Friday, August 12, 2005

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (August 12, 2005) - As the fall sports season gets closer the East Tennessee State University women's soccer team is busy with its preseason workouts.  The Buccaneers return 14 letter winners from last season and have added a strong freshmen class.

"The intensity and strong work ethic in the training sessions is right where we want it," said ETSU head coach Heather Henson.  "The team is battling for everything in training and in games.  The returning ladies are doing a good job teaching the freshmen the expectations of our program and they are open to new ideas and willing to try new things."

In their inaugural season in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the Buccaneers will host a total of 10 games in 2005, five of those being A-Sun matches. The first A-Sun match for the Buccaneers will be a road match against Jacksonville on Friday, Sept. 23.

The A-Sun recently posted the preseason coaches poll for women's soccer.  The Buccaneers are ranked eighth out of the 11 teams in the league with Florida Atlantic taking the top spot by receiving nine first place votes.  Only the league's top six teams qualify for the 2005 A-Sun Championship hosted by Gardner-Webb Nov. 3-5.

"I'm not surprised by our ranking in the pre-season poll," Henson said.  Entering a new conference means all new teams that do not know anything about us; I'm sure they looked at our record from last season and counted the wins.  Last year saw a lot of one goal games and ties, but losing only one senior from a core that posted 12 wins has me feeling like we can compete with anyone."

The Lady Bucs will host an exhibition game on Saturday, August 20 against Morehead State at the Liberty Bell Soccer Complex before officially opening their season on Aug. 26 on the road against UNC Ashville.