By all accounts, the 2007 season was hugely successful for the Stanford women’s soccer team. The Cardinal lost just three games the entire season, made the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row and even held the nation’s number one ranking for a three week span. So after graduating six seniors — including US national team defender Rachel Buehler — it might seem that Stanford would do very well just to repeat the previous season’s achievements.

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Stanford Daily File Photo

Reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Christen Press, will look to help the Cardinal compete in a tough Pac-10 in 2008. Press notched a pair of goals in Stanford’s 5-0 win over Pacific to start the season on Sunday.

Yet this year’s squad is determined to do even better, with their sights set on lifting the College Cup. And lofty though it is, the Cardinal has the talent to make it a serious threat to make a run at its goal.

The NSCAA/Adidas preseason poll has Stanford ranked No. 10 in the country while the coaches poll has the Cardinal sitting atop the Pacific 10 Conference. The primary reason for the preseason optimism is that, even with the loss of last year’s seniors, the team still returns most of their key players from last year. Rising junior forward Kelley O’Hara and senior fullback Marissa Abegg, both of whom are on this year’s player of the year watch list, headline a squad full of talented returning players that also boasts a senior international player (New Zealand’s Ali Riley) and the reigning Pac-10 freshman of the year (Christen Press).

Another reason for excitement is an outstanding group of incoming freshman. Stanford’s top-10 ranked recruiting class is led by midfielder Teresa Noyola, the 2008 Gatorade High School Player of the Year. Cardinal coach Paul Ratcliffe expects his first year players to contribute right away.

“I think the freshmen are going to make a huge impact this year,” Ratcliffe told GoStanford.com. “They’re technically really gifted players with some attacking flair, so they should really help us up front and overall as a team.”

The attacking flair that Ratcliffe mentions applies not only to the freshmen but to the team as a whole, as the Cardinal should boast one of the best attacks in the nation. Last season’s striking trio of O’Hara, Press and Riley all return (although Riley will also be playing in defense this season), and including rising sophomore Morgan Redman the group of returning forwards scored a combined 23 goals last year. Throw in freshman Lindsay Taylor and Stanford’s frontline looks like it could be a problem for any defense.

The Cardinal forwards will be supported by a talented midfield that will add creativity to the offense and ball-winning ability to the defense. Rising junior Kristin Stannard was the top-scoring midfielder on the 2007 team, scoring four goals and notching two assists even though injuries limited her minutes. She will be joined in the team’s “engine room” by Allison McCann, who started all but one game last year in a holding midfield role, and Noyola, who will be expected to be a key player in her first season. Senior Kelley Birch and redshirt junior Hillary Heath will also add experience in the middle of the park.

Yet for all the attacking talent the team has, it may well be the backline that determines the fate of the Cardinal. Defense carried the squad last year as the team let up only 18 goals in 23 games. Departed seniors Rachel Buehler and April Wall were regular starters and defensive stalwarts on that team, so returning starters Abegg and Allison “Kirby” Falk — both seniors in 2008 — will be counted on to provide leadership from the back. The duo is also capable of helping offensively, as Falk is a dangerous header of the ball from set pieces and Abegg is known for her charges down the outside of the pitch.

Abegg and Falk will get help in the back from junior Alicia Jenkins, a key reserve last year, and freshman Cami Levin, who could very well be a starting fullback in her first year on the Farm. The backline will be playing in front of rising sophomore Kira Maker, who looks to have won the job of starting keeper. Although not a regular starter, Maker received some experience last year, starting 10 games and notching two shutouts.

Maker is already halfway to her shutout total from last year after blanking Pacific in Stanford’s first match last week. The Cardinal thrashed the Tigers 5-0 behind two goals from Christen Press, one apiece from Kelley O’Hara and Lindsay Taylor, and a Pacific own-goal.

But it’s unlikely that all of the Cardinal’s matches this season will be quite so easy. The Pac-10 promises to be one of the toughest conferences in the country, with USC and UCLA ranked first and second, respectively, in the national in the Adidas poll. The Cardinal’s non-conference schedule also includes No. 3 North Carolina and No. 14 Boston College.

Despite the hurdles ahead, it’s clear that the time is now for this Cardinal team to take the next step.

“I’m very excited [for the season] because I think we can go really far,” Stannard said. “Even though we did lose some great seniors, we have a lot of talented freshmen who will hopefully help us win the national title.”