Kelsey Kearney, the SoCon Tournament MVP, snags a ball at practice.

Ninety minutes you're standing in the box. Your job: let no balls in the net. Easy, right? Certainly not at the Div. 1 level.

“A whole different level,” says goalkeeper Kelsey Kearney, a junior, who still vividly remembers that first practice at UNCG.

She discovered there's less time to react than in high school. The forwards are bigger and taller and can punch it from all kinds of angles.

“They can shoot from everywhere! Thirty-five feet out. They can really crack it.”

And it involves what she calls “physicality,” especially on corner kicks where you might have to snag it as players are trying to head it in. It's not a job for the weak at heart — or body.

So how does she know when to hang back or when to go out and get the ball?

“Repetitions. Practice. It's situational.” You learn what works for you. In games, you really don't have time to think.

“You make a decision, you go with it. You can't second-guess yourself.”

And when you do stop the ball, you must control it cleanly. “Having good hands is part of being goalkeeper.”

Kearney is currently the school's career leader in goals against average. And on Oct. 15, she set a new school record for career shut outs, with 26. The record had been held by Jennifer Stillman, who played in 2002-05.

As a freshman, Kearney was first team All-SoCon. Last year she was second-team All-SoCon. She was also Academic All-SoCon.

The team's highest national ranking this year was No. 10.

One of her most memorable wins was last year, when the team blanked No. 11 Duke 1-0. She had a season-high nine saves. “We did all within our power to keep the ball out of the net.”

She credits her fellow defenders. She explains that when she came in as a freshman, senior Jamie Corti set the tone. “No goals” was the mantra.

That's her focus. Even when players are coming toward you from all sides, you can't get distracted. “I have to take care of the ball first.”

Or as she explains with a smile, “If the ball's coming straight at you, it's a lot easier to stay focused than you'd think.”

Kyle Randall at the Coliseum

Kyle Randall looks a little different this fall. The 5'11'' sophomore point guard's carrying 15 more pounds of muscle. Coach Mike Dement says Randall showed more maturity in fall workouts. And Randall says he needs to step it up in two areas: being a more vocal leader and improving his three-point shooting.

“They'll back off unless you can down the threes,” Randall says.

And you don't want defenders to back off. You want them to come out, opening up the passing lanes and paint.

Randall mentions two big men he looks forward to dishing it to inside.

There's Aloysius Henry, a junior college transfer who's 6'10''. “A BIG body. A lot of good skills inside, left and right. Nice dunk. He'll take the pressure off me.”

And Trevis Simpson, a 6'5'' guard. “Very athletic,” Randall says. Simpson has a 42-inch leap. Plus they've become very good friends. “We talk about life.”

Randall is “very bright,” says Dement. “He runs the team well.” As a freshman last year, he was the team's second leading scorer.

Dement says Randall's recruiting class was the first knowing they'd be playing high-profile competition in the Coliseum. That fact resulted in a strong class (they're now sophomores). The new class is at least as strong. Those two classes will combine with the sole senior, Brandon Evans, to be the team's core. It will be a young group of players this year.

When Evans graduates, they'll have one scholarship to offer. And the TV exposure, the big games in the Coliseum means “we're getting looks from higher level recruits.” The program is targeting higher each year.

Randall believes the team will be more athletic and exciting for the fans this season with the new class of players. He mentions the dunking skills of Simpson and David Williams.

And he's very aware of the types of teams they'll be playing. And the lead guards he'll be facing.

Dement says that after games last year, he'd ask Randall what he learned from playing against that team's great guard. “It had to escalate his learning curve,” Dement says.

Point guards vary in size. But Randall says it's all about “heart and mindset.”

This year, he'll face Duke's Nolan Smith, “one of the best point guards in the nation.”

The Spartans take on seven ACC teams, four of them at home. Plus they face VCU and Richmond, which are top 30 teams. “A very, very challenging schedule,” Dement says.

Taking on the best, in a historic arena. With students right behind the bench this year, cheering you on. Randall says he just loves to play.

“It's college basketball. It's what we came to do.”

Enjoy games on Spartan All Access, the videostreaming channel of UNCGSpartans.com, for free this year on your computer, iPhone or iPod Touch.

Spartan teams pitched in at move-in.

That 6'8'' guy helping lug boxes and furnishings into residence halls on move-in day? Yep, basketball forward Brian Cole, one of the many student athletes helping move in students in August.

“We've focused our effort on connecting with students,” says Kim Record, director of athletics.

Throughout the summer, coaches were involved in Spartan Orientation. The players and coaches helped on move-in days. Coaches helped with House Calls, personally welcoming first-year students to campus. “Our teams have been very visible,” Record says.

This past year, the teams' volunteering — which they've always done — is a little more noticeable. And all on-campus sporting events (aside from basketball) are free. Attendance at the season's early men's and women's soccer games was up. The men's exhibition against the Tar Heels drew the fifth largest crowd ever to see a UNCG game on campus.

To cap off the campus' Welcome Week, the university shuttled all first-year students to the Greensboro Coliseum, for games, free T-shirts for everyone, food, music — even a tricycle race between Chancellor Brady and Coach Dement. (Brady won handily.) They called it Sunday Funday.

“Athletics is one way to bring people together,” Record said. “It's a great rallying point.”

Part of that rallying point is this year's high-profile men's basketball games in the Greensboro Coliseum. Record noted the season ticket renewal rate by the end of summer was very strong. Seven of the season's games will be televised. Potential recruits — and their high school friends — notice who's on TV.

“Your UNCG brand is out there.”

“And now, welcome your Spartans to the floor!”

Public address announcer Gary Ross, who's called UNCG games for 10 years, has used that line at hundreds of basketball games.

His work in the radio business led to PA work. He was the announcer for the Phoenix Suns in the '90s.

His most memorable Spartan moment? Doing the introductions for the UNCG-Duke game, New Year's Eve, 2005. “The place had 23,000 people. Normally you low-key it [with intros for opposing team]. Since it was Duke, it was all out.”

With such a loud crowd, it made little difference. “No one heard the introductions.”

What does he expect, on Dec. 29, when UNCG hosts Duke? “I anticipate something of a repeat. It will be pandemonium. It'll be packed.”

For the team, that's great. “It's exciting, for the players, to play the best.”

But it's not so great for the PA announcer. “I won't be able to be heard.”