The Monmouth University women's soccer team hoped to make a statement in its season-opening match-up with a good William and Mary team this past Friday night in Williamsburg, Va.

Although they suffered a 3-1 loss, the Hawks showed their character in the second half, playing like a team that is certainly capable of challenging for the Northeast Conference title this season, as expected.

After staking the host Tribe to a 3-0 lead with some sloppy play in the first half, the Hawks came out of the break looking like a different team.

MU pulled within 3-1 in the 63rd minute when senior Andrea Lopez, of Ocean Township, notched her first goal of the season off assists from classmate BrieAnne Nomejko, of Steinert, and junior Mary Wilks, of Bridgeton. Lopez's goal, her 25th career tally, gave her 69 career points, moving her into a tie for 10th place all-time in Monmouth's scoring history.

The Hawks threatened again later in the half, but William and Mary was able to clear the ball off its goal line to preserve the twogoal lead.

"Unfortunately, we did not battle enough in the first half and learned a tough lesson early on in the season," said head coach Krissy Turner, who falls to 9-3 in season openers in her 12th season at Monmouth. "The second half was a different half for our team and we moved in the right direction, creating several great chances." Junior goalkeeper Liz Fierro (of Millburn) made six saves in goal for the Hawks, while her counterpart, Grace Barnard, made five stops. The Tribe outshot Monmouth, 14-8, and held a 7-3 edge in corner kick opportunities.

The strong second-half showing against a perennial NCAA Tournament-caliber team like William and Mary bodes well for a Hawks squad that enters the year amid some understandably high expectations.

After putting together a solid 14-4-1 season a year ago (7-2 in NEC play), Monmouth returns 17 letter winners from that team. As a result, the Hawks were picked to finish third in the conference this year, according to the NEC coaches' preseason poll. Central Connecticut State is the favorite, having received eight of the 11 possible first-place votes, followed by Long Island, the 2008 NEC regular season champion.

While she believes her team has earned the preseason respect it is receiving based on its recent success (Monmouth is 20-5-2 against NEC opponents over the last three seasons), Turner is quick to point out that her team has plenty of work to do to live up to those expectations.

"The ranking that matters most is the one that happens at the end of the season," Turner said.

If Monmouth is to put together another winning season, the Hawks will need Lopez to lead the offensive charge. With leading scorer Joanna DeMoor graduated after tallying 13 goals and four assists a year ago, Lopez will need to be even more productive this season. The 2006 NEC Rookie of the Year has certainly earned the moniker of the team's top scoring threat, having ranked fifth in league action last season with five assists and ended the year with 17 points to rank second on the MU team. After earning first team All-NEC honors in 2006 and 2007, Lopez was a second team selection a year ago, and will certainly be looking to put an exclamation point on what has been a stellar career at Monmouth. Another former Shore Conference star will lead the midfield, as Brick Township alum Alessandra DeTata is back for her senior season. DeTata is coming off a very strong 2008 campaign, as she was selected to the All- NEC first team after recording a career-high five goals, five assists (fifth in NEC) and 15 points. DeTata and Lopez are two of the six seniors that Turner is looking to set the tone for this year's team. "Our expectations are that the veterans will provide solid experience and leadership along with performances on the field that prove their talents," Turner said. "The newcomers are meshing well at this point which is a big plus.

"With a lot of starters returning, the newcomers do not have the pressure to perform immediately," she added. "As the season progresses, our newcomers will begin to make more of an impact."

The Hawks are also hoping for some added offense from Wilks, after the junior tallied five goals and three assists a year ago. Fierro, who has posted a 24-9-5 record with 15 shutouts in her first two years, anchors the Monmouth defense between the pipes after recording seven shutouts (second in NEC) and a .806 save percentage (fifth in NEC) in 2008. And she will have a strong supporting cast in front of her, as cocaptains Brianna Salvia and Ali Kliment are two of the better defenders in the NEC. Salvia, a senior from East Pathogue, N.Y., has started 56 matches in her first three seasons, while Kliment, a junior from Florence, returns to the lineup after missing the last 12 games of the season a year ago with a shoulder injury.

As the Hawks prepare for their NEC slate, Turner is hopeful that her team can maintain the high level of play it has exhibited in recent years.

"The NEC is fairly deep this year and each game will be significant," the coach said. "In order to advance to the top four, you have to get wins on the road and we have a few tough trips. We will be working towards a top four finish to start, and go from there. But 'one game at a time' is a crucial mentality." The 2009 NEC Women's Soccer Tournament will take place at the home of the high seed on November 7-9. The top four teams in the regular season standings will advance to the postseason event. The winner of the NEC Tournament will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Monmouth, which won the 2007 Regular Season and Tournament titles, will be aiming to qualify for its 13th overall NEC Tournament appearance this season. Monmouth returns to action tomorrow, when the Hawks host Seton Hall on The Great Lawn at 3:30 p.m.