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Aside from some bumps and bruises in the early going and a nightmarish, pre-holiday trip to the New Jersey shore, the University of Mary Washington women's basketball team seems primed and ready for another shot at an NCAA championship.

"There's always going to be pressure, especially since people know what we are capable of doing," sophomore Ashton Mitchell reasoned on the eve of the Eagles' home opener against Shenandoah University. "I think that is going to make us work harder to get where we can go."

Last year's squad achieved several milestones, advancing to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 for the first time and compiling a school-record 25-game winning streak along the way.

With nine of last year's top 10 players back (only starter Jenn Olinger graduated) and bolstered by the arrival of four talented newcomers, the Eagles are anxious to prove 2005-06 was no fluke. They intend to capture the Capital Athletic Conference championship that eluded their grasp last February.

Losing to Messiah College the second game of the season may have served as a wake-up call to the Eagles, but more irksome for the team was last week's away game at Richard Stockton College (located near Atlantic City, N.J.).

Due to heavy traffic, the bus trip lasted eight hours and the Eagles were greeted by boos from the home crowd (possibly due to the 90-minute delay). UMW didn't get back to Fredericksburg until 4:30 the next morning.

Coach Deena Applebury is not going to dismiss what the team accomplished last season, but she does not plan to dwell on the issue, either. She feels the club has to establish its own identity.

"Last year is over; this year is a new year. Everybody has to adjust to new roles and try to fit in and go with what we have with the current team," the fourth-year coach said. "In terms of goals, I want this team to come out and play competitive night in, night out.

"It's not who we go against. I want us to get out there and play up to our ability," she said. "Our schedule is a little tougher this year, hopefully to prepare us for the future and the NCAA tournament."