May 9, 2005

Queens, NY - St. John's University women's soccer head coach Ian Stone has announced his captains for the upcoming 2005 soccer season. Three seniors, Andrea Coukoulis, Erin Henderson and Kaitlin Schmidt, have been designated to lead the team in its quest for a BIG EAST Championship.

Coukoulis, a defender from Scottsdale, AZ, guided the Red Storm defense as the center fullback during her freshman and sophomore seasons, and moved to sweeper as a junior, where she led the defense to five shutout victories in 2004. A mainstay on the field for St. John's, she has appeared in all 59 games with the Red Storm for the past three seasons, starting in all but two. Coukoulis registered her first point in 2005 when she assisted on a goal in a 3-2 win in the season opener against Hartford. Her defensive efforts have been recognized, as she was named the Most Valuable Player of the St. John's Women's Soccer NYC Nike Classic after leading the Red Storm to back-to-back shutout wins en route to the tournament title. Coukoulis is a member of the BIG EAST Academic All-Star team and is on the St. John's Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

"Andrea is a natural captain and has organized our defense since the first game she played," said Stone of Coukoulis. "We expect that she will be able to carry those leadership qualities to the entire team this season."

Henderson will return to the field in 2005, after missing most of the 2004 season with a knee injury. The midfielder from Watervliet, NY made an impact in her few appearances last year, recording one goal and two assists in the first seven games of the season. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the BAE Systems Army Classic in 2004, after scoring one goal and two assists in the Championship round against Army and was also named to the All-Tournament team at the Red Storm's tournament, after two solid performances against LIU and Wagner. For her career, Henderson has five goals and nine assists and has appeared in 47 games, earning 43 starts. She is a BIG EAST Academic All-Star and a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

"Erin is a very knowledgeable player and is tactically superb," Stone said. "I am relying on her to serve as an on-field extension of the coaching staff."

Schmidt, a forward from Centereach, NY, has had one of the most impressive careers in women's soccer history. As a freshman, Schmidt was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after tallying 36 points on 10 goals and six assists. The following year, Schmidt was once again named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, after tying the St. John's record with 11 assists that season. Last year, she battled through injuries all season and finished the year with four goals, including the game-winner in the postseason-clinching win against Providence. Schmidt has earned several regional honors and in 2002, was named to SoccerBuzz' Freshman All-American Second Team. She is a BIG EAST Academic All-Star and is on the St. John's Athletic Director's Honor Roll, is a member of the National Dean's List and is a Dean's Scholar. Following the 2004-05 school year, Schmidt received the Dr. Peter Vitulli Award, given to the athlete who demonstrated the most courage, perseverance, dedication and spirit of self sacrifice in seeking to attain the highest ideals of sportsmanship.

"Kaitlin is a role model in every aspect of her life," said Stone. "She is a standout both academically and athletically and is an all-around great representative of the ideal student-athlete."

The Red Storm completed the 2004 season with a 10-9-1 overall record, which included two tournament championships and a win over a nationally ranked opponent. In 2005, St. John's will look to return to the BIG EAST Tournament for an unprecedented fifth-straight year.

For the most up-to-date information on all St. John's athletics, please visit our website at www.redstormsports.com or call 1-888-GO STORM.