By Tylee Stauffer ’24, staff writer

As the fall semester has begun, so has the season for the LVC’s women’s soccer team and a team captain has some insights on the upcoming season.

Jocelyn Umana is a senior captain and goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team this year.

The team has a roster of 21 student-athletes this year, with nine of them being first-year students. The dynamic is good thus far between the first-year and current players as well as with the new coaching staff. With so many changes this season, they do not have any lofty goals.

“With having so many new faces and still only being in our second season with a new head coach, I think we are just trying to execute what we are doing at practice and just taking it one game at a time,” Umana said.

The team’s motto for this year is ‘Be Savage,’ a go-to phrase that their head coach, Frank Carrozza, uses during pre-game speeches.

“So literally going out there and just playing as hard as we can and doing the things that we know how to do,” she said. “That is all you can ask for of a team.”

Since the team graduated seven seniors last year, there are definitely some big spots to fill on the field this year, especially on the defensive line.

“Some of the first-years are going to make a difference, but we also have so many returning players who did not get time last season that are also going to make a difference this season,” Umana said.

Another major change this year for all LVC sports is the conference switch from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom.

“I think it’ll be a good change because we are adapting to a new style of play,” Umana said. “It will be nice to see a change of competition, especially while trying to build a new foundation.”

The LVC women’s soccer team held their first non-conference home game on Sunday, Sept. 3, against Moravian University, which resulted in a one-one tie. Their first conference home game is set for Saturday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. at Herbert Field.