With a major milestone behind them, the Xavier girls soccer team began a fresh era Tuesday under a new coach but lots of veteran players.

First-year coach Bailey Dorrington, 24, is hardly a stranger to the program since she was an assistant last year and a four-year starter for the Saints before graduating in 2007.

In her freshman year, Xavier won its first state championship. Following a runner-up finish in 2005, it reeled off seven straight titles over the next seven years.

The 2A championship last spring marked the most consecutive state championships by one school in any girls sport.

And after compiling an 18-2 record mark, the Saints open the season ranked No. 1 in Class 2A in the poll released on Monday.

“I played on the team when Xavier started its soccer dynasty,” Dorrington said Tuesday afternoon before fielding her first ream at the 12-school soccer jamboree at Kingston Stadium.  “I was on three championship teams, and I was here last year when we set the record.

"So I’m pretty familiar with the high expectations for the soccer program.”

Still, she says she feels no undue pressure to keep the streak going.

“The girls last year felt a lot of pressure, and in a lot of ways it wasn’t fun for them,” said Dorrington, a 2011 Drake University graduate a four-year letter winner in soccer.  “We got the record, and now it’s done. This year I want them to have fun, particularly the seniors who have meant so much to our success.”

Just two weeks after practice started (including a week of spring break), the Saints lineup has not yet been set.

But’s likely that seven seniors will start, the coach said Tuesday before seeing the squad take a 2-0 scrimmage victory over Iowa City Regina.

Leading the way is all-stater Kayla Armstong, fresh off being named captain of the all-tournament team after the Xavier girls won this year’s state Class 4A basketball title. (She also was captain of the state all-tournament soccer team last year.)

“We lost three starters from last year,” Armstong said. “But I think we have girls that can step right in and fill the holes.

“It’ll be hard to sustain the success we’ve had. But I know we have the capability. We have really great team chemistry.”

Returning besides Armstrong are four-year starters Lizzy McWhinney, Lucy Martin and Sammi Shepard.  In addition, Dorrington is counting on three precocious freshman as probable starters.

The first goal Tuesday against Regina came when frosh Brylee Bastain scored on a pass from another frosh, Grace McDermott.

“We have nine seniors on the team,” Dorrington said. “So we have to look to the future. But I like this team’s effort and energy.

“We have great senior leadership, and they’re all very coachable.”