WOMEN'S SOCCER GAMEDAY: Colorado Christian at Eckerd

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The 2015 athletic seasons at Eckerd kick off on Friday with the Triton women's soccer team hosting Colorado Christian at 4:00 PM.

GAME COVERAGE: Live Video | Live Stats

SETTING THE STAGE
Both teams will be playing their season-openers as they look to start 2015 off on a positive note.  The Cougars are coming off a 5-12-3 campaign last season while Eckerd went 8-8-1.  CCU had struggles scoring goals last year, netting only 12 for the season.  Today will also be the return of new head coach Tammy McPherson.  She led CCU from 2003-2011 before stepping away for a brief time.  Eckerd, meanwhile, returns eight regular starters from last season and a large senior class of 13 players.  Coupled with what sixth-year head coach Danielle Fotopoulos believes to be a strong recruiting class, the Tritons will look to make today's game the start of something special.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Today will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

SUPER SENIORS
This year's senior class is a large one, with 13 players in uniform for their final seasons at Eckerd.  The group is led by returning starters Taylor Tippett, Katie Shafer (four goals, five assists in 2014), Michelle Spesshardt (five goals) and Shannon Estes-Larkin (three goals).  Shafer, Spesshardt and Estes-Larkin accounted for nearly half of the team's goals among returning players.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
The Tritons have expanded their roster outside the United States this season with four players coming from overseas - three from Sweden and one from Germany.  Two of those players are likely to be in the starting lineup.  Fotopoulous will look to Jana Spengler, a transfer from the University of South Florida, to step into the attacking midfield position vacated by the graduation of Arie Anahory.  Alice Wader will play alongside Spengler in the midfield on the left flank.  Also look for defenders Johanna Andersson and Sandra Gyllander to provide depth on the back line.

SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
The Tritons will look to win their season opener for the fourth straight year today.  Eckerd has won its previous three season openers by a combined score of 18-0.

THE FOTOPOULOS FILE
Head coach Danielle Fotopoulos begins her sixth season leading the Eckerd program.  Under her leadership, the Tritons have won 25 games in the last three years - the second-best win total in a three-year stretch in program history.  She guided Eckerd to its first-ever win in the Sunshine State Conference tournament in 2012.  Fotopoulos was an outstanding player in her day, as she remains the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and was a member of the 1999 USWNT FIFA World Cup winners.

FAST START
The Tritons will be busy in the first two weeks of the season, playing five matches at the Turley Athletic Complex in a span of 12 days.  It caps off with the conference opener on Sept. 16, hosting Saint Leo University at 7:00 PM.