University of Minnesota Duluth SOCCER QUICK FACTS
2014 Record	9-10-1
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference	8-6-1
Finish	7
Starters returning/lost	2/9
Letterwinners returning/lost	13/12
Head Coach                               Greg Cane (22nd season)
Overall Record	229-127-34
NSIC Record	115-31-9
Top Returners Emily Fleissner (So./D) - 2015 Player to Watch in NSIC Marissa Ganske (Jr./M) - 15 career points (most among returners) Katie Peterson (Jr./F) - 2014 Team Captain
Newcomers Roni Rudolph (Fr./GK) - Duluth, Minn./Duluth East H.S. Lyla Abukhodair (Fr./F) - Duluth, Minn./Hermantown H.S. Anna Rauzi (Fr./M) - Duluth, Minn./Duluth East H.S.
Season Opener vs. No. 7 Central Missouri Friday, Sept. 4, 2:00 p.m. (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Home Opener vs. Michigan Tech Sunday, Sept. 12 12:00 p.m.
Conference Opener at St. Cloud State Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m.

2015: Schedule | Roster | NSIC Preseason Poll
2014: Results | Statistics

The University of Minnesota Duluth will have a much different team when it hits the pitch for the time in 2015, graduating nearly the entirety of its starting line-up. Despite the talent it lost, the Bulldogs will be taking the pitch in hopes of a rebound season after a seventh-place finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference - a spot that led to a bit of disappointment for the team.

"I'm glad you brought it up, so then I don't have to," said Coach Cane, with a bit of a laugh. "Obviously, we felt that we came up short last year in a variety of ways. [For those seniors,] I'm sure they felt disappointment in their season but also great satisfaction in their careers." Maureen Stormont ('14) highlighted that senior class, finishing her four years with Bulldog program records of 126 career points and 54 career goals. "As for those returning players, it's all about opportunity. It's their chance to shine, to fill more important roles on the team, to be leaders, and to be impactful to the program. With that comes some hopes and some expectations in their preparation."

WHO'S BACK?
Preparing to lead the Bulldogs this season are a pair of seniors and the winner of the team's Bulldog Award the past two seasons in junior forward Katie Peterson, the 2015 team captain. Peterson suffered a pair of season-ending injuries over the past two years but still showed the  "fighting spirit" that the team hopes to embody ever year, making her a prime selection as the club's on-field leader. Those seniors include midfielder/forward Leah Nesheim and forward Kate McMahon. "Their leadership will be important that they are the oldest players on the team, and that has to mean something in terms of the dynamic of the team," said Cane, noting that Peterson and junior defender Jackie Sorenson are also in their fourth year academically at UMD. "[Peterson] has won the hearts of her teammates through her dilligence in recovery. She has gained the respect of her team in the way she approaches the student athlete life."

The junior class, including Peterson and Sorenson, brings the bulk of the experience to the squad. Leading the team offensively is junior midfielder Marissa Ganske, whose 15 career points top all returners. Defender Skye Finley transferred to UMD last season after spending a season with NSIC rival St. Cloud State University in 2013-14. Forward Kailey Beatt stepped in dutifully in the stead of an injured Stormont during the NSIC Postseason Tournament a season ago, scoring the game-winning goal against Augustana (S.D.) College for an upset victory of the second-seeded Vikings in the opening round. Sophomore forward Taylor Johnson and sophomore defender Emily Fleissner each saw plenty of time on the pitch a season ago. Fleissner took over a starting role in the backfield in the second half of the season, while Johnson appeared in 19 games with three starts a season ago. Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Melby returns after making four starts between the pipes a season ago with a 1.50 GAA.

WHO'S NEW?
The 2015 season will see the debut of 15 first-year players with the Bulldogs, though Coach Cane was tight-lipped about who may make an immediate impact. "I really believe that anything can happen when they get here. What I will mention is that someone like Marissa Ganske, who came here as a walk-on, and has done nothing but play like a player on full scholarship ever since. We'll have our share of stories with this class. We have everything from endline and the goal right on out to the front line, and players that have a history of scoring. We have players that have been on significant teams: state cup winners, ECNL teams -- there's a very good group of incoming players, and it's going to be a collective effort in terms of what they're going to be doing."

Notably, UMD adds three local players -- Duluth East High School graduates Roni Rudolph, a goalkeeper, and Anna Rauzi, a midfielder, and also former Hermantown High School standout Lyla Abukhodair. "[Abukhodair is] our second Hermantown grad in a couple years, and that's exciting for us and for Hermantown of course. We're looking for her to get to college-level speed right away," said Cane. "The other two represent as many players from Duluth East in our program as we have years. I think we're at about 22 in our history. Anna Rauzi is a pretty versatile player. She's comfortable on the front line, but she has the physical assets to probably be a defender in college. I see good potential from her. Though we do have four goalkeepers, Roni was the first one of this group to commit. I really like what she does in terms of managing the back line and managing the game."

THE SCHEDULE
The team will face an early test when the Bulldogs get a rematch from a season ago against the No. 7-ranked University of Central Missouri in the season opener, a game that will be in Sioux Falls. The Jennies took their first trip to the NCAA II Elite Eight in school history a season ago after winning the Central Region Championship and return much of their starting line-up. From there, UMD comes home to host a pair of non-conference match-ups against Michigan Technological University and the annual meeting against Northern Michigan University. The Wildcats edged the Bulldogs by a 2-1 final in Marquette a year ago while UMD will meet Tech for the first time since the 2010 season and just the second time in the history of the two programs.

The NSIC schedule gets no easier this year as Minnesota State University Mankato ranks No. 6 in the country in preseason polls and looks to be an early favorite in the conference according to the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. UMD will travel to Mankato late in the year on Friday, Oct. 23. Perennial rival Winona State University also received votes for the national Top 25, and the Bulldogs will host the Warriors on Sept. 27. The team will open conference play with a special Tuesday evening match-up against St. Cloud State University on Sept. 15. UMD hosts Wayne State (Neb.) College on Friday, Oct. 9 and Augustana (S.D.) on Sunday, Oct. 11 during Homecoming week. The Bulldogs, picked seventh in the poll, will look to exceed those expectations and also make a return trip to the NSIC Postseason Tournament. Opening round action will be hosted by each of the top four seeds on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

UMD and UCM will kick off the season in just a few short weeks in Sioux Falls on Sept. 4 at 2:00 p.m. The Bulldogs convene once again this Wednesday morning for practice followed by a media session.