BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — LIU Athletics is officially underway for the fall semester!

The LIU women's soccer team practiced on Tuesday morning at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium, becoming the first fall squad to begin its official regular-season workouts.

The Sharks opened the workout with conditioning drills, and completed their two-hour practice with a series of seven-on-seven intrasquad matchups.

The women's soccer team begins regular-season competition at Saint Peter's in Jersey City, N.J., on Aug. 17 at 3 p.m.

LIU earned a Northeast Conference playoff berth a year ago, in Lucy Gillett's first season as head coach.

Gillett has infused a solid core with significant talent from a new class of student-athletes that includes 11 freshmen and six transfers.

The freshman arrivals include internationals Noa Bartels van Bosbeek (Spain), Matilda Boyle (Australia) and Betty Hall (England), Long Islanders Emma Hood (Bay Shore), Lola Gitlin (Port Washington), Stephanie Schubert (Smithtown) and Thalia Valdez (Wantagh), Kaleigh West from upstate Niskayuna, Connecticut natives Paige Letourneau and Casey Beauregard, and Allison Bennett from Seattle.

The transfers:  Morgan Gopaul (Hofstra), Keely Thomas (Longwood), Jane Bossler (USC Upstate), Grace Hennig (Marist), Briana Sayoc (Western Kentucky) and Casey Nickerson (Susquehanna).

Thalia Valdez's arrival as a freshman from Wantagh High School is a reunion with older sister Matiana Valdez, a redshirt sophomore defender who led the Sharks in minutes last season.

"It was great to see the squad all together, with the newcomers," Gillett said. "There was some really good competition on Day 1."

Next up among the returning teams: The football team stages its first regular-season practice on Wednesday afternoon.