What you need to know:
* The Panthers began prepping for the 2016 season Thursday.
* GSU will host 10 matches, including rival Georgia Southern.
* Georgia State returns 15 student-athletes from last year's squad and welcomes nine newcomers.
ATLANTA- Georgia State women's soccer began preparing Thursday for the first of two exhibition matches, looking to give the young team some experience before opening the regular season on Aug. 19. The Panthers return just four starters from last season and welcome eight freshmen and one transfer after losing 10 seniors from the roster.
“We have a young team this year, and there are several girls who are going to get the opportunity to play early on,” first year head coach Ed Joyce said. “The freshmen have all come in with a strong commitment to the program and have done a good job preparing for the season.”
In addition to the nine newcomers, two new staff members have joined the program during the off season. Joyce was hired as head coach in March and Kim Denne was hired as assistant coach in July. Former graduate assistant Jonathan Britt was promoted to assistant coach during the off-season.
“I'm very happy with the staff we put together,” Joyce said. “We have a nice blend of personalities that will help our team message.”
GSU will return veteran goalie Brie Haynes, who sat out last season due to injury, as well as starters Amanda Bruemmer and Kenzie Winters on the defensive side of the ball. All three student-athletes have emerged as key leaders both on and off the field, with Haynes and Winters having two years' experience as starters and Bruemmer having three.
Georgia State's schedule is a balanced one, with two exhibitions matches and four of the first five regular season matches at home. The longest road stretch for the team comes in September, with four road games in two weeks and the final two opening up conference play. The Panthers will host five Sun Belt matches at home, and play five on the road.
“We're really excited for the two exhibition matches, because it will give the younger girls a chance to get some experience on the field and get the feel for D1 soccer,” Joyce said. “We have the home field advantage for a lot of matches at the beginning of the season, and some big road trips to challenge the team. Last year created a lot of excitement about being successful and that's definitely something we want to build on.”
GSU plays its first exhibition on Aug. 9 at Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn., before returning to Panthersville for its final exhibition match against Austin Peay on Aug. 14. The Panthers will open the regular season with a home game on Aug. 19 against Alabama State.
