Alabama State University soccer team will officially begin preparation for the 2014 season in a Thursday morning practice at the ASU Soccer Complex.

The Lady Hornets return 12 players from last year's team, which set numerous team records including wins (14) and longest winning streak (11) in winning the division title and finishing as the SWAC runner-up.

"In that we didn't win the final game, there is still some unfinished business," said head coach Jodie Smith, who's team is coming off the best season in PROGRAM history. "There is still that one game we have to capture, so we have their attention. That is the focus."  
 
Alabama State is not only preparing for its season opener at College of Charleston on August 22, but also a new SWAC scheduling format. Out is the four-game leagueschedule in which only matches against your division counted. In is a new 10-match schedule, including conference associate member Howard University.

"The difference is now every conference game now counts and that you must finish in the top 8 instead of the division title," said Smith of the new alignment in which all teams will be in one division. "That gets the pressure a little bit off of your back, but there are four teams (ASU, defending champ Jackson State, western division champ Southern, Prairie View) that I think will now fight for those top four seeds."
 
With a 22-member roster for the first time, Smith now has the ability to do more in practice in getting ready for the 19-game season in which the Lady Hornets will face all Division I opponents for the first time.  

"We plan on spending the next three nights having inter-squad games where we will start identifying what the pieces are," Smith said. "Offensively and in the back defensively, I'm real comfortable with what we return. It's in the midfield that we could have three brand new players there. Being able to scrimmage consistently, we're able to put them in a new environment. I want us to be really fresh coming out of preseason"
 
Alabama State will play an exhibition match on Saturday, Aug. 16, hosting Faulkner at 4 p.m. The regular season home opener is Friday, Aug. 29 against South Carolina-Upstate.

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