ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's soccer team is a week away from its season opener against UMBC (7 PM) on Friday, Aug. 21 at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Head coach Carin Gabarra and senior captain Lexi Ricketts (The Woodlands, Texas) talked about how the preseason has gone through the first week and a half:

Navy will have a young core heading into the 2015 season, having graduated six of its 11 starters and lost 50 percent of its goal-scoring production. The Mids roster is comprised of eight upperclassmen and 19 underclassmen. Ricketts, who will captain the team, and seniors Lizzy Rullan (East Setauket, N.Y.) and Courtney Mason (Laytonsville, Md.) will look to bestow their knowledge of the game to the players, both on and off the field.

Sophomores Clare MacAdam (Palmyra, N.J.) and Meghan Hegarty (Richmond, Va.), both of whom garnered all-league honors last season, will be looked upon to carry over their freshman success on offense this season. MacAdam returns as Navy's leading goal scorer, having tallied 14 points on six goals and two assists. Hegarty recorded eight points on three goals and two assists in 2014.

On the defensive side, the Mids return all-league honorees Ricketts and junior goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby (Wesley Chapel, Fla.). Ricketts anchored a backline that blanked eight opponents, including six of the nine Patriot League members. She also tallied a career-best seven points on three goals and one assist. Wetherby, in her first full season as the starting netminder, finished third amongst league goalies in goals-against average (0.72) and fourth in both save percentage (8.13) and shutouts (6).