SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – What a way to start the 2022 #SummitWSOC season as all ten teams will kick things off this week, including nine on the opening day of the season. Omaha and South Dakota State will open their seasons against Power 5 foes.
The Mavericks play host Oklahoma State, while South Dakota State hits the road in The Grand Canyon State and will face Arizona State, followed by Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona.
There are plenty of top tier returners in #SummitWSOC, and it's going to be an exciting season.
TEAM TRACKER
PIONEERS (13-6-2; 8-0-1 1st SL) | @DU_WSoccer
Next Up: vs. San Diego (8/18; 7 p.m. MT)
Previous Matches: N/A
Denver midfielder Sami Feller, forward Camryn MacMillan defender Devan McSwain and goalkeeper Nerea Arrazola will all return for a fifth season this fall ... That quartet has combined for 233 appearances, including 187 starts for the Pioneers ... MacMillan returns after missing all of 2021, while Feller leads the foursome with 77 appearances and 72 starts, posting 82 career points ... Last week, Feller was one of 38 NCAA Division I female student-athletes to be named a United Soccer Coaches' Player to Watch for midfielders.
ROOS (6-13; 4-5 6th SL) | @KCRoosWSoccer
Next Up: vs. Drake (8/18; 6 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
Emma Wilson, an All-Summit League second team recipient last season, returns as one of the team's most potent offensive players ... The fifth-year senior finished with 31 shot attempts, second most on the team, and started each of the 18 games she appeared in ... Sophomore forward Emma Byrne was named to the All-Newcomer team last season after starting all 19 games for the Roos ... Mackenzie Caldwell was fourth in the league last season with a .772 save percentage and registered the most saves in the league with 98.
FIGHTING HAWKS (3-13-1; 1-8 10th SL) | @UNDSoccer
Next Up: vs. Southern Indiana (8/18; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
North Dakota senior Bailey McNitt was the Fighting Hawks' top offensive threat a season ago, leading the team in points (10), shots (35), shots on goal (16) and assists (4) ... She compiled 25 shots in league play and scored three of her goals against league foes ... The Fighting Hawks will see plenty of new faces, as they welcome eight freshmen to the team ... UND also welcomes back 10 upper classmen, including one graduate student and six seniors that will look to improve upon a 1-8 finish in league play in 2021.
BISON (3-12-1; 3-6 8th SL) | @NDSUSoccer
Next Up: at Tarleton State (8/19; 7:30 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
Olivia Lovick, one of two Bison as a player to watch, recorded two goals last season, both against Oral Roberts in a 3-2 triumph ... She played in all 16 games with 14 starts, while Olivia Watson is the other NDSU standout to record two goals last season ... After missing last season, junior forward Paige Goalkey scored a hat trick in the Bison's lone exhibition contest against Viterbo, while Josie Fieldman picked up a pair of goals in the 7-0 victory ... Another key piece to the Bison's season will be Lavin Douglass, who's appeared in 49 games in her three seasons, including 15 last season. The Hopkins, Minn., native logged 703 minutes on the pitch and recorded one goal on 11 shots.
MAVERICKS (9-8-2; 6-3 3rd SL) | @OmahaWSOC
Next Up: vs. Oklahoma State at Omaha (8/18; 7 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
Omaha's nine wins last season were a Division I single-season record and the most in a single season under head coach Tim Walters ... Junior forward Sophia Green led Omaha with six goals, while Grace Ostergaard was tabbed an All-Summit League second team recipient after she posted a goal and three assists ... Cece Behrens earned All-Newcomer honors last season with three goals over 17 starts ... Mia Reedtz, the 2020 Goalkeeper of the Year, posted five shutouts finishing with a 4-4-2 record with a .816 save percentage.
GOLDEN EAGLES (6-10-2; 3-5-1 6th SL) | @ORUWSoccer
Next Up: vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (8/18; 7 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
The Golden Eagles will be led by first-year head coach Austin Risenhoover, who quickly added 11 newcomers to the 2022 squad ... Four of those newcomers are transfers and join a roster with eight seniors, including Samantha See, who is the top returning goal scorer ... See posted five goals with five assists last season and played 1,008 minutes on the pitch ... Another Golden Eagle to look out for is senior Mia Kitterman, who saw action in 17 games and scored two goals in 2021.
TOMMIES (4-12-1; 2-7 9th SL) | @UST_WomenSoccer
Next Up: vs. Green Bay (8/18; 4 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
Despite finishing ninth in the league standings last season, the Tommies kept their games quite close ... In total, they had eight one-goal defeats, including three in overtime ... Abby Bratner was the lone Tommie to be named to the all-league team and earned All-Newcomer honors after scoring three goals and adding two assists a year ago ... Goalkeeper Olivia Graupman played every minute for St. Thomas last season and was in the top-five in the league in goals against average (1.421), saves (85) and save percentage (5.00).
COYOTES (10-4-4; 5-3-1 4th SL) | @SDCoyotesSoccer
Next Up: vs. Loyola Chicago (8/18; 6 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
USD finished the 2021 season with a 10-4-4 record, which was the most wins in its Division I era ... The Coyotes compiled an 8-1 record at home including their first win over a Power 5 team in program history when they defeated Iowa State 1-0 ... South Dakota will look for its third straight Summit League tournament appearance and are led offensively by Jordan Centineo, who had seven goals and 16 points last season, while Taylor Ravelo returns after receiving All-Summit League second team honors.
JACKRABBITS (17-4-1; 6-2-1 2nd SL) | @GoJacksSoccer
Next Up: at Arizona State (8/18; 7 p.m. MST)
Previous Matches: N/A
SDSU will look to make its 10th consecutive Summit League Championship appearance after winning two of the past three league tournament titles ... Senior Maya Hansen ranks third in the SDSU archives in career points (69) and goals (28) ... Avery Murdzek, who was named last season's Newcomer of the Year, recorded a freshman program record seven assists ... Senior Rachel Preston, who was the 2022 #SummitWSOC Championship MVP, anchors a defense that posted nine shutouts in 2021.
LEATHERNECKS (11-6-1; 5-4 - 5th SL) | @WIUWomensSoccer
Next Up: at Eastern Michigan (8/18; 4 p.m. CT)
Previous Matches: N/A
After being projected to finish last in the preseason poll, the Leathernecks surprised many, compiling a 5-4 mark in league play to finish fifth overall, which was the program's highest finish since 2014 ... Graduate student Amy Andrews has one final season to play in purple and gold after a 2021 campaign that saw her earn All-Summit League second team honors and became the program's all-time leading goal scorer with 26 after netting a dozen in 16 matches
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