HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (August 17, 2007)—The Hampden-Sydney soccer Tigers kicked off the 2007 season today with their first team practice sessions. Head Coach Josh Laux's troops participated in an intra-squad scrimmage in the morning before training in the late afternoon. It was a first look at the young, but talented group that Laux believes is poised to make a serious run at the program's first Old Dominion Athletic Conference title.

The Tigers return two All-ODAC performers and eight potential starters to a team that posted an impressive 10-6-2 record a year ago after shooting out to the best start in program history by winning eight and tying one of its first 11 matches.

Hampden-Sydney will scrimmage at cross-town rival Longwood (Aug. 21) and at Mary Washington (Aug. 25) before opening the 2007 season with the Arby's/Hampden-Sydney Soccer Classic, Sept. 1-2. The Classic features Hampden-Sydney, ODAC counterpart and defending conference champion Lynchburg, and two teams from Pennsylvania -  Alvernia (out of Reading) and Ursinus (from Collegeville).

    -www.hsc.edu/athletics-