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Part one of a whole lot of previews to come over the next month. Previews of DI Independent teams coming late tonight.

1. Can Notre Dame Repeat As National Champions?

History would certainly seem to be against them. The only team to have repeated as champions in the last decade was the 2008-2009 North Carolina side. Coincidentally, Carolina are also the only program to have ever repeated as national champs. The odds may also be against the Irish even making it back to the title game in Kennesaw this season. The aforementioned North Carolina team in 2009 was the first defending champ to return to the final since Santa Clara made it back to the title game in 2002 after beating UNC in 2001′s final.

It’s not like Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum isn’t losing a big chunk of last season’s national title winning squad either. Versatile Lauren Fowlkes was a pillar of strength for the Irish wherever she played, be it in the back, as a midfield destroyer, or up front as a target forward. Rose Augustin busted out for a brilliant senior season with eleven goals and ten assists as a dangerous complement to Melissa Henderson up front. The defense also loses right-back Julie Scheidler, a four-year starter for Waldrum and an invaluable presence in defense over the years. Most worrying though may be the team’s dearth of experience in goal with the graduation of Nikki Weiss. Weiss grew into being a solid, consistent keeper by her senior season, and there’s a paucity of experience in her wake. Junior Maddie Fox has only featured in mop-up duty, while Jennifer Jasper and Sarah Voigt are true freshmen. With the Irish playing a difficult schedule as always, it figures to be a trial by fire for the new starting keeper.

Reasons for optimism? It’s not like Notre Dame is suddenly going to fall off a cliff despite all of those losses. In fact, returning senior forward Melissa Henderson will probably ensure that the Irish don’t fall very far if at all. Henderson is all but assured of being one of the top three picks in January’s WPS Draft and has the potential to be a stalwart on the USWNT in the future. If she isn’t swarmed by too many defenders, Henderson could easily hit twenty goals for Notre Dame this season. The senior is the odds on favorite for the Hermann Trophy as the season begins, and her form will be crucial for the Irish’s hopes this year. The midfield will also benefit from a full season of a healthy Courtney Barg who missed more than half of last year with a hip problem. Barg is quite simply the best defensive midfielder in the college ranks when on her game and should provide veteran leadership as she’s partnered up with promising young heads Mandy Laddish and Elizabeth Tucker, who both were quite impressive as freshmen last year. And for all the worries in goal and with the loss of Scheidler, this team still returns the bulk of its backline, including senior Jessica Schuveiller who has the potential to be one of the best defenders in the country this season. Finally, to the shock of nobody, Notre Dame is bringing in another fantastic class of freshmen, including forward Lauren Bohaboy, who could be the next great scorer in South Bend and could be an important foil for Henderson this year.

2. Will North Carolina Get Back To Being North Carolina?

A league title one season removed from losing a handful of professional draft picks would be reason enough to celebrate at just about every program in America. Unfortunately for North Carolina, they aren’t every program in America, they’re twenty time College Cup champions with the loftiest goals imaginable. But despite still possessing an embarrassment of riches heading into the 2010 season, North Carolina also entered the new year with more questions than ever after being gutted by graduation. To make matters worse, UNC was terrorized by the injury bug throughout the campaign to the point that even the Tar Heels’ legendary depth was pushed to the breaking point.

And still UNC won, hammering opponents behind a powerful offense with veteran Courtney Jones and rookie Kealia Ohai at the trigger. The defense held their own most of the time, backed by the Herculean freshman efforts of Crystal Dunn. But still there were worrying signs afoot. The three goals conceded in Chapel Hill in a 3-2 loss to Boston College. The late capitulation against Maryland, also at home. The three conceded to rivals Duke in the penultimate regular season match. There was evidence that UNC could score goals, but that they also could conceded them. Things came to a head in the Sweet Sixteen where the Heels faced off against nemesis Notre Dame, again underseeded, in a showdown eerily reminiscent of 2007′s encounter. And again the Irish would have North Carolina’s number as Anson Dorrance’s side would come unglued, losing 4-1 to a rampant Notre Dame side.

The goal this year is as it is every year in Chapel Hill: National Title. The good news is that there’s still enough firepower here to just overwhelm most foes. Jones and Ohai are back again and could be even stronger as they gain a better understanding in their second season of starting together. A healthy season from Alyssa Rich would also help the offense out after the junior was limited to ten starts last year. The midfield can also boast tenacious junior stopper Amber Brooks who has looked like a rising star in the USWNT youth ranks. The midfield could also be a home for sophomore superstar Crystal Dunn who enjoyed one of the most impressive freshman seasons by a Tar Heel ever, and that’s saying something given the history of the program. Fast as lightning and possessing an unparalleled work rate, Dunn could be of service at just about every position on the field and may be the cure on one of the wings or even up front if she isn’t slotted into defense as she was for much of last season. In typical Carolina fashion, the Heels have also added some star recruits, namely Satara Murray, Kathryn Nigro, and Taylor Ramirez. The hype on the latter has shot through the stratosphere in recent months, and Tar Heels fans will be eager to see the newly minted U.S. U18 player in action this season.

Worries? The midfield loses the services of Meghan Klingenberg and Ali Hawkins after graduation. Though Hawkins was hampered by injuries all season, her and Klingenberg’s losses are huge ones for the Heels. Though the talent and skill of the pair may be replaced this season by any one of UNC’s talented midfielders, the drive, determination, and leadership both brought to the table will be less easily compensated for. Defensively, there is still uncertainty, especially if Dunn is asked to take on a role further up the pitch. The freshman was the undisputed best defender on last year’s squad but has attacking talents that may not be able to be shackled to a defensive role. If Dunn plays in midfield or attack, there’s still plenty of talent on hand in defense but very little proven production. Dorrance can take heart in the knowledge that the best is yet to come from sophomore Meg Morris after a season in which she also was bit by the injury bug a little. Beyond her is a fair amount of potential and some experience but on the whole, a group without a leader or a star. Someone embracing that position could be a key for UNC’s season this year. Finally, in goal there are also worries. Hannah Daly and Anna Sieloff both saw extensive time, the latter likely to have seen more had a hand injury not curtailed her season late in the year. But both clearly still have a long way to go to become the dominant keeper that this program has so often had patrolling the goal over the course of their history. There’s no grace period for the defense or keepers either with Carolina again playing one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country.

3. How Will Stanford Bounce Back From A Second Straight College Cup Final Defeat?

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Stanford’s failings on the biggest stage are beginning to take an eerie resemblance to the similar shortcomings earlier in the decade of Pac-12 rivals UCLA. Another valid, if somewhat harsh, comparison might be that of English Premier League side Arsenal. Like the Gunners, Stanford prides itself on playing beautiful football. But like Arsene Wenger’s side, the Cardinal have also been shown wanting when the stakes have been at their highest. Not that Stanford has exactly been bereft of success over the past half decade. The Cardinal have been to three straight College Cups and have risen to the status of top dog in the cutthroat world of the Pac-12 in recent seasons.

But even the most staunch optimist in Palo Alto would have to agree that last season’s final defeat to Notre Dame was a massive letdown. The Cardinal were outplayed and outcoached, as head coach Paul Ratcliffe made some bizarre decisions, including playing playmaking midfielder Teresa Noyola as a winger for much of the contest. It was enough to drive many a Cardinal fan to frustration and was the second straight season that Stanford had entered a final as favorites and left as runners-up. Stanford had still romped to a Pac-10 title and played some breathtaking soccer in the process, but it all felt a little hollow without the big prize at the end of the journey.

Ratcliffe will be hoping it’s third time lucky, and he’s got a squad capable of making it back to the title game again this year. Somewhat different than past seasons, Stanford figures to be strongest from the back this season with a great defense and goalkeeper to rely on. Emily Oliver had a star making performance, even in defeat, in last season’s College Cup Final, and the general consensus is that the sky’s the limit for the talented sophomore. In front of her, the entire starting defense returns, including Mexico’s Alina Garciamendez and junior Courtney Verloo who should be much more comfortable this season, her second full-time in defense for the Cardinal. In front of the back four, Mariah Nogueira is a midfield smashing machine and will again be one of the top defensive midfielders in the country. The yin to her yang is senior Teresa Noyola, also a veteran of Mexico’s WWC journey and a likely early round pick in the WPS Draft in January as one of the top playmakers in the country.

For the first time in a few seasons though, there are real questions in the attack. Stanford went from strength to strength when the baton was passed from Kelley O’Hara to Christen Press as the team’s lead gun, but there are no such guarantees this season. Press is gone, and her potential replacement as the team’s leading attacker, Lindsay Taylor, has never been known as the most consistent player. Taylor possesses lightning pace and a blistering shot but has also been known to fade out of matches and may be more suited to being a complementary option than as a go-to player for a title contender. If Taylor can’t handle being the team’s #1 striker, then Ratcliffe might have to lean on newcomers Chioma Ubogagu and Alex Doll. But relying heavily on freshmen to carry an offense on their shoulders is a dangerous game for a team with national title ambitions. Stanford may still be among the elite this year, but for a change it may be their defense that keeps them in the national title hunt.

4. Just How on Earth Is This Thing In UCLA Going To Work?

It’s pretty basic math that there are only eleven starting spots up for grabs on a team, which means new UCLA head coach B.J. Snow is both spoilt for choice and going to be juggling the equivalent of a pack of flaming chainsaws this season. On the positive side, there should be no shortage of competition for places in the UCLA lineup as the Bruins bring in one of the best recruiting classes in recent memory to Westwood. Coming to wear the blue and gold in Los Angeles are five youth All-Americans, a New Zealand international, and a Canadian international, the latter two who were both at the recent Women’s World Cup in Germany. Add that to a squad that already features Sydney Leroux, a likely top three pick in January’s WPS Draft, and it’s hard not to get excited for the immediate future if you’re a UCLA supporter.

But there are pitfalls facing the Bruins this season. This was a squad that was wildly inconsistent last season. Good enough to top eventual national champions Notre Dame but not quite good enough to beat Northwestern or Pepperdine, who ended UCLA’s long home unbeaten run in the middle of the year. And consider that was with seniors like Lauren Barnes and Kylie Wright to steady the ship. Adding in a whole new slew of newcomers could create for a combustible mix in Los Angeles this season. Adding to the worries is the offseason transfer of defender Natalia Ledezma, who looked like a big piece of the puzzle in the back last season, and the questionable injury status of sophomore Jenna Richmond who went down with a major knee injury late last season.

Of course, while all those losses and question marks makes it likely that many of UCLA’s recruiting class will be seeing a lot of the field this year, it’s also a safe bet that some may not get those major minutes. And that could be a problem for a first-year coach who has to balance minutes for all those young egos. Snow obviously helped recruit all of those student-athletes to UCLA, so he knows what and who he’s dealing with to some extent, but his man management skills will be put to the test early as he tries to build a cohesive unit with a whole lot of volatile parts. The Bruins could be brilliant, they could be self-destructive. But without question, they will be one of the most intriguing teams in America to watch this season.

5. Has The WCC Ascended To Major Conference Status?

The times are a changin’ in the landscape of Division I college athletics. While the mad dash for money has caused a seismic shift in the balance of power in college football conferences, the trickle down effect has also not left college soccer untouched. While there will be no shortage of intrigue into whether Colorado and Utah can avoid being cut to ribbons in the Pac-12 this year or to the fate of all offense, no defense Nebraska in the exceedingly negative and defensive Big Ten, the real interest is on the West Coast. Or the West Coast Conference to be precise.

Keen followers of the women’s college game have long known the WCC to be one of, if not, the preeminent mid-major conference in the country. But while BYU’s defection from the Mountain West made most waves in basketball circles, it may have an even greater effect on the soccer landscape. The Cougars are a perennial Top 25 team who enjoy a rabid support and were titans of the Mountain West for over a decade. Their addition to the WCC delivers a massive boost of credibility to the league and does even more for its competitiveness both within the league and compared to other leagues around the country as a whole.

It’s a stretch to even call the WCC a mid-major any more as far as women’s soccer is concerned. In Portland and Santa Clara, the league has two legit contenders for Top 10 status on a near yearly basis, while BYU and San Diego are perhaps just a notch below that but still constants at Top 25 level. All should be in a sane preseason Top 25 (not guaranteed based on past indicators though), which should be more than either the Big XII or the SEC can say. The WCC should also be in a great position to place more teams in the NCAA Tournament than either of the above mentioned leagues, with those four teams possibly being joined by Pepperdine as in a strong position to make the field of sixty-four. The prescient question may not be if the WCC fits in with the major conferences but just how high up the hierarchy they belong.

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