A year after fielding only one senior, the NYU women's soccer team will feature nine in 2010. 

Head coach Werner T. Dasbach's suddenly veteran Violets will look to improve on last season's 0-6-1 mark in the University Athletic Association (UAA).

Forming the nucleus of NYU's squad this fall will be four players who earned All-UAA accolades in 2009.

Senior Emily Jenkinson returns for her final year with the program after notching six goals and two assists en route to being named Second Team All-UAA.  In her career, Jenkinson has tallied 12 goals and six assists.

Also entering their final seasons with NYU are Filiz Kipcakli and Katie Gaston, both of whom were named Honorable Mention All-UAA last fall.

Kipcakli led the team in scoring last season with eight goals and three assists, lifting her impressive career totals to 22 goals and nine assists.  Kipcakli is three goals behind the NYU career record of 25, which is shared by Violets' Hall of Famer Lauren Henkel, Sarah Pillemer and Kristin Puttkamer.  In addition to All-UAA honors, Kipcakli earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Third Team All-East Region honors in 2009.

Though she may not appear on the score sheet as often as Jenkinson or Kipcakli, Gaston is no less dispensable to Dasbach's side as she leads the Violets' defense.  Since joining NYU, Gaston has started 56 of the 57 games she has appeared in.  She was also named Honorable Mention All-UAA as a sophomore.

NYU's other seniors will be Alex Walters, Marie Tosa, Jane Barrett, Laura Palumbo, Cait Kilpatrick, and Rebecca Assing, all of whom have played extensively during their careers.

“Our senior class is a great group of young women who are truly embodying the core values of our program and the university,” Dasbach said.  “They live the way they play, and play the way they live.  We expect strong leadership from them. We have a lot of excellent returning players and some very talented newcomers.  It's each player's responsibility to be fit and ready to put it on the line at the start of the season.”

NYU's remaining All-UAA honoree is midfielder Erica Jones.  Now entering her junior campaign, Jones provides a physical presence for the Violets in the midfield.  Her strong leg is also valuable on set pieces as her two goals and five assists in 2009 attest.

Walters and junior Rachael Ross shared time in net last season and will likely do so again in 2010.

The Violets figure to be more consistent this season, but they will also be challenged with one of the most difficult schedules in the country.  In addition to playing in the always-tough UAA, NYU will take on several Division III powers during the non-conference season.

“This fall we probably have the strongest schedule in the history of the program. We play nine teams that were in the postseason last year, including six NCAA teams,” Dasbach said.  “Last year we didn't get the results we wanted, but we had great spirit throughout all of the season and in our spring practices.  We are very excited for the upcoming season and look forward to the challenge in front of us.”

The Violets open the season on Sept. 1 at the Stevens Institute of Technology.