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Buoyed by the return of eight starters from a squad that won 10 matches and reached the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metropolitan Tournament, New York University will sink its teeth into its most ambitious schedule ever beginning with Saturday's season opener against The College of New Jersey, ranked #3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division III Preseason Poll, in the Elizabethtown College Blue Jay Classic.

Led by second-year head coach Werner T. Dasbach, the Violets (10-7-2, 1-5-1 University Athletic Association) will face TCNJ (21-1-1 in 2007), which has appeared in three consecutive NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship semifinals, on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.  They will then oppose host Elizabethtown, which is receiving votes in the NSCAA/adidas Division III Preseason Poll, on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Overall, NYU will face 12 teams that made postseason appearances last fall, including four that earned preseason rankings: TCNJ, #9 Washington University, #13 Emory University, and #24 University of Chicago. 

Senior forward Sarah Pillemer (7-2-16, 2 GWG), a Second Team All-UAA selection the previous two seasons, will spark the offense after helping NYU make its first postseason apperance since advancing to the third round of the 2002 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.  This came after earning a share of the program's first-ever UAA Championship.

Including Pillemer, the Violets return four of their top five scorers, including sophomore forwards Rebecca Assing (8-0-16, 3 GWG), Laura Palumbo (5-4-14) and Filiz Kipcakli (4-3-11), as well as junior midfielder Lucy Dolly Caires (2-7-11).  Assing and Palumbo both garnered Honorable Mention All-UAA accolades last fall.

Defensively, the Violets will rely upon their co-captains, senior Alyssa Simon and junior Erin Twomey, as well as junior Nicole Stutz and sophomore Katie Gaston.

For the coming season, the trio of Simon, Stutz and Twomey will serve as tri-captains.