WALNUT CREEK, Calif- After suffering through an uncharacteristically down season in 2009, thanks to countless injuries that continued to plague the lineup, the Sonoma State women's soccer team will look to rebound to the team they once used to be. That said, the Seawolves have been picked to finish second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division for the second straight year, according to a preseason vote by the conference's head coaches.

Sonoma State earned four first-place votes and 56 points in the vote behind North Division favorite Chico State, who garnered eight first-place votes and 63 tallies. Despite the projected second place finish in the north, the coaches predict that the Seawolves will just barely miss the four-team conference tournament at the end of the regular season. SSU collected five votes as national runner-up Cal State Dominguez Hills (11), defending conference champion Cal State L.A. (11), defending North Division champion Chico State (9) and UC San Diego (9) earned the projected top four spots.

Coming off a 15-win season in 2008 and a first place finish in the CCAA North Division, the Seawolves got off to a great start in 2009 with two straight convincing wins to start the year – two non-conference victories against Hawaii-Hilo and Notre Dame de Namur. Then, a weekend trip to Washington State slowed the Seawolves' momentum with two one-goal losses against Saint Martin's and Western Washington before conference play started a week later.

Sonoma State would go on to win its first CCAA matches, but then played extra time in four of its next five matches, which could account for the injuries suffered early on. With 10 conference matches to play, the Seawolves found themselves at 2-2-2, including four double overtime nail-biters, causing some physical and emotional fatigue.

The rest of the schedule showed some up and down moments, but the Seawolves ended on a high note, winning two of their last three matches. They found themselves in unchartered territory, though, as Sonoma State fell under the .500 mark for the first time since 1986 with an 8-9-3 record.

Bring on 2010.

Head coach Luke Oberkirch, who will begin his 16th season at Sonoma State, will return nine starters and plenty of key role players with another year of experience under their belt. The biggest key loss is the veteran leadership of two-time All-American Lindsay Catton, who graduated this past spring. The Seawolves will also lose speed at the forward position with the graduation of Tracy Webster. More than one-third of the team's offensive production from 2009 is lost with the departure of Catton and Webster.

Sonoma State expects to return the former CCAA Freshman of the Year, Taylor Edmonds, after she went down with a season-ending injury after eight games last season as a sophomore. Junior Katie Parucha and sophomore Macy Usher come into this season with six goals combined a year ago. Senior Allison Kern, junior Kiley Brown and sophomore Sara Studer scored two goals apiece and will play a big part for the Seawolves this season.

There will be a continued battle for time at the goalkeeper position as senior Courtney Grixti and sophomore Alexis Sciacqua shared time last season. Grixti started the first 10 games for the Seawolves before Sciacqua took over for the remainder of the schedule. With Sciacqua making an immediate impact between the posts, Grixti saw some time in the field towards the end of the season.

One of the newest additions to the Sonoma State roster this year is a division I transfer from Utah State, Allie Maduell. A native of Pleasanton, Maduell returns to California after two seasons with the Aggies, where she appeared in 41 matches as a freshman and sophomore. Oberkirch has also brought in a strong recruiting class out of high school, including local standout JJ McFarlin, who was an All-North Bay League First Team selection in each of the past two seasons, helping Santa Rosa High School win its first playoff game since 2004. Defender Alicia Mertz, who helped her Sandpoint (Idaho) High School team to a state championship last season, will also join the Seawolves in 2010, among many others.

Sonoma State will have a couple of exhibition matchups before the season gets started on Sept. 2, hosting Western Oregon. After just one non-conference tune-up, the Seawolves will enter CCAA competition against Cal Poly Pomona on Sept. 10. Eight of their first 10 conference matches will be played within the friendly confines of Seawolf Soccer Field, before hitting the road in five of their last six matches of the season. Longtime northern California rival Humboldt State will travel to Rohnert Park for “Senior Day” on Oct. 24.

If the Seawolves stay healthy, Sonoma State should enjoy another 10+ win season in 2010, something they have done in 11 of Oberkirch's 15 seasons at the helm for SSU.