Click here to view the 2009 UE Women's Soccer Media Guide.

It’s easy to see what’s missing from the University of Evansville women's soccer championship team of 2008: graduation took five starters, including Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Kayla Lambert. Those five seniors scored 37 of the team’s 45 goals.

But don’t count out the Purple Aces just yet. Eleven veterans return from a squad that won the MVC regular season and tournament championships last November, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. The defending MVC champs report to campus on Thursday, begin practice Friday, and eight days later play their first exhibition game, on Saturday, August 15 at Black Beauty Field against the University of Kentucky Wildcats at 7:00 CDT.

UE’s experience begins in the defensive third. Junior goalkeeper Theresa Bagby is a two-year starter, and last season posted six shutouts while allowing only 1.11 goals per match. Bagby is protected by senior defenders Kasey Kutzler and Katelyn Smith, key players for the past three years. Kutzler was a second team all-Missouri Valley Conference selection in 2008. In large part because of those three players, the Aces allowed only 24 goals last season, the fewest since 2000. Bagby and Kutzler are the team captains in 2009.

“Our team defensive shape is key,” says Head Coach Krista McKendree. “We should be pretty sound defensively. The question is, ‘How do we create?’ We won’t be as dynamic up top, but we still have speed and we have players who are good athletes and good soccer players.”

One of those is midfielder Kellee Widener, a fifth-year senior and a three-year starter who will provide the anchor in the center of the field. The fifth returning starter is sophomore Colleen Marty, who made the MVC All-Freshman Team after finishing fifth in scoring with three goals and three assists for nine points.

Sophomore midfielder Sam Conrad was a key player last season, and veterans Sara Ornelas, Susan McKinley, Elise Feltes, Susan Szafir and Amanda Malone are also back in 2009. Missing will be sophomore defender Kasey Cartwright, who injured a knee during the spring season and underwent surgery in May. She will most likely redshirt in 2009. Sophomore Shannon MacNaughton missed all of 2008 with injuries, but has worked hard to get healthy and get back into shape for the 2009 season.

McKendree has brought in 10 newcomers to fill in the gaps left open by arguably the best graduating class in school history. They include attacking players Kaitlin Oldfield, Kristen Davis, Abby Guerra, Olivia Robinson and Dani Langness, midfielders Korie Klosterman and Jennifer Johnson, defenders Heather Stillwell and Shayna Jones, and goalkeeper Chaviel Harrison. Klosterman will most likely redshirt after sustaining a knee injury in high school.

“There will be a lot of integrating and a lot of teaching this season,” McKendree says. “We have to get 10 newcomers up to speed with how we expect to play. That means keeping everyone motivated, and not overwhelming them right away. I like our potential, though. I feel that we’ll still be competitive in the conference, and hopefully we’ll show well.”