Team chemistry will be the focus for SF State’s women’s soccer team this fall. Looking to improve on its 12-8 overall record from last season, the Gators are counting on returning players and newcomers to step up big.

“We had the big budget cuts which hampered signing, we had a difficult time,” said coach Jack Hyde. “However, the returning players have really stepped up on their preseason fitness and preparation. And we managed to sign some good freshman and two junior college transfers.”

The newcomers will have big shoes to fill as the team attempts to replace starters who graduated in the spring, like midfielders Brook Braunschweig (All-CCAA first team) and Nicole Lovett and defender, Jeannea Collins. The Gators also have to with the surprise loss of starting forward Kristine Marbach, who broke her leg over the summer and won’t be ready to play until October.

Hyde, in his 24th year at SF State, is confident that the rest of the players will step up and are prepared to fill the void. The Gators will rely on Katie Klain to move from midfielder to sweeper and dominate in a more defensive role. They will also count on forwards, Travell Bowie, Ashley Relf and Aja Simms as goal scorers. In the midfield, the Gators look to Maya Patrick and Erin Hartmann to provide big time play. In goal, SF State will depend on goal keeper Erin Clark, who was all-league last season.

According to Hyde, there are other players who will fill in around them and he emphasized that last year’s freshman will have to play like juniors, even though they are sophomores.

“We’ve created a soccer culture with our women’s program. That is we believe in ourselves and we cannot predict results,” said Hyde. “We can predict our preparation, determination and our togetherness as a team, because these things we can control.”

“Our preseason is all about preparing the players, selecting the best players and getting the chemistry together,” he added. Over the past few seasons, Hyde has been implementing a new concept about team chemistry that he plans on emphasizing this season.

Instead of just having captains this season, the Gators will also have two representatives, seniors Relf and Jessica Pearson, chosen by the team. The representatives will meet with Hyde every week in a neutral setting, such as the Student Union, and talk about what is going on with the team.

"This gives the players an outlet so we can keep things going smoothly," explained Hyde. "The team has a voice to the coach through the representatives, so they can bring up any suggestions or problems. We can talk about what's going on, who's playing, who's not playing and other concerns."

The team and coaches will also choose one or two team captains this week. Hyde said they will choose a captain who is more of a driving force during the games and is primarily concerned with performance on the field.

The Gators willl have the opportunity to test that chemistry this weekend in Chico at the Chico State Far West Classic. On Friday, August 27, SF State will face Western Oregon and on Sunday, August 29, the Gators battle against Humboldt State. The tournament will give the team a good idea of how the chemistry is working before they head home to open the season on Thursday, September 2 against Western Washington.