LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team, featuring 15 news faces and a brand new coaching staff, opens its second Division I season with two games this weekend.
 
The River Hawks visit the Colonial Athletic Conference Champion Northeastern University Friday, August 22^nd at 6 p.m., in Brookline, Mass. and host Siena College, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Sunday at 1 p.m., at the Cushing Field Complex.
 
UMass Lowell is coming off an inaugural Division I season that would be best described as a learning experience.  The River Hawks earned only a win and a tie in 18 matches and went 1-7-0 against America East opponents.  That one win came in double overtime against eventual conference champ UMBC.
 
Along with the new faces and new staff comes an emphasis on fitness and conditioning, and a sense of optimism.
 
"We stepped into camp with a much higher commitment to fitness during the summer," said Head Coach Joel Bancroft.  "I'm excited by that and by the staff that we have, and I'm excited by the opportunities that lie ahead."
 
Returning Players to Watch
 
Selja Snorradottir
Hometown:  Reykajvik, Iceland
Class: Junior
Height: 5' 5"
Position: Outside Back
Snorradottir has started from the moment she enrolled at UMass Lowell, a total of 25 games.  A defensive standout, Snorradottir has one goal and two assists in her career.  She earned a spot on the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie Team as a freshman.
 
Colleen Corliss
Hometown:  Pittsfield, N.H.
Class: Junior
Height: 5' 8"
Position: Center Back
Corliss has been a starter from day one, appearing in 25 games.  She scored her first collegiate goal, last October, against the University of Vermont
 
Brittany Russo
Hometown:  Danvers, Mass.
Class: Senior
Height: 5' 2"
Position: Outside Midfielder
Russo is an aggressive offensive player.  She scored two goals and led the team in shots during the 2013 season.  Russo's sophomore season was cut short by injury; she appeared in only eight games.  Russo had a terrific freshman campaign leading the team with ten goals.  She was honored as the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year.
 
Sarah Raye
Hometown:  Salem, Mass.
Class: Senior
Height: 5' 4"
Position: Center Midfielder
Raye, the team Captain, scored two goals and added one assist for a team that only found the back of the net 11 times in 18 contests during the 2013 season. 
 
New Faces to Watch
 
Shannon Groffie
Hometown:  Toms River, N.J.
Class: Freshman
Height: 5' 7"
Position: Forward
It is hoped that Groffie can help provide an offensive shot in the arm after a strong high school and club career.  Her club team won two New Jersey state titles.  As a high schooler, Groffie, picked up two Player of the Year honors and a Most Valuable Player award.
 
 
 
 
Three Keys to the Season
 
Fitness
There was a feeling during the team's first foray into Division I the tactical approach was fine and execution was good, but the team was unable to match their opponents' fitness and conditioning.  Fitness was a point of emphasis through the summer and at practice.
 
"For me, the key is to have 'a bedrock of fitness'," says Bancroft.  "Everything that we want to apply with our technique or our tactical ability is dependent upon getting to the ball and getting to the opponent."
 
Attention to Detail
Most games are not defined by headline making plays, but rather executing the little things.
 
"It's going to be organization and paying attention to details," says Bancroft.  "We don't have the margin for error that some of our opponents have.  So we need to know what we're trying to accomplish each and every day."
 
Commitment to Defense
"It is always easier to destroy than create," says Bancroft.  "All of my teams have been built from the back, from the goalkeeper to the center back, outside back, forward.  I think that starting a program that is a perceived underdog, you have to start on the defensive end."