NORTON - The Wheaton College women's soccer program enters the 2008 season in a familiar place, fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance and the NEWMAC regular season and tournament championships.

"We're very careful to make sure the players understand that we don't put it all on one game," said 12th year head coach Luis Reis.

The Lyons, ranked No. 12 nationally, created a 23-game unbeaten stretch that carried into their eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Lyons went 22-1-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the NEWMAC.

With the loss of eight prominent seniors to graduation a year ago, Reis enters this season with a lot of confidence in the returning corps and first-year class. "Most of the work has already been done. I was very pleased with the spring season and the team's trip to Portugal in March. We made so much progress with regards to leadership."

Of Wheaton's 24 players, 18 hail from the freshman and sophomore classes, including the Lyons' starting forward line, which consists of three explosive sophomores in Melida Alvarez of Saugus, Emily Hough of Norwich, Vt. and Barrie Lindsay of Ipswich. A 2007 All-New England player and NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Alvarez set a Wheaton freshman single season goal-scoring record with 23, nine of them match-winners. Hough, who was named to all-region and all-league teams as a freshman, had an impressive season with 14 goals, 12 assists and four game-winners.

Junior Rosie Levy of Torrance, Cal. leads a young but talented midfield corps. She will be joined by sophomores Christina Bertrand of Agawam, Amanda Resendes of Swansea and freshmen Jessica Gray of Carver, Jessica Stuart of Weymouth and Emily Vincunas of Granville.

Returning in the back from a 2007 defense that helped the team post a 0.37 goals against average with 16 shutouts are junior co-captain Lyndsey McManus of Marshfield and sophomore Alessia Viscomi of Newton.

The most untested area of the field will be in goal, as Reis brought in a pair of talented freshmen in Kasey Frasier of Bennington, Vt. and Lindsay Leddy of Warwick.