Aug. 26, 2005

KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island opens the 2005 women's soccer season at No. 5-ranked Virginia on Aug. 26 at 7:00 p.m. The Rams finished with an 11-9-2 ledger last season with a 7-2-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play.

It will mark the head coaching debut for Ram coach Zac Shaw. Shaw spent the 2004 season as an assistant at Florida helping lead the Gators to a 16-4-1 record. Florida was ranked 21st in the final national poll in 2004. Shaw has also served on the coaching staffs at Nazareth, Ithaca, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Shaw played professionally with several teams in Belgium in 1993-96. He began his professional playing career with the Division I Club Brugges in the spring of 1993 and ended with the Division II K.V. Kortijk in the spring of 1996. He returned to the United States and played for the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the Atlanta Ruckus in the A-League before finishing his playing career with the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League.

The Rams are led by forward Melanie Kasparek, who was a first-team pres All-Atlantic 10 honoree last year when she scored nine goals with two assists. Her twin sister, Megan, earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors with five goals and six assists in 2004.

Thorunn Helga Jonsdottir, the 2004 Atlantic 10's Rookie of the Year in 2004, scored four goals including three-game winners and registered four assists. Forward Debra Nelson also earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie honors last season with five goals and five assists.

URI will take on host Maryland on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.