Women's soccer expects to be a force in Atlantic 10

The University of Richmond women's soccer team has played only one regular season game, but with 13 three-year teammates leading the way, it is expecting to have a successful year.

"We have a very strong team," head coach Peter Albright said. The team has many quality players returning and a talented group of freshman, he said.

Senior back Julia Bizer said this year's team has come together well. "Thirteen of our players have been playing together for three years," she said, "so it's a nice core that can be really strong going through the rest of the season."

Senior Jessie Wolfe, who scored the Spiders first goal in a 2-1 victory against James Madison on Sunday, is usually one of the leading scorers and will have a big impact on the team's success, Bizer said. But, in order to win the A-10 title, the whole team will have to play well together, she said.

In addition to the returning players, coach Albright expected the freshman class to have an immediate impact, he said. Goalkeeper Andrea Young and midfielder Bridget Kinealy are two of the nine first-year players who will play a large role in the team's success, Albright said.

The team will play two of its toughest conference opponents, St. Louis and Charlotte, at home in late October, Bizer said.

"They were the two finalists last year and they are the two toughest teams in the A-10," Bizer said.

"If we can have the fan support that we had against JMU that could really help us."

Though the team's goals will be difficult to accomplish, they are not out of reach, Bizer said.

"The goal is always to get that ring and make it to the NCAA tournament," she said, "and this year more than any other year in the past that could definitely happen"