RENO, Nev. The University of Nevada soccer team will open its fall camp Wednesday morning. The team reported Tuesday for meetings and will begin practice on Wednesday with fitness testing in the morning and training later in the day.
Nevada will have two weeks of two-a-day practices under first-year head coach Jaime Frias before opening the 2008 season at home against UC Santa Barbara on August 22 at 7 p.m.
The Pack return Nevada returns 15 letterwinners and nine starters from last season’s team that made its third consecutive WAC Tournament appearance. In addition to Miranda Montejo, who was named to the 2008 WAC Preseason All-WAC team and is Nevada’s career leader in points with 44, the also Pack return: senior Jessica Thompson, Nevada’s all-time leader in assists (15); senior Samantha Miller, who is fourth all-time in career points (36); senior Patrice Godwin, a second-team All-WAC honoree from a year ago; senior Karen Zmirak, who is second in career points (41) and junior Devin Noe, a defender who started every game of her career until she suffered a season-ending knee injury nine games into last season.
Nevada will welcome seven newcomers to this year’s team including Annabelle Allen, who won a US Youth Soccer National Championship with Nike Colorado Rush in July, Ellie Stott a native of East Gosford, New South Wales, Australia who led her 2007 team to the best record in school history and Natalie Ratnavira who led Fallbrook HS (Calif.) to three Avocado League Championships.
The Pack’s 2008 slate will include nine home contests and will feature match ups against two first-time opponents, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
