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SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's soccer opened practice for the 2016 season this week. After almost nine months the Broncos get to be back on the field with their teammates and coaches.

With this being his 30th season at the helm of the Broncos, head coach Jerry Smith is still excited for the challenges of a new season.

"This is the most exciting time of the year for us," Smith said. "There's renewed energy and optimism for every team in the country. We have a great group of returners, some great newcomers, and some great leaders. Every year we try to figure out the puzzle that is getting our team to be as good as possible and that is always exciting."

Not only is Smith thrilled to see his players on the field again, he is just as ready to be back on the field with his staff.

"I love being with our staff," Smith said. "Every day that we walk onto the practice field is like heaven for us. There is no better feeling than walking out to practice. We haven't been able to do that for a while so it feels really good to be out there again."

The feeling extends to the players as well. Despite being around each other all year and even in the summer, nothing can compare to rush of competition and the possibilities a new season brings.

"We're all really focused and really determined to get further than we got last year," said team captain Kelly Peay. "We lost some leadership with our seniors so we need to step up but we've been working on our communication. A lot of us have been here all summer but we're so happy to back out with the coaches. This is the first time we've had a scrimmage in my time here. It's going to be a good test for us to see how far we've come over summer."

Fans can come out to Stevens Stadium on Thurs., Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. as Santa Clara takes on Seattle in an exhibition game.

The regular season kicks off Aug. 19 at 7:30 at home vs. No. 11 USC.

Tickets: Click here to purchase tickets. For groups interested in a discounted rate or for information, call (408) 554-4660 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. or email BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Gates to Stevens Stadium open two hours prior to kickoff. The ticket office is also open one hour prior to the start of the game.

Parking: Leavey Center parking lot is free beginning one hour prior to kickoff. Click here for a campus map.