APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University women's soccer team has five new faces as it kicks off the season Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Joining the squad are forwards Jackie Bean and Pam Golemgeski, midfielder Alison Blegen, and defenders Amanda Follett and Ashley Marsh.
Bean is a native of River Falls and starred at River Falls High School. An All-Big Rivers Conference selection as a senior, Bean served as team captain and won was named the team's offensive MVP.
Golemgeski hails from Okauchee and was a standout at Oconomowoc High School. She joins her brother, Tim, at Lawrence. Tim plays football for the Vikings. Golemgeski, who will likely play softball for the Vikings, was her high school team's captain and MVP.
Blegen comes from a highly successful prep team at Whitefish Bay High School, which lost the state title game in 2005 and made it to the state tournament semifinals in 2003. A three-year varsity player, Blegen also is an oustanding student. She won her school's Scholar Award and Scholar Athlete Award.
Follett is a native of West Bend and is a graduate of the University School of Milwaukee. A four-year starter at USM, she also served as the team captain.
Marsh is from Sun Prairie and was a four-year varsity starter for Sun Prairie High School. A three-time winner of the team's Most Valuable Defender award, she also starred for Madison 56ers Soccer Club and was the team's MVP award in 2005.
The Vikings return 16 letterwinners from a team that finished 6-10 overall, including a 5-4 mark in Midwest Conference play, in 2004.
Lawrence lost leading scorers Greta Raaen and Emily Buzicky to graduation and will need help from junior forward Mindy Luber (St. Louis, Mo./University City), who had two goals and four assists last sesason. The other top scorer coming back is sophomore midfielder Tara McGovern (Eagan, Minn./School of Environmental Studies), who had three goals a season ago. Also back is foward Emily Weinberg (St. Paul, Minn./Central).
The defense is sound with the return of sophomore goalkeeper Candice Gangl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville), who posted a 1.94 goals against average and .806 save percentage. Junior Annemarie Exarhos (Richland, Wash./Hanford) is the rock in the middle of the Lawrence defense, and she is joined by returning defenders Maggie Leverence (Mukwonago/Mukwonago), Catherine Marinac (St. Paul, Minn./Central), Gretchen Shaffer (Sheridan, Wyo./Sheridan), and Laurel Benson (Appleton/East).
The midfield features McGovern and seniors Emily Cain (Salem, Ore./Sprague) and Jessie Lyon (Golden Valley, Minn./Breck). Also back are Julianne Eggum (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park), Beth Shaker (Shorewood/Shorewood), Claire Thompson-Vieira (Minneapolis, Minn./South), Kursten Gundersen (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), and Mallory Sturmer (Mendota Heights, Minn./Mendota Heights).
The Vikings open play at home on Sept. 8 with a 4:00 p.m. match against Ripon College.