A youthful, but talented, Stetson women's soccer squad opens the program's 26^th season this weekend when the Hatters visit FIU, 7 p.m., Friday, before returning home to host Towson, 1 p.m., Sunday.
 
Head coach Manoj Khettry begins his sixth Stetson season with a roster featuring just three seniors and eight freshmen among 22 players. The youth – and the talent – was on full display as the Hatters split a pair of exhibition games during the preseason, both by lopsided scores. After suffering a 6-1 defeat to USF in their exhibition opener, the Hatters rebounded with a 6-0 win over Daytona State last Saturday.
 
"I was encouraged by Saturday," Khettry said. "You don't become a good team by the end of the year if you aren't making improvements after each game. And we improved after the USF game."

In the win over Daytona State, six different Hatters scored goals. That offensive depth could be a hallmark for the 2018 Hatters as they look to replace three-time all-conference selection Sarah Collins, the program's all-time leading goal scorer.
 
While the Hatters may lack that one proven scorer, Khettry believes that his team still has enough offensive weapons to challenge on a game-by-game basis.
 
"I think that we have a lot of players who can score goals," he said. "The Daytona State game proved it. We scored on a set piece, a penalty kick, crosses, pretty much every way you can score. That's who we have to be. We can't rely on one person to score goals, and I think that will be healthy for our team."
 
Versatility is also expected to be a strength for the Hatters in the new season. Several players are capable of playing multiple positions, and that will only serve the Hatters well throughout the campaign.
 
"Our roster flexibility will help a lot," Khettry said. "The other part that it helps is with our depth. It's going to help us in the Friday-Sunday grind. I can play more players on Sunday as needed. And when more people are playing, there's more buy-in."
 
The Hatters landed a trio of veterans on the preseason All-ASUN Conference team in midfielder Florencia Baldassini, forward Lindsey Parent and defender Greta Watkins, all juniors. Those three form a strong nucleus for the season.
 
Khettry mentioned several other returnees as keys for the Hatters to have a successful season, including seniors Hailey Williams and Erin Avers, juniors Ellie Hackett and Emily Plotz and sophomore Marissa Maynes. But Parent's continued development as an offensive weapon will be key.
 
"Lindsey is ready to take that next step forward," Khettry said of the junior with seven career goals. "I feel like she is accepting more responsibility and taking more leadership on the field."
 
Also a key to the season is the play of Plotz. The sophomore goalkeeper is a two-time All-ASUN pick. She registered a 0.74 goals-against average in 2017 and has allowed just 23 goals in 27 career games.
 
Khettry expects another challenging year in the ASUN. FGCU is once again the league favorite, with Lipscomb not far behind. The Hatters were picked to finish fourth in the 9-team league.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.