Women’s soccer: Dayton Flyers hope for normalcy as 2021 season begins

Dayton’s schedule this fall starts with a 7 p.m. game at Akron on Thursday and includes eight non-conference games and a typical 10-game conference schedule.

“Almost 60 percent of our team, the freshman and sophomore classes, had never been through a fall preseason,” said seventh-year coach Eric Golz on Tuesday. “It’s been awesome for us to be able to spend some more time together and work on our connection and identity and playing DNA and values and vision. We’ve just been able to do a lot more together outside of soccer, which at the end of the day does nothing but help the soccer on the field.

“Building those relationships has been really good. We’re excited. I think that we have a talented group and a deep group. I think that we’re going to see some of the women step up who played very well last (spring) returning, but we also have some other ones who are going to get to make a name for themselves this year.”

Dayton was picked to finish second in the A-10 behind defending champion Saint Louis, which received 13 of 14 first-place votes. Virginia Commonwealth was picked to place third. George Washington, which received the other first-place vote, rounded out the top four.

Saint Louis, which ranks 21st in the country entering this season, according to the United Soccer Coaches poll, beat Dayton four times last season by a combined margin of 11-4 and finished 8-0 in A-10 play. Dayton’s season ended with three straight losses to the Billikens, including a 3-0 loss in the semifinals of the A-10 tournament.

Dayton and Saint Louis play once in the regular season this fall: Sept. 19 at Saint Louis. It will be the first A-10 game for both teams.

“It’s a game that I’m sure both teams will be looking forward to for various reasons,” Golz said. “They’re obviously a talented team, a well-coached group. There’s certainly a rivalry there. It’ll be exciting to start with the best and kind of measure ourselves right from the get-go when we start A-10 play.”

Dayton players returned to campus Aug. 2 and started practice Aug. 3. The games come fast this month. After opening with Akron, UD plays at Kent State at 1 p.m. Sunday and then plays Northern Kentucky in its home opener at Baujan Field at 7 p.m. Aug. 26.

Dayton’s top returning player is sophomore forward Itala Gemelli, who led the team with nine goals last season. She was named the A-10 Rookie of the Year and made the all-conference preseason team this summer.

“She’s going to be good,” Golz said. “Mia Perri is a sophomore who I think has made some significant strides so far in preseason camp. She’s a central midfielder. Marlee Taylor is a junior midfielder who has been fantastic so far in preseason. We expect big things out of her. (Junior forward) Laney Huber has come back really fit and worked her butt off this summer. She’s in a good place right now. I’ll think she’s going to have a great season.”