OLYMPIA, Wash. - Evergreen's fall sports kick off Saturday with the Geoducks' women's soccer team hosting Doane College (Nebraska) at 1 p.m. on Evergreen's campus.

 

Evergreen's squad looks strong with a number of talented returners and newcomers.

 

Look to senior Kate Green (forward from Covington, Wash.) and sophomore Katie Cagle (goalkeeper from Estacada, Ore.), both '07 All-Cascade Conference honorable mention honorees, to lead the Geoducks in the early season opener.

 

Top newcomers to the team include Brittany Cino (Granite Bay, Calif.), who graduated from Sierra Community College last spring, and Michelle Robinson of Shelton, Wash. As a midfielder, Robinson was named Western Cascade all-league first team during her '07 season at Shelton High School.

 

The Geoducks placed sixth in the conference in '07, gaining momentum late in the season despite a disappointing loss that kept them out of the playoffs. They ended last year with a 4-5-1 conference record and 5-7-1 overall record.

 

In the recent Cascade Conference preseason poll, Evergreen was picked to finish seventh in the standings. Concordia University, which went 10-0 in conference play last season, is the heavy favorite to the win the conference title.

 

Saturday's game looks to be a competitive match between the Geoducks and the Tigers. Doane, a fellow NAIA college and member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, had an 8-8-3 overall record last season. They are led by NAIA All-American honorable mention honoree Samantha Exstrom, who scored 20 goals last season.