ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia University women's soccer team opens their season on the road this weekend as they head down to Fayette, Iowa to take on Rockhurst (Mo.). The game is scheduled for 11 a.m. on the campus of Upper Iowa University.
 
The early season schedule should provide the Golden Bears some tough tests in which to see where they are at as a team. "Our nonconference schedule is a bit of an unknown. Rockhurst will give us a huge challenge this weekend and Viterbo is an NAIA school that could compete in our league and will be a tough test next week as well. The conference opener against Minnesota State next week will also give us a good measuring stick to see where we're at from last year," said head coach Steve Bellis.
 
"We finished 12^th last year but could have finished anywhere from 6^th to 12^th in that middle of the pack," Bellis said of last year's squad. "We've been close to making the conference tournament in my time here and we just need to be in the conference tournament this year."
 
Bellis expects to see improvement across the board and has been excited about what he has seen so far. He said, "I expect us to be stronger in every position with more depth and more experience everywhere." He went on to say, "This year I've been pleasantly surprised with the overall fitness of the returners as well as the fitness of the incoming first year players. On a soccer front, it's been great to play 11 v. 11 for the whole week of two-a-days to be able to really shape the team and see who can play where and see how effective they can be."
 
The improvement will begin in an area that proved to be an area of strength for the team last season. Defensively, Concordia brings back a lot of experienced players from a unit that did a solid job last year.
 
Anchoring the defense will be junior keeper Emma Gartner. Gartner was a tough luck performer last season with a record of 1-7 despite allowing just 1.47 goals per game while splitting time with Kayla Kuczaboski. This year, Gartner will be backed up by sophomore Kate Mallory.
 
"Gartner has really buckled down in the offseason and you can see the improvements right away," Bellis said. "She will be one of the stronger keepers we've had here."
 
On the back line, the Golden Bears are led by senior Sarah Pieper and junior Rachel Gratz. Both players were relied on heavily and player every minute of every game they appeared in last year. Bellis said, "Rachel Gratz and Sarah Pieper are both solid upperclassmen who work well together as a partnership."
 
Senior Emily Ecklund and junior Meg Poulson appear in line to fill the other two starting spots in the back. "Poulson will push for a center back position and Ecklund is a senior who has played left back for four years and has all the experience and knowledge she needs to help get us to the next level," Bellis said of the veteran defenders.
 
Sam Marthaler and Anna Augustine are also expected to play prominent roles on the defensive side with Kristen Lenahan and Kelli Heytens also in the mix.
 
Midfield projects to be another area with returners players expected to make a jump this year for the Golden Bears. Three players in the middle that will be counted on to help the program move forward are Taryn MacMillan, Jess Bianchi and Kaitlyn Halvorson. MacMillan is in her second season in a Golden Bear uniform after transferring from North Dakota last year. Bianchi enters her junior year a year removed from scoring five goals and adding four assists as a freshman. Halvorson joins the lineup after transferring from Winona State.
 
"Taryn will be that much more solid this year in her third collegiate season and expectations for Bianchi will be high going into this year as a creator on offense that can score goals," said Bellis. "Katie Halvorson enters in as a defensive-minded midfielder who will be versatile and will be a rock for us."
 
In an outside midfield position, junior McKenzie Buck looks to be closing in on a starting spot. Buck has three career goals and four assists in 33 games for CU.
 
Bellis said of Buck, "McKenzie is a flier who is a really good athlete on the outside that can score with both feet."
 
The Golden Bears fill out the position with Sam McBain, Erica Landry, Lauren Anderson and Coco Piche all battling for playing time with Tori Lust and freshman Shannon Wynne also competing for a spot.
 
Concordia has three very different style players fighting for time at the forward position in junior Alahna Anderson, sophomore Chelsie Lindsay and freshman Logan Daulton. Anderson returns after scoring a team-high eight goals and adding a pair of assists. Lindsay made 16 appearances as a first year last season while Daulton will be getting her first look at collegiate soccer.
 
Bellis said of the three, "Daulton can play target and is big, fast and strong and brings a different style than Alahna in the way that she plays. She's the kind of kid that's strong enough to break away and score in 1 v. 1's, get by the keepers and score on headers near the net. Alahna is an exciting little player coming off an ACL injury very strong and will be expected score goals for us. Lindsay brings pace and power to the lineup and we're excited to see her in there."
 
After Saturday's tilt with Rockhurst, the Golden Bears open up conference play at Minnesota State next Thursday at 4 p.m. Concordia doesn't return home until homecoming weekend on September 26^th as they play host to Minnesota Crookston.