Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 1 | August 2019

44 Inside Hokie Sports What’sBuggingYou? 540-315-9735 | MyPMSI.com Official Pest Control Partner of the have battled injuries the past two seasons. They provide experience and talent on the back end. “Kelsey has an ability to read the game and organize and play out from the back as well,” Adair said. “She has good balance that helps us stay organized and helps everyone stay in position. “Going into the season, I think our defenders will be a strong point. It’s a matter of them coming together and being organized and buying in to what we’re trying to do. We’re going to ask them to get forward a little more, particularly our outside backs, and get in the attack a little more than we have in the past. That’s something we’ve tried to do, but haven’t really gotten there yet.” On offense, Tech expects to bemuch improved this fall. Karlie Johnson burst onto the scene last season as a freshman, leading the team with six goals, including three game-winning goals. Another freshman last year, Emily Gray, made the ACC’s All-Freshman team and led Tech with six assists, while adding two goals. Both should be even better this season. In addition, Hemmen provided four goals and can help push things forward, and the quartet of Allyson Brown, Lilly Weber, Bridget Patch and Emma Steigerwald can provide a spark. The four of them each scored a goal last season. Adair also is excited about the return of Nicole Kozlova, a redshirt freshman from Toronto who tore her ACL before last fall and missed the entire season. She returned to action this offseason and attended the Ukrainian National Team camp in June. Hopefully, she adds another element to the Hokies’ attack. “One of our big challenges is how we’re going to score more goals consistently and be more dangerous,” Adair said. “We’ve got to learn to take some chances. Emily’s had a number of opportunities …we’ve got to make sure we get that final product from her and Karlie, just consistency up front. We’re bringing Nicole Kozlova in, and she didn’t get to play last year. Those are kids we’re looking to bring in and be more attacking- oriented. Molly Feighan and Emmalee McCarter [two sophomores] played significant minutes, mostly in the midfield, but they can do some things to help up front create and score more goals. “That’s going to be a real emphasis in our training—how dangerous can we be in the attacking third? I’m optimistic. Those kids as freshmen were, at times, like a deer in the headlights in front of the goal. It’s helping them get composed and getting in that situation more often and being more comfortable. We’ve got to keep putting them in those positions and giving them more opportunities and train them as best we can.” TheHokiescertainlywillneedalltheirtalentandexperienceconsidering that they face a daunting schedule. The nonconference slate includes matches against SEC foes Auburn—an NCAA Championship participant last season—Georgia, and Alabama. Their ACC schedule features eight teams who made NCAA appearances in 2018, including an Oct. 10 match against defending national champion Florida State in Blacksburg. Such a schedule means taking advantage of every training session and practice to maximize the potential for positive outcomes. “It [the schedule] builds our RPI, and it gives us experience in higher- level games,” Adair said. “I think that’s important for us to learn. You play those quality opponents, learn to win games in those situations, and then you’re going to be in better situations during tournament time, or come crunch time, let’s say. So I’m hoping we can grow and develop that. “But it is difficult. It’s going to be a difficult schedule. We’re trying to play teams that are going to make us better. It’s not the softest nonconference schedule. It’s not the hardest in the nation, but it’s in the higher end. So we’re looking to grow and push our team a little bit.” Adair admitted the ultimate goal for 2019 is the NCAA Championship. That always is the ultimate destination for this program, which has received a bid in six of Adair’s eight seasons as the head coach. The Hokies appear ready for this season-long trip. Hopefully, it will be gratifying in the end. TECH W OMEN’S S OCCER READY TO START NEW STREAK Continued from page 43