The 2009 Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's soccer team will look to continue last year's success when they finished the year 11-4.

Guiding the team are head coach Shane Hurley and assistant coach Arthur Salazar.

Even though the Saints will have to deal with the loss of midfielder Patricia Torres, midfielder Ashley Perez and forward Melissa Zazueta, this year's  team will enjoy the luxury of returning 11 players to the team.

Although Salazar believes in a strong nucleus of returning players, he is hopeful for the team's new players as well. In all, 11 freshmen will join the Saints for this year's campaign.

"We have a strong class of incoming freshmen and transfers that should positively impact our program," said Salazar.

Once the returning players and the new arrivals gel, the team's goal this year will be to maintain the success rate it enjoyed last year, he added.

That success rate should be tested as the Saints begin their first season in the NAIA Red River Athletic Conference. This move will pit the Saints against teams from in-state schools such as the University of Texas at Brownsville, Texas Wesleyan University, Texas College, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Huston-Tillotson University and Northwood University. The conference also includes Bacone College from Muskogee, Okla., and the University of the Southwest from Hobbs, N.M.

Salazar sees the move to the Red River conference as a measuring stick for this year's Saints.

Last year, the team lost to UT Brownsville, said Salazar. This year's game should be a good test to see where the program is.

"I want us to be competitive," said Salazar. "We want to finish in the top three of our conference."

Other key home games in the 2009 season will be the conference opener Oct. 3 against UT Brownsville, Oct. 15 against Bacone College,  Oct. 17 against Texas College and Oct. 24 against Huston-Tillotson University.