FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team will have their first two matches under new head coach John Constable this weekend, as they travel to North Carolina to take on Catawba and Pfeiffer to open the 2015 season.
 
NSU will kick off the campaign against Catawba first, this Friday at 7 p.m. in Salisbury, North Carolina. They wrap up the opening weekend on Sunday when they head about 20 miles south to Misenheimer to face Pfeiffer for a high noon start.
 
The Sharks bring back nine starters from last year's 8-6 squad, and Constable's first team will be senior-laden, with 11 fourth-year players on the 30-person roster. All-conference performer Sierra Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.), the team's leading goal scorer a season ago with 10, and midfielder Julia Nytorp (Sr., Örnsköldsvik, Sweden), tops in both assists (six) and total points (24), are among both the returning starters and the team's experienced senior class.
 
In addition to Nytorp, six more returnees logged starts in all 14 matches last season: Midfielders Elizabeth Haumschild (Sr., Riverview, Fla.) and Sarah Keville (Sr., Vero Beach, Fla.); Defenders Stephanie Moench (Sr., Austin, Texas), Cydney Niedermeyer (Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.) and Cameron Wylie (Sr., Dallas), and in goal, former All-SSC selection Amanda Kopale (R-Jr., Cape Coral, Fla.).
 
In all, 20 letterwinners are available for Constable to choose from, with 10 newcomers joining the squad. Seven are true freshmen, while three have transferred in to NSU: Bailey Corbin (So., Lampeter, Penn.) from USC Update; Ashley Lowdermilk (R-Jr., Bradenton, Fla.) from Charleston Southern; and Lauren Paul (R-Sr., Stockton, Calif.) from UC Davis.
 
Both opponents should not be unfamiliar to Constable personally. Pfeiffer competes in Conference Carolinas, and tied for second in the league's preseason poll with Converse, the school that Constable coached before he came to NSU. A year ago, the Falcons were 12-7-2 and were runners-up in the conference tournament. They too will have a new coach at the helm in Robyn Horner.  
 
Catawba is out of the South Atlantic Conference and was voted fifth in their preseason poll, while goalkeeper Bethany Davis was chosen preseason First Team. Last season the Catawba Lady Indians were 11-6-3, and like both NSU and Pfeiffer, welcome a new hire atop the program in Nick Brown.
 
Each match will feature live streaming video and live stats at the links atop this release and on the Sharks' 2015 schedule page. Follow @NSUSharks on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.