced regional foe, Westminster, for the second straight season. Again Frostburg pulled out a thrilling defeat, this time in a penalty shootout, winning 5-3. The Bobcats ended in defeat in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as nationally ranked Christopher Newport found victory in a 2-1 win. Despite losing the match Frostburg had done something that no other team had done in the program’s 11-year history, it had scored a goal in the second round of the NCAAs. The team posted the best record in the program’s history finishing at 14-3-3 and allowed just 14 goals, 2 of which were in conference play. Seven seniors ended fabulous careers at Frostburg; Karen Kotofski, Kelly Jones, Lynnea Finch, Alyse Reed, Becky Rambo, Aimee Sprague, and Laurie Reinholt ended their college careers playing for a winning program that has seen four straight AMCC Conference Championships and four straight berths to the NCAA Tournament, something not many players in college soccer can say that they have experienced.