Mike Tucker is entering his 21st season as head coach of the University of Dayton women's soccer team. He is a five-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, a 2013 Ohio Soccer Hall of Fame Inductee and needs just six wins to reach 300 in his career.  He has led the Flyers to nine Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships,11 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championships and nine NCAA Appearances.

The 2015 season starts this Friday at Florida International. 

The veteran coach gives his take on the UD goalkeepers and defenders, as well as his coaching staff. Check back tomorrow for a preview of the midfielders, forwards and team expectations. 

Goalkeepers
"As a group, it's cool because they push themselves in practice and bring out the best in each other. They all have different qualities and based on the opponent we play could determine who we start on any particular day."

Heather Betancourt – "We have got quite a lot of experience with a fifth year senior Heather, who towards the end of last year was pretty spectacular in goal for us. We're so glad she is back for a fifth year."

Kaelyn Johns – "She's a freshman and has tremendous potential. She's going to give us presence back there. She's a kid that is doing everything we expect and more."

Jenna DiTusa – "Jenna has a full year under her belt. She's come a long way even in preseason."

Defenders
"We've tried a number of people in the defense and a number of combinations and we probably have eight defenders that we feel confident in. I like the athletic potential and everything that this group is bringing. They are all contributing."

Sarah Byrne – "She's been out with injury and will be for the first couple of games. She's got two years of experience. We're hopeful that when she gets back she can play as a wide back and get into the attack on the outside. She's fast and can strike a good ball."

Lesley Chilton – "Lesley played a bunch for us last year on the outside. She's a left sider all the way. She's like a rocket coming out of the back in the attack. She gets it done for us and is a great quality defender for us."

Nicolette Griesinger – "Nicolette played mostly center back last year but will play outside this year. She is a really skillful player and one of our fastest players. She has great recovery ability and her skill level is so great when she gets forward she can put the ball on net. She's an all-around good soccer player."

Megan Herr – "Megan Herr is tough. She's not afraid to step in and block any shot. She's good in the air. She's able to play both central and wide. She understands every position in the back."

Erin O'Malley – "She will step in as a center back this year after excelling in the midfield last year. Erin has great soccer intelligence. She has the ability to read the game and understand it. She has the ability to anticipate, which is an important for a center back. She is also our best vocal defender in organizing the group."

Nadia Pestell – "Nadia's really quick and gets up and down the flanks so she becomes an attacking threat as well. Her ability to recover is also phenomenal. Her experience level with the national program in Canada, she isn't in awe here."

Dani Ruffolo – "Danie Ruffolo is a jack-of-all trades. She's played every position and is getting the hang of the college level style of play too."

Mia Tompkins – "Mia is playing some in the midfield and some in the back. You can see she is really starting to grasp the college game."

Abby Weigel – "At 6-foot, she gives us a great advantage at center back. She is great in the air, but she's also very skillful. She can hit a 40- or 50-yard ball on a dime. She has great ability to switch fields and start the attack with a first pass. If we can keep her healthy she will be one of the premier backs in the conference for sure."

Coaching Staff
"I'm really fortunate to have a really good staff around me. You can't expect success unless you have a staff that works together and puts the team ahead and that's what this group is all about."
Brian Jankowski is in his fourth year at Dayton. He does an incredible job of training and just knows everything around here. He is very organized. 
Stefani Workman I've known for years and thank goodness when we needed someone to step into this role she was available. She's been a great addition to the staff. 
Ty Smith is back volunteering for the second year in a row and does a really good job. 
George Demetriades has been with me for 20 years now. He serves a lot of roles. The girls love him and I feel fortunate to pick his brain.
Corky Hart will be stepping in as a manager. We're excited to have her here. She is a player who suffered an ACL injury but still wanted to be involved with the game.