Muhlenberg College Athletics

When the Muhlenberg women's soccer team traveled to Barbados this summer, it used the trip for much more than just soaking up the sun and relaxing.

Sure, the Mules spent plenty of time tanning on the beach and taking in the sights, but there was also a lot of work to be done on the pitch where they worked on a new formation to take advantage of a wealth of experience with nine returning starters.

Miller already ranks in the top 10 in school history in every offensive category with 25 goals, 13 assists and 63 points.

And according to senior captain Meghan O'Grady, after taking a few practices to get used to the alignment, the Mules have started to gel and are prepared to improve upon last season's 7-8-2 mark and fifth-place tie in the Centennial Conference.

They'll get their first chance to see just what differences those changes can make when they open the season at this weekend's Kean Classic. The Mules will face Richard Stockton at 2 p.m. Saturday, with a game against the host Cougars scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.

"That was a great trip," O'Grady said of going to Barbados. "We are super close as a team, and that made it really enjoyable. It was also really good to get a chance to learn this new formation. We have a lot of talented players and are all helping each other get better."

Offensively, the Mules will look to O'Grady (first-team All-CC in 2010) and fellow senior captain Nicolette Miller (second-team All-CC) to find the back of the net.

The two four-year starters tied for fourth in the conference in points last season with 26 apiece. They have combined to start 108 games during the past three seasons and both rank in the top 10 in school history in goals.

Behind those two, Muhlenberg returns four midfielders who each started at least 12 games last fall.

Sophomore CJ Graetzer was an All-CC honorable mention in her debut season after finishing third on the team with six goals and 16 points, while classmate Stephanie Tramutola started 16 games and finished with four points. Juniors Alyssa Meola and Jessica Gonzalez are also back after starting 17 and 12 games, respectively, last fall.

"Last year we had a lot of younger players starting, and I think they may not have had the confidence from the start," O'Grady said of last season's 0-3-2 start. "But now with all of those freshmen and sophomores being sophomores and juniors, we really feel comfortable playing together and are confident we can start this season strong."

Toher has started 38 games during her Mule career.

The experience theme continues to the back where the Nearys, junior Maggie Neary (honorable mention All-CC) and sophomore Lizzie Neary (no relation), each started at least 15 games a year ago. Junior Jillian Moretto also returns to the field after starting the first nine games of 2010 before suffering a season-ending injury.

According to senior goalkeeper Michele Toher, the backs have picked up where they left off last season and have looked solid in preseason practice.

"It always feels good having some familiar faces in front of you," Toher said. "I know that they are going to keep balls away from me, and I think we'll be pretty good on defense this year."

Toher solidifies the back of the defense as she returns for her third season as a full-time starter. A two-time all-conference honorable mention, she made a career-high 94 saves in 2010.

After missing out on a third-straight trip to the conference playoffs because of a tiebreaker last fall, the Mules want to get back to the postseason and challenge for the conference crown this fall.

And with so much experience spread across the field, O'Grady feels confident her final season as a Mule will be a memorable one, and not just because she got to spend a week in the Caribbean.

"Every different position has returning players, which is a great help," she said. "I think we'll be able to capitalize on that by having a great season. We are a lot more confident this year, and I think we're going to use all of the experience that we've got to get back to the top."