The Battlefield varsity girls soccer team may not score five or six goals a game in order to win much this year, but the Bobcats may not need to either.

Two goals on opening day March 15 by senior forward Dominique Evans with some help from her senior classmate Tara Rotante and two goals two days later days by senior Aly Shaughnessy propelled Battlefield to back-to-back victories to start the 2011 season. The team showed up defensively too as it gave up only one goal in a combined four periods of play.

In essence, this year's squad is a veteran-heavy bunch with eight seniors. Even the underclassmen have substantial experience. For example, sophomore goalie Taylor Kerxton started for Battlefield in front of the net throughout the 2010 campaign as a freshman, earning a spot on the all-Cedar Run District second team. Eight of her teammates also earned spots on either the first or second team, six of whom returned to the team this year.

According to head coach Kevin Hilton, he found himself figuring out formations last week and determining which players fit which positions while still concentrating on winning each game.

"I think we're still building our team chemistry," said Hilton. "I think I saw, just as far as on the field, I saw a lot of things improving from Tuesday to Thursday."

He specifically highlighted his team's abilities to maintain possession and "to work off the ball with our team shape defensively."

Hilton identified sophomore Alexa Wagoner and senior Lexie Jones as two key defenders who will be in charge of working the ball upfield along with two-time all-dstrict junior Sammie Trone. Lead midfielders Shaughnessy, Tessa Klumpp and Tara Rotante will then work with Evans as a lead goal scorer amidst a host of other offensive talent on the BHS attack.

The backfield also features two-time all-district junior Sammie Trone,

Battlefield entered the regular season last week after disruptive weather, including a tornado threat that never materialized, canceled any planned pre-season scrimmages. That put Battlefield under a trial-by-fire introduction last Tuesday against Mountain View.

The Bobcats managed to win 2-0 thanks in part to Hilton's "ninja" Kerxton, as he called her last season for her athletic abilities at goal, hauling in five saves while Evans did the offensive damage.

"We have no worries at all about playing the ball back to TK and then she can knock a 50 (yarder) to the midfielder on the other side of the field," said Hilton. "She can knock punts 65, 70 yards down the field... I believe that's a huge weapon and her shot-stopping ability is fantastic."

Perhaps the 2-1 win against Riverbend Thursday in Haymarket meant even more than the opening road win versus the Wildcats, however, given that the Bears knocked Battlefield out of the 2009 regional tournament in double overtime by a score of 4-3.

"They're one of the best programs in the area," said Hilton.

With that in mind, getting back to states is a big deal for the six seniors still a top priority for the remaining members of the 2008 team.

"We've got a lot of voices," said Hilton about his team leaders, which includes captains Shaughnessy and Tessa Klumpp."(Their) experience should pay some dividends."

The number of collegiate soccer commitments alone show the talent level of Battlefield's senior starters as five out of either of them have already agreed to keep up their athletic careers after high school, according to the Bobcats' team Web site.

Evans is set to attend Virginia Military Institute; Klumpp is on her way to Washington University (St. Louis); Shaughnessy has signed on with The College of William and Mary; Kelsey Trace is headed to Longwood University; and Lexie Jones is off to Bridgewater College.

What that also means is that there is finality for the Battlefield core that helped guide the team to the state finals as freshmen in 2008, a game lost in double overtime to champion Robinson 2-1.

Shaughnessy earned the team's lone assist in that game when she hooked up with Class of 2008 graduate Jessica Jewel. Since then, Battlefield's made two more trips to the regional only to come up short of another state berth each time.

This time around, Battlefield still has budding up-and-comers even among the eight seniors. Freshman Colleen Gawkins is "probably our fastest player on the team," said Hilton, noting her quickness comes in particularly well during one-on-one situations.

Yet it will be the upperclassmen that Hilton will be counting on to dethrone Loudoun Valley and subsequently march through the regional playoffs in order to return to the promised land.

"You can't put a price on experience," he said.