Photo by: Michael Furman

Heading into the spring season, the women’s soccer team is hoping once again for a run that will result in a Sun Belt Conference championship, something the Pioneers have won the past four years.

Their spring schedule has consisted of six non-conference games and has focused on getting the team valuable playing experience during the off-season.

However, the focus remains on the upcoming fall regular season.

The perennial Sun Belt power will once again try to achieve the ultimate goal of making its third straight NCAA tournament, said head coach Jeff Hooker.

The team has made two consecutive NCAA tournaments, before that the team failed to make the national field despite winning the SBC tournament.

“What we have done the last four years is we’ve really tried to emphasize a strong non-conference schedule,” said Hooker. “We don’t set goals about winning the conference tourney then we just play those tough teams then set a reasonable goal which hopefully is winning the conference tournament.”

 In the upcoming season the Pioneers will face power teams such as Nebraska, Colorado and Purdue as well as 2009 NCAA tournament teams Washington State and UCLA, which was a one seed in last year’s tournament.

 The strategy of playing a difficult non-conference schedule has been successful for the Pioneers in recent years judging by four straight NCAA berths. In addition, the team took down No. one-ranked Stanford in 2007.

 Coming into the new season the Pioneers announced that they will add nine recruits to the current squad in the fall. The recruits are led by Jessy Battelli, a Colorado native who many consider to be one of the best, if not the best high school player in Colorado.

Eight others, all of whom hail from either Colorado or California, will join her.

 “Overall it’s the best class that we have ever had,” Hooker said. “Success has helped us, as well, the new stadium, and the combo of California and local kids from spots we heavily recruited. Also this marks the first time ever we were able to get the best player in Colorado to stay and attend the University to Denver.”

 However, it is important not to forget the core of the team were members of the squad that were able to make it to the NCAA’s.

Junior Jessie Rogers is expected to step up and become a team leader. Last season, she anchored the defense.

 Rogers will lead a team that will be very young, returning only five seniors on the roster.

 “Jesse Rogers started every game and needs to share experience and be vocal,” said Hooker. “She needs to pick up where the seniors from last year left off because they were a strong class full of very good leaders.”

Next fall, DU will have to replace six seniors, Kelli Breidenbach, Lizzy Carlson, Mariah Johnston, Brooke Lamphere, Caitlin Rollins and Emily Stewart, who will leave DU winners of four SBC championships.

However, with a combination of veteran experience and incoming talent, the Pioneers seem to have a newly created balance that can help them maintain the prominence that has been built in the past four seasons.