The Georgia soccer team opened preseason camp with three practices Thursday at the fields adjacent to the Turner Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs will hold three additional three-a-day practices over the next four days as the 2009 season approaches.

“It was a good starting point,” head coach Patrick Baker said. “We did some physical and agility testing early on, and traditionally we’ve done a fitness standard so we could ease into the first session.”

After the 7 a.m. session, the Bulldogs held another workout at 9:30 with a major emphasis on possession and speed of play.

“The group that trained this morning did a very nice job,” Baker said. “We were able to get through four pretty good segments.”

Following lunch and an afternoon break, the Bulldogs began the final session of the day at 5:00, and held a balance intrasquad game with two 30-minute periods at the UGA Soccer Stadium.

“Although it’s early, you can see there are some good things happening,” Baker said. “Every coach wants to be more consistent, but there were bits and pieces to look at and be satisfied with.”

“It went really well today,” senior goalkeeper Michelle Betos said. “Everyone came in well-prepared, and that became quickly obvious. We looked like more of a team today than we have in other preseasons. That is really promising.”

Betos is one of eight Bulldogs seniors who will be providing leadership for a squad that includes five true freshmen.

“For the first time our freshman class is really small so we didn’t start like we normally do,” Baker said. “We went through some general topics, tried to paint the picture and move on. I thought the young players did a good job of adjusting to that today.”

The Bulldogs experienced a setback as sophomore midfielder Caroline Burlingame suffered a season-ending knee injury. The New Orleans, La., native will undergo surgery and likely seek a medical redshirt.

“We took a big loss today with a season-ending injury to Caroline,” Baker said. “You feel for her in so many ways. One of the most gratifying things last year was to see her crack the starting lineup and make such an impact on our team. She was a big part of why we had the run at the end of the season. She was in a really good spot mentally and physically entering the preseason. It’s heartbreaking and we’ll be anxious to get her back.”

Georgia returns to practice Friday before an off day on Saturday. The Bulldogs open the season on Aug. 21 against Kennesaw State at the UGA Soccer Stadium.

- Georgia Sports Communications