Hurricanes Set to Open Fall Campaign
DAYTON, Ohio -- The Miami Hurricanes women’s soccer team opens its highly anticipated fall schedule on the road this weekend with exhibition match-ups against Dayton and Ohio State.
The Hurricanes will face off against Dayton under the lights on Fri., Aug. 10 (7 p.m.) before a short road trip to Columbus and another exhibition with the Buckeyes on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 12, 1 p.m.).
“We’re going to be competing against two excellent programs, and we’re excited about it,” head coach Tom Anagnost said. “Both opponents will challenge us mightily and expose what we will need to improve on for the future.”
After recording the first postseason win in program history during their 2011 campaign, the Hurricanes return to the pitch for a schedule that includes 13 contests against teams that qualified for the NCAA Championship last season. Alongside Miami, both Dayton and Ohio State received votes in the initial NSCAA/Continental Tire Preseason Rankings released earlier this week.
“It’s a great chance for our coaches to coach and evaluate our players against talented competition,” Anagnost said. “We’re going to be looking closely to see if they play the game how they’ve been trained.”
The Hurricanes, who finished the 2011 season with a 10-8-1 overall record, return seven starters from last year’s squad. Included in that mix are second-team All-ACC selection Kate Howarth (11 goals, seven assists), sophomore Ashley Flinn (four goals, five assists) and junior Tara Schwitter (five goals, four assists).
Anagnost’s staff will enjoy the addition of 14 newcomers to the roster, including two-time All-BIG EAST selection Tina Romagnuolo (Syracuse) and goalkeeper Emily Lillard (Arkansas). Jasmine Paterson (forward), Ally Andreini (midfielder) and Paige Lombard (midfielder) highlight an 11-member freshman class expected to contribute right away.
“This weekend’s going to be a great challenge against two consistent NCAA Tournament and nationally ranked programs. We’re excited to get everything going,” Anagnost said.
Miami opens its regular season Fri. Aug. 17, on the road against No. 21 Florida.
