2008 saw plenty of action as the Tars ran through the regular season undefeated, earned their first Sunshine State Conference regular season title, the program's first berth into the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament, and produce the program's first All-American's.  Led by a group of grizzled veterans and supported by energetic newcomers, the women used a core group of talent and a deep line of dexterous reserves to take things to the next level.

The loss of seniors Dana Merrill, Lindsay Giblin, and Danielle Martin will prove to be very influential in the team's overall dynamic this season, but Amato feels confident that the returning group will be a solid, unyielding squad of players.  "We have a lot of returning players, so we are relying on their experience to do well," says Amato.  "It's a 'been there, done that' situation, so that will help a lot."

The Rollins community as a whole will be looking to lone goalkeeper Michelle Dillingham to have another highlight filled season.  In her rookie year with the Tars, Dillingham was tabbed first team All-Conference, and is tied for second in the program in total shutouts with six, while allowing only 10 goals and making 64 saves.  She racked up a .865 save percentage and .550 goals allowed average on the year.  With a year of very key experience under her belt, Amato is excited to see what Dillingham will help the Tars achieve this season.

Much like last year, Amato expects big things out of his back line as Maia Ryan, Meagan Thomas, Leah Hirsch, and Charlotte Murrell will provide the team with a solid defensive wall.  "We expect Meagan and Leah to really contribute a lot in the back line," Amato explains.  "To fill Merrill's shoes, we're slotting Charlotte Murrell in the back.  We really groomed her in the spring to play in the back line, and we'll be expecting big things out of her."  With the addition of senior captain Maia Ryan's leadership, Amato feels very confident in his back line and defensive squad as a whole.  "We feel really good about our back line with our goalkeeper," says Amato.  "That will be the strength of our team."

In the midfield, Amato will be looking to two key seniors to take charge and set-up the offense.  "Jessica Mooney and Rachel Jakubowski are definitely experienced central midfielders that we expect to get a lot out of," says Amato.  With the help of Joy Powell, Marie Sapper, and Georgia Libert, the midfield will have constant strength and depth to rely on.

The attackers will have a huge gap to fill with the loss of All-American and two-time conference Player of the Year Lindsay Giblin, but Amato was able to foresee the need to fill the void well in advance.  This season, his eye will be trained on juniors Chelsea Brady and Jessica Deese to step up and take on the leadership role in the goal-scoring line.  With help from wing players Ashley Waplinger and Melissa Doerk, the offensive unit will have plenty of goal scoring opportunities.

The newcomers will be expected to contribute right off the starting block, as Ali Schrader and Elise Spearing will be looked to help fill the gap left by Giblin.  "It's a tough task, but they should really help out up there," Amato points out.  In the midfield, Annie Pippert, Alyssa Beck, and Whitney Rohrer will also be seeing plenty of game time this season.

The Tars already kick off their new slate with plenty of buzz as they come in at No. 10 on the NSCAA Division II Preseason Poll.  Rollins caps off a list of powerhouse teams including regional rivals West Florida (No. 2), and Columbus State (No. 6).  Opening their schedule on the road at Savannah College of Art and Design before returning to kick off their home slate against Division III institution Carthage College in the first part of a women's/men's double-header.

Rollins takes to the road once again, this time venturing all the way out to San Antonio, Texas, to take on the likes of Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian before returning home to take on No. 2 West Florida in a home game showdown.  "The Texas trip is a big weekend for us," Amato explains.  "We'll play two really good teams on the road, and set that up to make sure that those two very good games will lead us into playing one of the best teams in the country at home." 

The Tars took on the Argos twice last season, holding them to a scoreless tie in double-overtime action and eventually falling to UWF in the third round of NCAA Tournament action in the Tars' only loss of the season.  With the matchup against West Florida being one of the most highlighted games on the Tars' schedule this season, being able to play on their home turf will give the women a big advantage.

After West Florida, the women take on Thomas University before hitting the road once more for a three-game stint, making the short jaunt to Flagler College before the Tars begin their Sunshine State Conference portion of the schedule.

As always, the SSC matchups will be taken very seriously as the level of play improves and each conference member ups the ante on the playing field.  "Every conference game is a battle," Amato points out.  "We'll look to do our best in those games, for sure." 

Rollins drops right into the conference action against preseason favorite Saint Leo on September 23 before a week long break to prepare for Florida Tech on September 30.  The Tars were bounced out of the SSC tourney semifinal by a shootout with the Lions, leaving this season wide open for redemption.

The Tars hit the pitch on Cahall Sandspur Field to take on Eckerd and Palm Beach Atlantic, before making a quick skip down to Ft. Lauderdale to knock on Nova Southeastern's door.  Returning home for a difficult three-game sprint, the Tars will need utilize their late-season stamina as they battle Lynn, Tampa, and Barry in an eight day stretch before traveling to Lakeland to end their regular season schedule at Florida Southern.

With an experienced, diverse team, Amato is looking for plenty of success to carry on the momentum of last year's breakout season.  "Everyone on our roster can contribute," says Amato.  "Obviously you have to stay healthy and get some momentum going at the start of the year.  It will be crucial for us to stay healthy."

Despite the smaller roster in comparison to last year's sizeable squad, the women will hit the ground running this weekend with plenty of confidence, strength, ingenuity, and experience.  Expectations will be extremely high as the Tars try to surmount the bar that was set last season, but with depth and versatility in every member of the 2009 Rollins women's soccer team should look forward to another solid year of competition.