Despite just four starters returning, a wealth of experienced players yields optimism for the Central College women’s soccer team in 2019. It may seem like a rebuilding year for the Dutch coming off a 10-7-1 (4-4-0 American Rivers Conference) season. They lost seven starters. Looking deeper, six non-starters played in at least 15 games last year and 10 players logged at least 450 minutes on the field. Injuries all over the lineup forced coach Mike Kobylinski to use a rotation of up to 24 players regularly. Central has 20 returning letterwinners, including seven seniors. A loaded non-conference slate includes three trips to Wisconsin, two to Illinois and five home dates. In the conference, Loras College remains the favorite with Wartburg College projected as the runner-up in a preseason coaches poll. That same poll listed Central at No. 6 in the nine-team league.