After missing last season with an illness, CCRI women’s soccer coach Dennis Grassini was chomping at the bit to return to his post this season.

It’s easy to see why.

The Lady Knights are having one of the program’s most remarkable and magical seasons ever – and that’s saying something. In an athletic department with a lot of consistently successful programs, the women’s soccer team might have the best credentials. Nine consecutive regional championships. Five National Tournament berths in the last 12 years. One National Title.

This year’s team is writing its own chapter – and it’s a good one.

“My associate head coach, Kathy Bannan, and I are always talking about how this team compares,” Grassini said this week. “Collectively, including our National Championship team, I think this team is as talented or more talented than any team we’ve ever had.”

And they’ve shown it.

The numbers are staggering. With one game left in the regular season, the fourth-ranked Lady Knights are 15-1. Every single one of those 15 wins has been a shutout. For the year, they’ve out-scored their opponents 83-2. Their only loss was to then-No. 1 Monroe Community College.

“We’ve had a tremendous season,” Grassini said.

That success wasn’t unexpected, which is part of the reason why Grassini couldn’t wait to get back.

The other part?

There’s one thing that’s more special than what this team has done. It’s who this team is.

“They’re absolutely the nicest group of kids I’ve ever coached,” Grassini said. “They’re just really, really good kids and they’re a special group. When I was out last year, I felt like I got gypped because I didn’t get to spend that time with them. That’s why I couldn’t wait to come back.”

He couldn’t have dreamed of a better welcome.

The Lady Knights started the season with an 8-0 win. In their first seven games, their worst performance was a 4-0 victory.

And it’s not like the Lady Knights are dominating sub-par competition. They’ve earned national recognition as a top-notch NJCAA D-I program and they work hard to maintain that status, with Grassini insisting on playing a tough schedule, wherever that takes them. They’ve played games in Maryland, Michigan and New York this season, all against tough competition.

Out of those challenges, a powerful team has emerged.

At one end of the field, the Lady Knights have an explosive offense that averages more than five goals per game. Alexis Smith has 19 goals and 11 assists. Katy MacAndrew has 19 goals and 10 assists. Ashley Choiniere has 12 goals and nine assists. All are on the first few pages of the national scoring leader-board.

At the other end of the field, the Lady Knights might be even better. Freshman goalkeeper Melody Lawrence has set two records – one for consecutive shutouts and one for total shutouts. Her goals against average is tops in the nation.

As good as Lawrence has been, she hasn’t done it by herself. The defensive unit led by Stephanie Estacio, Carla Cano, Courtney Shea and Brittany Viera has dominated opposing offenses.

“I think Melody would be the first one to tell you that her defense deserves the credit,” Grassini said. “They’ve been phenomenal. We’ve plugged some freshmen in at times and they’ve done great, too.”

Other standouts for the Lady Knights include their three captains – Kaela Rose-Gentile, Alyssa Giudici and Steph Morse, a former Warwick Vets standout. Morse was an All-American at Vets and the Gatorade Player of the Year for softball. She and her fellow captains have set the tone.

“Steph Morse has won every award under the sun, and you’d never know it,” Grassini said. “She’s just a great, great kid. She carries a 4.0 and she’s a phenomenal soccer player. We’re lucky to have her.”

Morse’s arrival at CCRI is part of a trend that helps explain the team’s success. In the last two years, some of Rhode Island’s best players have chosen to stay home. “Rhode Island has a lot of talent,” Grassini said. “A lot of kids seem to want to go away, but we think we’re a great option. We’ve been able to recruit some top-notch players and we’re very happy about that. Having them come here has only helped us in recruiting. Kids see a first-team all-stater going to CCRI and say, ‘If it’s good enough for them, maybe it’s good enough for me.’”

As a result, CCRI’s squad has a hometown flavor. Of the 22 players on the roster, 16 are from Rhode Island.

These days, they’re gearing up to show the rest of the country what Rhode Island can do. The Lady Knights will close out the regular season on Saturday, and they’ll begin play in the district tournament on Nov. 6. The winner of the district gets a spot in the eight-team National Tournament, which will be held in Plano, Texas.

The Lady Knights haven’t been to nationals since 2003, when they were runners-up.

“It’s been too long,” Grassini said. “Getting to the finals in 2003 was sweet. Losing 1-0 in the finals with 20 seconds left was not so sweet. Our goal has always been to get back.”

The road won’t be an easy one for the Lady Knights. Their likely opponent in the district championship is Monroe, the only team that’s beaten them. Monroe is currently ranked third in the country.

The game will be at a neutral site this time, as opposed to Monroe’s home field. It’ll be a challenge, but the Lady Knights are prepared to meet it head on.

“They know what they have to do,” Grassini said. “We’ve had a great season but the mission is not close to being over.”

And that’s a good thing.

This mission is what Grassini and the Lady Knights have been waiting for.

William Geoghegan is a sports reporter for the Warwick Beacon. He can be reached via e-mail at williamg@warwickonline.com.