Aug. 11, 2009

BOCA RATON, FL - The Florida Atlantic University women's soccer team has opened its fall training camp in preparation for the 2009 season. With the first match less than two weeks away the team is practicing twice daily. Training sessions began Friday, August 7 and will continue through Saturday, August 22.

"Competition is the main focus of our camp right now," says FAU head coach Brian Dooley. "We are doing a lot of 7-on-7 work, fitness training and recovery exercises."

Dooley enters the season ranked 25th among active NCAA Division I coaches in career winning percentage. Dooley guided FAU to an Atlantic Sun Conference (A-SUN) Championship in 2005 prior to the athletic department's move into the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in 2006.

"We've always competed technically," said Dooley. "However to win this league we needed to get bigger, faster, stronger. I think we've hit on that with our recruiting class so the potential is there to have our best year ever."

Fueled by two of the most talented front line players in the league - senior all-conference forward Ashley Mannarino and the league's "Newcomer of the Year" Laura Hyvonen - FAU was within one game of playing for the SBC title a year ago.

Historically a strong defensive team, the Owls are hoping to find some additional goal scorers to complement Mannarino and Hyvonen who accounted for nearly half of the offensive production in 2008. Before reeling off a five-match win streak last October - thanks largely to four game-winners by Mannarino - the team had suffered through a four-match scoreless draught in late September.

"We have to have four players scoring goals for us," said Dooley. "An x-factor for us will be finding that additional production up front."

Dooley and eighth-year assistant coach Chris Gnehm expect an immediate impact from the freshmen class, including 5-foot-8 forward Jessica Vickrey who will factor into the front line rotation which includes returning starter Sonia Richards. Four new defenders have also been added to strengthen the backfield along with three freshmen goalkeepers.

"We've tried to add size," said Dooley about the incoming class. "The physical aspect of the game has been stressful for us since joining the Sun Belt. While we were in the recruiting process, from the defensive side we wanted to get bigger and better in the air, dealing with crosses, defensive corners and free kicks driven into the box. We needed to improve there. If someone didn't show dominance in the air they fell off our list."

The added depth will allow junior Janelle Blake to return to a more natural role in midfield. Blake was forced to play center-backfield position last season following a series of injuries which decimated the lineup. Starters Janeke Simpkins, Anhnhi Tran, Meghan Brown, Brittany Comer and Hyvonen all missed significant time.

"Last year was such a crazy year for us," said Blake. "But we learned how important the right mindset and right approach is to winning games. It shows; our training has taken on extra focus."

If the Owls can stay healthy its tough early-season schedule (at Georgia, vs. Clemson, Ole Miss, Arkansas) should prepare them to challenge for the Sun Belt title in November, especially considering the postseason tournament will be played on the Owls' home field.

"We all worked hard this summer, especially in our training and conditioning" said Tran. "Camp will tell us a lot about how this team will play together, about our team chemistry."

The Owls will be put to the test Sunday, August 23 at 4 p.m. when they open the season against the University of Stetson at the FAU Soccer Complex, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. For tickets or more information call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.