2007 season outlook

After two straight top five finishes the past two seasons, the women's soccer team under Head Coach Dominic Stross returns 10 players from last season's squad, which finished third in the country with a 15-5-1 overall record.

The Lady Fire also won its first South Region Championship last season, going a perfect 8-0 in the region.

SEU will return its top two goal scorers from last season, Melissa Kennedy and Crystal Johnson.

Kennedy led the Lady Fire in scoring last year as a true freshman. She scored nine goals and added seven assists, while Johnson scored six goals and added five assists as a sophomore last season.

Courtney Thomas and Marla Stoltzfus will also return this year to help with the offense. Thomas was a First Team All-Region selection in 2006, scoring eight points last year, while Stoltzfus was a Second Team All-Region selection and finished the year with 12 points.

Sophomore Jaime Willis will also return at the forward position this season. Willis was a Second Team All-Region player in 2006.

Leading the defense will be two-time First Team All-Region player Tara Ellis. Ellis has played in 57 games over the past three seasons and will bring plenty of experience to the Lady Fire defense.

Joining Ellis will be Noel Reno, who was a First Team All-Region player in 2005 and appeared in 21 games last season, scoring two goals and an assist.

Amy Delettre will return to play goalie for the Lady Fire in 2007. Delettre set a school record with 11 shutouts in 2006 and allowed just one goal in South Region play last season.

Other players returning for SEU will be mid-fielders Amanda Wade and Sarah Loiacono. Wade appeared in 21 games last season, scoring one goal and adding an assist, while Loiacono scored one goal and added an assist as well.

Coach Stross will welcome nine new players, including seven new freshmen, to help fill the holes left from last year's team.

Freshmen mid-fielders will be Katie Dunlap (Lakeland, Fla.), Lisa Kok (Sarasota, Fla.), Maria Rivas, and Lauren Gutierrez (Miami, Fla.).

Brittany Suggs (Sarasota, Fla.) and Tiffany Terrell (Labelle, Fla.) will help bring depth to the defense, while Jenna Bartholomew (Fort Myers, Fla.) will back up Delettre at the goalie position.

Two other newcomers will be sophomores Vicky Fleck and Heather Conner (Raleigh, N.C.). Fleck will also play goalie, while Conner will play mid-field for Coach Stross.

The Lady Fire will play 17 regular season games this year, with nine of those contests being at home before the 2007 South Region Tournament, which will be hosted by Atlanta Christian College this season, October 26-27.