BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Lucy Gillett's tenure as LIU women's soccer coach is off to a flying start.

Gillett oversaw the Sharks' first practice of the regular season on Tuesday morning inside Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.
 
The team displayed its fitness with a series of 200-yard runs and completed the 90-minute session with an intrasquad game on a short field.

"It's exciting to be able to put my own plans into place with the team," said Gillett, who ascended to the head coaching role in April. "I'm excited to start fresh with all of them."

The team has three scheduled exhibition games before its Aug. 18 opener at NJIT. The first of those friendlies comes Saturday when the Sharks travel to Marist.

"The exhibition games will be a time for me to see how the team comes back — their fitness, their touches and all of the basics," Gillett said. "We'll be able to evaluate where we are as a team before our first official game."

The Sharks are composed of a large percentage of returnees, but the three newcomers all are expected to be impact players: Hofstra transfer Caroline Nuttall and freshmen Izzy Stein and Rielly Chesna.

"They should all help us hit the ground running and really lift the team," Gillett said.