POWAY — The San Diego SeaLions opened their 2013 season with a 4-0 win against Ajax American Women on the road at Nansen Field.
Playing with a not-yet-solidified roster, general manager Amie Becker said she was very pleased that they came away with the win at a field where they’ve had their difficulties in previous seasons.
“The games have always been very tight,” Becker said. “Usually it’s a 2-1 or a 1-0 win. So, we didn’t go in taking it lightly by any means,” she said, adding that she didn’t think that it was necessarily their best game ever. “But obviously the result is the result and I’m happy with it.”
With college terms ending, the SeaLions are expecting the return of Rachel Locke, their second-string goalie back to the roster and the possible addition of one or two players from SDSU that Becker said head coach Jen Lalor-Nielsen saw making a good fit to the squad.
In the WPSL teams can have an unlimited amount of players on their roster, though only 20 players are eligible to suit up on game day.
Becker said that on average she usually keeps 25-30 players on the roster depending on the season.
Since practices began several weeks ago, the team, Becker said, seems to be a very tight-knit group.
“We have a core group that’s been around for the past couple of years and they’ve been very welcoming as far as bringing the new players in and they’ve all been gelling very well together… and they’re showing great maturity on the field,” Becker said.
On Wednesday the team announced that starting outside defender Michele Ramirez has agreed to play professionally overseas. She signed a contract to join the Östersund DFF in Sweden.
Ramirez joined the SeaLions last season and is a graduate of Cal State San Marcos where she was a starter all four years.
She is the first player out of CSUSM to sign a professional contract.
