With practice just starting for girls soccer, many of the teams in the Metro are still trying to get a feel for what they will have this year.

Certainly, there is a lot of talent in the area and whoever puts it all together will be in a good position to get to state by the end of the season.

Linn-Mar may have the clearest picture of what they will be right now because they are returning 10 starters from last year's tournament qualifying team. The Lions will look to use their speed again this season to put pressure on teams and attack.

Jefferson will return every starter but one. They will be led by a strong defensive unit led by standout defender Maggie Bruckman. They believe that their hard work and experience playing together will give them a chance to have a successful year.

Five-time 1A defending state champion Xavier also returns the bulk of last year's team, including every defender from a team that gave up just eight goals in 22 games last season. The Saints feel like they should be able to challenge for a sixth straight state championship even though they have been bumped up to 2A as girls soccer expanded from two to three classes.

Washington, Prairie, Marion and Kennedy all got hit fairly hard by graduation and will have some questions to answer before the start of the season, but they are all optimistic.

The Cougars are going to have to rely on some young talent around a core of upperclassmen that have a wealth of state tournament experience after winning it in 2009 and returning to state last season.

Washington is still trying to gel as a team and get used to playing with one another. They will have a little bit of a different look this season with four defenders in the back.

Prairie will need to rebuild this year a little as well. But the Hawks think their work ethic will be enough to make them competitive in the tough Mississippi Valley Conference.

Marion lost a great leader in three-time all-state selection Courtney Rogers. But what they lose defensively, they're hopeful of compensating on offense. The offense will likely be led by senior Kristin Kramer, who is threatening the career goals record of 37 after just one year as an Indian.

You can find stories about each Metro girls soccer team on the Metro Sports Report team pages. Click on your favorite school at the top of the MSR home page, then click on your favorite team.