The College of Staten Island were on the outside-looking-in when it came time to determine a CUNYAC Championship last season, losing their stranglehold on the top spot in the conference for the first time in half of a decade.  But the 2010 Dolphins have erased the bad memory of yesteryear and now sit atop the conference standings once again, taking a No. 1 seeding into the CUNYAC Women’s Soccer Championship, which begins Sunday with semifinal play.  The Dolphins will take on No. 4 seed and defending CUNYAC Champion City College of New York.
There is no question about the Dolphins’ advancement from last season to 2010.  The Dolphins are improved at every position and up and down the heart of the field, where it matters most.  The goalkeeping tandem of Victoria Donegan and Danielle McLaughlin have been nothing short of sensational in the back, combining for a 1.81 goals against average and a .790 save percentage.  A goalkeeper by committee unit in 2009, CSI was labored with a 4.09 and .676 mark, respectively a year ago.  
The shining at the back line is complemented by almost a complete transformation at the front, where freshman phenoms Demi-Jean Martorano and Natalie Tombasco have helped the Dolphins double their goal scoring total from last season.  Martorano’s 16 goals are a new CSI record, as the freshman has also contributed five game-winners.  Tombasco has added 10 goals, including a trio in CSI’s final regular-season game against Medgar Evers, a 4-1 win that gave CSI the regular season championship over the Cougars.
Not to be outdone, CSI’s midfield attack of Lauren Neglia (8 goals, 4 assists) and Christina Sgarlato (2 goals, team-leading 9 assists) have packed a healthy scoring punch as well, and CSI’s shut-down back line of Amanda Percaccio, Nicole Quattrocchi and Jessica Levy, have been nothing short of outstanding.
All told, CSI has raced to a 10-4 record to finalize the season (CSI has one last regular season game next week between CUNYAC rounds), improving on the 3-11-2 campaign of a year ago.  The team finished 5-1 in CUNYAC, taking both regular season meetings from CCNY, their first round opponents, 1-0 and 5-1.  CSI’s only loss in the CUNYAC was a 4-2 tilt to No. 2 Medgar Evers on October 9 on their home field, but CSI erased that memory with last week’s 4-1 win at Aviator Field, in a game that saw every goal come in the first half.
No. 2 Medgar Evers will take on No. 3 John Jay College in a game also played on Sunday at CSI.  Kickoff time for that is scheduled at Noon, with CSI’s game to follow.  The two winners will advance to the CUNYAC Championship on Saturday, November 6, at 2pm.