The women's lacrosse team has every reason to get nervous. Their season opens in just two days, and the top three scorers from last season -- Donna Bucci, Ann Kolongowski and Lori Fitzgerald -- are gone.

The trio accounted for more than 90 percent of the Lady Lions' scoring.

"It's scary because you knew one of them would do it," Coach Julie Williams said. "Right now, the talent is so even across the board, I don't know who's going to do it."

Coming off an 11-4 record and a first-round departure from the NCAA tournament last year, the Lady Lions have youth on their side. As for who will fill the top scoring slots, Williams said it was up for grabs.

"It's somebody different every night when we scrimmage," she said. "The potential is there -- they're hungry for the goal, they just haven't developed the expertise in knowing when to go and when not to go."

The team begins its season this weekend at the William and Mary Tournament in Virginia. Williams said at this point the team is still learning, still questioning how far it has to go before being competitive with the top teams. Everyone knows the potential is there.

"Much more so than any other year, I've relaxed a little bit on my expectations for this weekend," she said. "The excited youth is on our side, but we don't have anybody who's real seasoned. Jill Pearsall is probably our most experienced player."

Pearsall, the only returning All-American and team co-captain, said despite being a young team, all of the players have experience. And there isn't one big gun player to look to.

"We have a fast team," the defender said. "I'm curious to see how it will turn out."

And losing last season's top scorers is already a memory.

"It was scary at first, but we've really been working on our offense," Pearsall said. "We're still getting used to playing with different people."

While the offense will be young, the Lady Lions lost only one defender from last year. It is here where the team should excel. Pearsall is joined by senior goalkeeper Patty Kloidt as co-captain.

"Patty's great," Williams said. "Her goalkeeping skills have improved steadily -- she's got a decent saves percentage. She's probably best on the accuracy and quickness of her clears."

Senior attacker Kara Stockett has also stepped up as a leader, with junior Suzanne Weinberg as someone to look to on attack, Williams said. She also cited midfielder Joanne Connelly as a defensive power, surprising for a sophomore.

"(She) has really done a good job at maturing over the last year, it's unbelievable," Williams said. "She was playing like a senior this fall."