The beginning of the school year at Virginia is accompanied by anticipation of new classes, parties, old friends and soccer season. Virginia, after all, has traditionally enjoyed great soccer teams, and this year doesn't look much different. The 2007 Virginia women's soccer team will begin its season at Klöckner Stadium tonight at 5 p.m. as it takes on Delaware. The Cavaliers come into the contest sporting a No. 17 preseason ranking while the Blue Hens of Delaware are unranked.
The Blue Hens are not traditionally a soccer powerhouse, but they did manage to put together a record of 8-8-3 in 2006. Delaware plays in the Colonial Athletic Association, where it finished ninth in 2006 with a 3-7-1 record in conference play.
Although Delaware has not produced the same results that Virginia has in years past, it is still an opponent that should not be taken lightly. The Blue Hens are led by junior midfielder Kasie Shover, the leading returning scorer, and sophomore forward Melissa Kilker, who turned in a stellar freshman year in 2006.
Virginia, however, appears to have a solid chance of meeting Delaware's challenge. Delaware has not played an opponent ranked as high as Virginia in seven years, and when the teams last met in 1996, Virginia easily handled Delaware in a 6-1 win. Additionally, Virginia will be aided by the home field atmosphere of Klöckner Stadium. Known as one of the biggest and most daunting soccer venues in the country, Klöckner Stadium has given Virginia a great edge for years. Considering the amount of preseason hype surrounding the Cavaliers this year, Klöckner Stadium will certainly present a difficult playing environment for Delaware.
"It's nice to be at home here at Klöckner, in front of our fans," coach Steve Swanson said. "It's very exciting for all of us."
There are, however, some lingering questions surrounding the Cavaliers as they head into their first game of the season. The main question comes at the goalkeeper position, where a permanent starter has yet to be named. Currently, the competition is between junior Celeste Miles and redshirt freshman Chantel Jones, neither of whom has substantial starting experience. Whoever ends up earning the job will be forced to adjust quickly to the added pressures that come along with the starting goalkeeper position.
The second question heading into tonight's game centers around the preseason and its results. Players and coaches agree that much was accomplished and learned during the preseason.
"We worked really hard during the preseason, and I think the team is excited about playing a regular game," Swanson said.
Virginia, however, was defeated in its two preseason exhibition games, though both losses came at the hands of two higher ranked opponents -- No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 8 Connecticut. The Cavaliers don't seem to be worried about the two preseason losses.
"I don't think it's going to have any effect on our regular season at all," senior defender Becky Sauerbrunn said."If you look back in the past, [at] the last four preseasons I've been a part of, we have lost at least one of our games. But we always tend to do very well at the beginning of the [regular] season"
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