Corsairs have10 returning starters looking to make a move in the Little East Conference

(Dartmouth, MA) - With 10 returning starters back for the 2000 season, including four of his five top scorers from a year ago, UMass Dartmouth women's soccer Alex Silva thinks he's got the makings of a team which could make a move up the ranks in the Little East Conference.

Coming off a 6-12 record in 1999, Silva has a solid starting lineup back this season, led by last year's leading scorer, sophomore forward Leanne Teixeira (Mattapoisett, MA). In 16 games last year, Teixeira had 6 goals and added 3 assists for 15 points, 13th best in the LEC. Also back for another season is junior midfielder and forward Lisa Germano (W. Springfield, MA) (6-1-13), senior midfielder and forward Alyson Conner (2-2-6) and sophomore defender Sarah Bourque (Rochester, MA) (1-3-5). Silva will also be looking for contributions from returning veterans senior midfielder and co-captain Asa Folino (Rockland, MA) (0-3-3), senior defender Sarah McGrath (Littleton, MA), and sophomore defender Sarah Ashworth (Warwick, RI).

"Our starting 11 have played very well during the preseason, " said Silva, who is entering his fifth season (21-44-5) with the Corsairs. "They�ve been together for at least two years now, so I see them as more mature now. They are coming together as a team and they know what to expect when they play in big games."

Also returning for another season will be senior goalie and co-captain Jennifer Nelson (Medford, MA), who played in all 17 games last season. Nelson faced 342 shots and came up with 212 saves, allowing 36 goals for a 2.12 goals against average. Nelson recorded 4 shutouts in her 6 wins last season.

UMass Dartmouth will have to be on top of its game as the Corsairs prepare for their Little East Conference schedule. UMass Dartmouth finished tied for sixth in the 2000 women�s soccer pre-season poll conducted by the coaches within the Little East Conference. The Corsairs and Rhode Island College tied with 20 points each in the poll. Defending LEC champion Western Connecticut State University was the poll�s choice as the choice to repeat this season.

"The LEC is a very challenging conference," said Silva, who will be joined by assistant coach Dewey Eduardo again this year. "We have one of the best conferences in New England, if not in the country. WCSU is #1 in the New England region and ranked #5 in the nation and ECSU is #10 in the region plus Keene State is very good. There is no doubt that we know this is a tough conference."

Silva said his teams' goal is to qualify for the LEC post-season tournament as one of the top six teams in the final standings. If all goes well for UMass Dartmouth, Silva and his team want to get into the tournament ranked higher than the #6 seed.

"Qualifying higher than 6th for the LEC is what we are driving for this year," Silva said. "We see that as an attainable goal this season."

In addition to his 10 returning starters, Silva has several newcomers to the program who he hopes will be able to make an immediate contribution. First- year players Elena Gomez (Rockland, MA), Jennifer Yerkes (Holbrook) and Jordan Byrne (Dedham, MA) bring impressive resumes to UMass Dartmouth. Gomez was a Patriot League and Brockton Enterprise All-Star, along with Yerkes, who was also a Mayflower League All-Star. Byrne was an all-star in the Herget Division of the Bay State League and a Dedham Transcript All-Star after leading her team to a division championship.

The Corsairs will also have some depth in goal with the arrival of junior Christina Nunes (Westport, MA), a transfer student from Community College of Rhode Island. In her two years at CCRI, Nunes was her team�s starting goalie and earned All-Conference honors last season.

"I'm hoping for a quick start at the beginning of the season," Silva said. "We will get a chance to put some things together early because I think the first part of our schedule is easier than last year. We can build on that success and then get ready for the second half of the season when the big conference games are on the schedule."

The Corsairs open their season with a Sept. 7 non-conference game at Roger Williams University before opening at home on Sept. 9 with Lasell College at 1:00 p.m. UMass Dartmouth opens LEC competition on Sept. 19 at Rhode Island College.