JU women's soccer opens camp for 2008 season
Dolphins to have 15-20 practices prior to Aug. 22 opener
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Aug. 6, 2008 The JU women's soccer team will finally get the ball rolling on the pitch as the Dolphins start preparations for the 2008 season on Wednesday.

The Dolphins open the day with a grueling fitness test before their first of two practices beginning at 9 a.m. JU will have about 15 to 20 practices and will host Florida Southern College for an exhibition in preparations for its season opener against College of Charleston at the Ashley Sports Complex on Aug. 22.

"I'm excited to start practice," said JU head coach Brian Copham, who is entering his first season with the Dolphins. "There has been a lot of preparation going into this week, but this is the fun time. The days are long and tiring, but you on the field and playing a lot of soccer.

"I'm excited about the team returning because I have heard they were working hard over the summer after we had a strong spring. I'm ready to get back on the field, put our new freshmen in the mix and pick up where we left off."

The Dolphins return one of their most experienced teams in recent memory with 21 players dawning the green and gold this season. Also included in the bunch are seven seniors, who have each played more than 50 games in their careers. Senior forward Keri Zwikker heads the bunch after earning her third conference Atlantic Sun first team all-conference accolade with 16 goals. She has 40 career goals and needs only 14 this season to pass Stine Kloster for the program's all-time leader.

Another valuable returner is Liz Fink, who earned A- Sun freshman team honors in 2007 with three goals and a team-high six assists in 19 games.

In 2007, the Dolphins posted a 7-12-1 overall record and a 5-5-1 mark in conference to reach their fourth consecutive tournament. JU was unable to defend its 2006 A-Sun Tournament as Belmont downed the Dolphins, 2-1, in the first round.

The Dolphins play Florida Southern in exhibition action on Aug. 15 at the Ashley Sports Complex. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised live online on A-Sun.Tv through judolphins.com.