AUBURN, Ala. – As Auburn soccer heads into the 2018 season, there are some notable names missing. Kristen Dodson, Courtney Schell and Ellie Leek finished among the top four on the team in points last year while Caroline Bado tied for the team lead in minutes played and bolstered the back line. All four were seniors and their playing careers on The Plains are over.
That's the bad news.
The good news, however, is that seven starters are back. There's a new crop of talented freshmen and transfers on campus ready to make an impact. And if the last four years – winning an NCAA game every season – are any indication, this program can survive when players move on.
"We're really coming off the best four-year stretch, as far as NCAA finishes, in program history," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "Last year's senior class set a record – they were the first senior class to get an NCAA win in all four of their years, which is obviously pretty cool. So we're in a really good place.
"I do feel this team will be a bit younger, but it's also a really exciting group."
This team will be younger, yes. That's what happens when you lose six seniors. But leadership shouldn't be an issue with the return of goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau. The fifth-year senior has started the last three years in goal and was the team captain a season ago.
"I'm just honestly really excited to get everything started," Le Beau said. "This is going to be a very young team, but I know we have loads of talent. It's just going to be taking that time during preseason for everyone to develop and then kind of just go from there.
"I always think of it – take one game at a time, one day at a time. I want to look ahead, but I can't because you just have to focus on what's going on now, not in the future."
Le Beau finished among the SEC leaders last year in saves (79) and shutouts (8).
Other notable players returning include Bri Folds and Gianna Montini, both of whom earned a lion's share of the minutes at forward and midfield last season. Folds, in particular, was second on the team with eight goals and 14 points, and Hoppa believes that while the junior has always been a great player for Auburn, she's taken a big step in her game this offseason.
"She's playing with a lot more confidence," Hoppa said. "She's been to two national camps, and that experience is great for her to bring that back here. So I think she's really primed to have a great junior year. And she needs to. She's going to be the leader of our offense."
On the back line, Taylor Troutman is the veteran of what looks to be a young group. Though she missed all spring with injury, the senior remained one of the most fit players on the team. In fact, she was at the top when they ran fitness at the end of the spring.
There's also last year's freshman class, who made waves their first year on campus. It's a group that includes All-SEC freshman Alyssa Malonson, Sarah Houchin, Jaelyn Gadson and Rocio Sanders, who all played significant minutes as freshmen, and now it's about improving and not getting complacent as they head into their sophomore seasons.
"We told them, they're not freshmen anymore," Hoppa said. 'Now they need to act like veterans, they need to play like veterans, they need to draw on that experience from last year. And I think they can. It's an extremely talented group and a great group of girls."
Forward Kori Locksley is also a part of that 2017 class, but she missed the majority of last season due to injury. Hoppa expects her to be back healthy for this season.
As was the case with that 2017 class and with the class before it, the freshmen are going to have an impact on the lineup. It's no different heading into this 2018 season. There are nine newcomers in all, and the two transfers – Angeline Daly (Florida State) and Treva Aycock (Furman) – should play a significant role because of their previous experience.
Aycock was an all-conference player at Furman, scoring 13 goals the past two seasons.
The quest to return to the NCAA tournament begins next Thursday when Auburn travels to Samford for the regular season opener. However, the Tigers will take the field for the first time this Wednesday in an exhibition match at Clemson. The regular season home opener is Sunday, Aug. 19 against South Florida.
"We're really excited to get going with this group and find out what we have and where we think we can go," Hoppa said.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf