Jul. 30 2004

Two women's soccer players from the University of Dayton were named to the 2004 Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team today. Senior midfielder Tesia Kozlowski (Westerville, OH) and senior defender Jen Simonetti (Copley, OH) earned preseason all-league honors, while freshmen April Carbajal (Lawrenceburg, KY) and Kristen Persichini (Peninsula, OH) were named to the All-Rookie team.

Kozlowski, a 5-9 midfielder, was a pre-season All-Atlantic 10 pick last year. In 2003 she was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 after scoring three goals and racking up 11 assists. The 11 helpers tied the second-best single-season mark in school history, led the Atlantic 10 and was tied for 29th in the NCAA. She was also named First Team All-Ohio, Soccer Buzz First Team All-Region and NSCAA First Team All-Region. Kozlowski was a finalist for the Ohio women's soccer Player of the Year Award in 2003.

Simonetti makes the pre-season team again this season after being named in 2003 as well. She returns to the Flyer lineup in 2004 after missing all but eight matches due to injury. An integral part of the Flyers' backline, Simonetti stepped up and scored two goals in 2003 on just three shots and also added an assist.

Persichini is a well-decorated defender who helped guide Walsh Jesuit High School to two Division II Ohio High School championships in her career. She won back-to-back NSCAA All-America awards and was her team's Defensive MVP, First Team All-Ohio and Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons.

Carbajal, a forward from Anderson County High School, was named Kentucky's Miss Soccer last season and was also a member of the NSCAA All-America Team as a senior after scoring 27 goals. In 2003, she won the Kentucky Eurosport Female Athlete of the Year award and was named First Team All-State as both junior and senior.

Dayton was 14-5-2 in 2003 and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the third time in four years. UD won its Atlantic 10-record seventh regular season and fourth tournament titles and will return eight starters and 16 letterwinners to this year's team. The Flyers open the 2004 season with a home exhibition game against Ohio on August 20. Dayton opens its home schedule on August 27 at Florida. UD returns home to Baujan Field on September 19 to face Oakland.