The Cooperstown girls soccer team will jump right into top-notch competition to open the season when they travel to the Lowville Tournament Friday night to play host Lowville at 7:30 p.m. The last time those teams met was in the Section Three Class C semifinals in 1997, with Lowville winning in a shootout.

After the tournament this weekend, Cooperstown opens up Center State Conference play Wednesday, Sept. 5 at Sauquoit, before traveling to play last year's league co-champ Westmoreland on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

After winning a share of the state championship in 1999, the Cooperstown girls finished with a 13-4-3 overall record, including 9-3-2 in league play, one game behind both Westmoreland and Hamilton, who tied for the league title.

"Our first and most important goal is always winning the league," Cooperstown girls soccer coach Lisa Cherubin said. "It's going to be tough, Westmoreland has 10 starters back; Hamilton is always good; and Waterville, Mt. Markham and Sauquoit are all up and coming teams."

From 1992-98, the Redskins won the Center State league, a run of seven straight years. But they have finished in second place the last two years.

"We've been right up there until the final game of the season the last couple of years, so it's not like we've fallen off a great deal with our level of play," Cherubin said. "We've got some holes to fill this year, but we should be right up there at the top again this season."

Cooperstown lost just two starters from last year's team-goalkeeper Amy Kane and Mia McChesney, a speedy defender. Cherubin said junior Katie Allison will start in goal this season.

Returning for the Redskins are the top three goal scorers from last season, including twin sisters Carolyn Clarvoe and Suzanne Clarvoe and junior Stephanie Smith. Smith had 14 goals and six assists last year, Carolyn Clarvoe 14 goals and four assists and Suzanne Clarvoe 10 goals and 10 assists.

Cherubin said Smith will play more midfield this year, with Danielle Vajda and freshman Michelle Valentine taking up more of the scoring slack.

Valentine, the lone freshman on the varsity, will not start but may eventually be a star for the Redskins, Cherubin added.

"She has a great nose for the goal, and she could be the next Carrie Folts," Cherubin said of Valentine. High praise, considering Folts holds Cooperstown's single season scoring record and went on to play Division One soccer.

Other returning starters from last year include sweeper Natalie Bowers, a starter as a freshman last year; senior stopper Erin Collier; midfielder Liz May, a senior; defender Laura Stein, also a senior; and junior Marcie Foster, a defender. Ani Scalici will step into a starting defensive spot this year as well.

Besides Allison and Valentine, there are two other newcomers to the team this year, sophomores Liz Christman and Kaylin Raggi.

"The keys to the season will be to get our passing game going at a high level and get some more balanced scoring than we did last year," Cherubin said.

Cooperstown girls soccer schedule: Aug. 31 and Sept. 1: at Lowville Tournament; Sept. 5: at Sauquoit; Sept. 11: at Westmoreland; Sept. 13: Canastota (at Waterville); Sept. 15: MORRISVILLE; Sept. 17: CHERRY VALLEY; Sept. 19: MT. MARKHAM; Sept. 22: at Waterville; Sept. 25: at Hamilton; Sept. 28: SAUQUOIT; Oct. 1: Canastota (at Waterville); Oct. 3: WESTMORELAND; Oct. 5: HAMILTON; Oct. 10: at Morrisville; Oct. 12: at Mt. Markham; Oct. 15: WATERVILLE; Oct. 18: at Herkimer.