Veteran forward Kim Warner will once again lead the GW women’s soccer team. But this year the junior standout, one of the quickest players in the Atlantic 10, will have a supporting cast.

Warner was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2001 after leading GW with 20 points, but her team was sill working out the kinks and suffered a sub-.500 season. This year she and her team are prepared for a turn around.

“Last year we were still dealing with some of the former coaches’ stuff,” head coach Tanya Vogel said on rebounding from last year’s 8-10 season. “This year we’re better equipped because mentally our heads are in the right places. People came back from their summer training refreshed and renewed and kids are really revved up for this season, more so than in previous years.”

While the Colonials lack a great deal of experience, Vogel said the fact that she recruited the vast majority of players on this year’s team is a positive factor.

“It’s definitely easier because the majority of kids that are on this team now, not to take anything away from my former players, came into the program at a much healthier time,” she said. “And I think we’re better because of it.”

Leading this young squad with Warner is junior goalkeeper Christine O’Malley, who has started every game in GW’s goal for the past two seasons. After initially making the team as a walk-on in 2000, O’Malley totaled 121 saves last season.

With few other veteran leaders, the success of this year’s team will largely depend on the ability of its younger players.

“It’s absolutely critical that our freshmen step it up, not only because they’re talented but because of new substitution rules, we have to play a lot more people,” Vogel said.

And so far, they have. Freshman midfielder Ina Kain has been an effective complement to Warner on offense with a team-high three assists in five games going into Sunday’s game at Maryland. Fellow freshman Lise Backman has also shown aggressiveness on the offensive end, taking six shots and garnering all-tournament honors at the University of Central Florida Invitational along with Kain and Warner on Sept. 1.

As GW’s younger players develop, Warner’s leadership will be an important factor in the team’s success this fall.

“Her demeanor is very influential, so when Kim decides that she’s going to be great, the team follows that suit,” Vogel said. “If Kim is not at her best, the team sees that, so her influence is huge, positive and negative.”

Now an upperclassman, Warner has begun to lead off the field as well, said Vogel.

“Kim Warner is a shy individual,” Vogel said. “But I think this year she’s a little more relaxed, and she’s starting to demand more out of her teammates, which is something she didn’t do in the past.”

Warner declined to comment.

Protecting the expected goals from Warner in the backfield are junior defenders Molly Sunderdick and Caite Terranova, along with sophomore Kelly Lawten.

After finishing 5-6 and failing to qualify for the A-10 Tournament last season, Vogel said making the A-10 is one short-term goal for GW this year en route to their ultimate goal of advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

If the Colonials want to be playing in Dayton, Ohio Nov. 8-10 at the A-10, Vogel said they will have to improve on the mental aspects of the game.

“A lot of them are young or are returning players that haven’t played a lot, so how we play will be indicative of our mentality,” she said. “We need to show up not just game to game but day in and day out. We’re not talented enough to get away with goofing around.”