Pacific Lutheran’s women’s soccer program enters the 2007 season with a young team and a new head coach. Tacoma native Lynette Buffington takes over the team after Jerrod Fleury stepped down last fall, and she looks for a strong developmental season from the Lutes.

“Our goal is to commit to an organized system and gain experience with a young team. We have a good returning core, and a group of new players that are adapting quickly to the new system,” said Buffington.

The team returns three players who started at least half of last season’s games, two on defense. Juniors Bré Greenman and Lauren Meyer will look to pass on their experience to the younger players, while Meyer and sophomore defender Meredith Newby will look to be more influential in the team’s attack strategy.

Midfielder Melissa Buitrago, the only senior on this year’s squad, started 15 games last year and Buffington expects a very “positive year” out of her leader. She will be joined at the midfielder position by returning juniors Amanda Crawford and Lauren Northcutt, as well as sophomore midfielder/forward Jill Trumbull, all of whom played in at least 18 of the team’s 20 games last season.

Christina McDuffie

Junior Christina McDuffie, a 2005 second team All-Northwest Conference selection who was limited by injuries last season, and sophomore Monica Beard, will anchor the forward position in what Buffington describes as their “defining year.” This duo will seek to replace almost all of the offense from last year, as returning players accounted for only four of last season’s 24 goals.

Goalkeepers Amanda Tschauner and Kamryn Morgan, both juniors, will take over the duties split by Tschauner and Alyssa Blackburn last season. Tschauner started nine games in goal last season, compiling a 4-4 record with three shutouts and an average of 1.1 goals allowed per game. Both will be pushed by freshman Stephanie Cordes, who will be looking to earn playing time at goalkeeper.

Key newcomers to this year’s team include freshmen defender Megan O’Rourke and midfielder/defender Courtney Walker, as well as junior defenders Carly West and Lisa Gilbert. Out of the 23 players on this season’s team, 12 are playing soccer for PLU for the first time, 10 of them freshmen.

“There will be freshmen starting,” said Buffington. “Experience is the key for this season. At this point everyone knows and can execute the system, and we are working on vision and organization. Our key for this season is development, and our goal is to finish higher in the conference and to increase our regional and national rankings.”

The preseason Northwest Conference coaches’ poll predicts another fifth-place finish for the Lutes this season.