Hofstra will look to capitalize on a rebuilding 2008 campaign in which the Pride finished 7-9 with a youthful roster that featured just four seniors. But the experience gained by the 2008 squad should help the Pride contend in the Colonial Athletic Association and compete for its second conference championship in three years in 2009.

The Pride return their top five scorers, as well as their top defenders from 2008 and will field a mix of veterans and underclasswomen. Hofstra's talent is evident as Corrine Gandolfi, Stephanie Rice, Lauren Whitcomb and Alysse Ruszkowski were each named to the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team, marking the most selections of any team in the conference.

Six seniors on the Pride roster should provide leadership, including co-captains Jen Bach, Whitcomb and Alysse Ruszkowski. Hofstra Head Coach Abby Morgan said last year provided invaluable experience for players that were cast in unfamiliar roles. Players who earned the chance for crunch-time responsibility and came through in clutch situations will be a major benefit heading into the new season.

"We were very young last season," Morgan said. "We had experienced players, but they were in new roles. They were really thrown into it, and I think the experience will pay dividends for us this year."

Here is a position-by-position look at the 2009 Pride:

Attack

Sophomore Stephanie Rice leads a young, but talented unit that returns its two double-digit goal scorers from last season. Rice tied for second on the Pride with 30 points, registering 27 goals in a stellar freshman campaign that saw her earn a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team. Junior Ashley Jones also returns after seeing significant time her first two seasons. Jones racked up 13 goals and six assists for 19 points.

Sophomore Kailey Ruszkowski adds a different dimension to the offense with a hard left-handed shot that yielded five goals in 13 games as a freshman. Senior Cat Thoreson will add depth after appearing in 13 games in 2008 and scoring one goal. Junior Courtney O'Connor will be counted on to win draws and provide supplemental scoring after logging three goals last year.

Freshman Maryann Miller will look to make an immediate impact and is a candidate for a key role in the rotation. Miller was an honorable mention All-American as a senior at Ridley High School in Pennsylvania after scoring 66 goals.

Bach, who will serve as a captain for the second straight season, would have been part of the attack rotation but the senior will be sidelined for the season due to injury.

"In the attack, we have a lot of weapons," Morgan said. "We have some extremely quick players and we would like to use our speed to our advantage."

Midfield

Three of the four leading scorers from last year's squad will lead the midfield, and with nine talented players vying for time it is the deepest unit on the team.

"The midfield is stacked," Morgan said. "That's where a lot of our talent is. It is going to be a test for us as coaches to figure out how to utilize all of those players and get them on the field."

Junior Corrine Gandolfi leads the way after recording a team-best 41 points on 30 goals and 11 assists and was a first team All-CAA selection. Senior co-captain Lauren Whitcomb, who was a second team All-CAA pick as a junior, will again look to forge an offensively productive duo with Gandolfi after notching 26 goals and four assists. Whitcomb suffered an injury in the season finale but is expected to be fully recovered by the start of the 2009 season.

"We're going to need Lauren to play well for us and to be a leader," Morgan said. "Lauren and Corrine's skill and experience will be important for our team's success."

Morgan spoke about the importance of the two scorers to get the teammates involved. The coaching staff could even use a five-midfielder look at times to space out playing time. Two other midfielders that will look to be involved offensively are juniors K'Leigh Vanaman and Liz Falco. Vanaman scored 21 goals to rank fourth on the team in scoring last season and added a team-high 32 draw controls as well as 30 ground balls. After two seasons in the program, Morgan will be looking for Vanaman to take a more vocal leadership role on the field. Falco will look to add a scoring punch, as the transfer from Marist scored 31 goals in her sophomore year for the Red Foxes.

Junior Sandy Wasserbach, who played in all 16 games and posted seven goals and one assist, and sophomore Jennalee Trombley could split time between midfield and defense. Senior Jacquelyn Hetzel and junior Kristy Bosley will be asked to initiate the Pride's transition offense. Freshman Lauren Mundell, an all-county pick at Severna Park (MD) High School rounds out the midfield unit.

Defense

The Hofstra defense returns its top two players as well as several key role players who helped form a solid unit in 2008. Senior co-captain Alysse Ruszkowski, who racked up 30 ground balls and a team-high 25 caused turnovers in 16 starts to earn first team All-CAA accolades in 2008, leads the way. She will be joined in the starting rotation by talented sophomore Katie Hertsch, who picked up 35 ground balls, the team's highest total for a non-goalkeeper. Hertsch also helped the Pride's ball-possession game with 21 draw controls.

Junior Bryana Borelli should also see a great deal of time after  appearing in 16 games as a sophomore, including seven starts, and compiling 13 ground balls, while senior Lauren Eberling will also look to lock up a rotation spot after part-time duty in 2008. Sophomore Bettina Mianulli parlayed hard work off the field into a roster spot. After serving as the team's manager as a freshman, Mianulli is in contention for a key role in the defensive end after working year-round to improve her game.

Junior Jenn Olson and sophomore Alexandra Hannon will add depth and vocal leadership. Both players saw limited action in 2008. Sophomore Maddie Hannon, Alexandra's twin sister, will miss the 2009 season with an injury.

Freshman Lizzie Zorovich, a two-time all-conference pick at Massapequa (NY) High School and Chrissy Jones, an all-county selection at North Harford (MD) High School, could also crack the rotation after stellar high school careers.

Goalkeeper

Junior Mary Cuddihy will compete with freshman Jackie Pandolf to fill the void left by former captain Maisie Osteen, who started all 16 games in net last season. Cuddihy appeared in seven games in 2008, compiling an 0-2 record and 11 saves in just over 114 minutes of action. Pandolf was an honorable mention All-American as a junior and a two-time Most Valuable Player at Sachem North High School on Long Island.

"Between Jackie and Mary, the two can push each other and be very competitive," Morgan said. "They both have strengths and weaknesses. It is an open competition, and across the board on the team, it's an open slate. Whoever can play for us and help us win will be on the field."

Schedule

The Pride will face a competitive schedule, highlighted by a four-game road trip that starts with a matchup against four-time NCAA defending champion Northwestern and continues with matchups at Notre Dame, Mount St. Mary's and Rutgers. The CAA schedule will be challenging as well with seven of the eight teams finishing within three games of each other in the standings last season.