Our 2014 D2 Women’s Soccer Top 25 Season Preview highlights HeroSports’s top teams competing for the NCAA soccer championship. We have included information about last year’s performance and reasons why each team is ranked where they are heading into the season. Don’t see your team? View the complete rankings to see where every squad stands.
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Rollins Tars (16-4-0)
2013 Postseason: lost to West Florida 1-0 in the Third Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 2
View Rollins Team Page
Outlook: Consistency has been a hallmark of the Rollins program since they have made the NCAA Tournament every year since 2008. The 2013 season was not any different as the Tars made it back to Sweet 16 before falling to West Florida 1-0. Redshirt senior forward Brenna McKee returns in 2014 to lead a very dynamic offensive attack. McKee scored 13 times last season for Rollins. The Tars did a nice job defensively of limiting the amount of shots per match in 2013. However, they do need to reduce the quality of chances in 2014 in order to advance deeper in the NCAA Tournament.
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Cal State Stanislaus Warriors (18-1-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to Cal State San Bernardino 1-0 in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 4
View Cal State Stanislaus Team Page
Outlook: The 2013 postseason for Cal State Stanislaus proved why soccer can be such a cruel sport. The Warriors held Cal State San Bernardino to just three shots on goal in their second round matchup. But, they fell victim to a golden goal by the Roadrunners in the 97th minute that abruptly ended their great season. Senior Forward Katelyn Nebesnick is returns to lead a strong attack that scored 53 goals in 2013. The defense was excellent last season as well only allowing 12 goals. Cal State Stanislaus just needs to stay consistent and finish quality scoring chances in the postseason and they will be fine.
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Barry Buccaneers (12-4-3)
2013 Postseason: lost to Tampa 3-2 in penalty kicks in the First Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 16
View Barry Team Page
Outlook: A balanced and experience side returns in 2014 for Barry. The Buccaneers battled teams very tough all season long but just could not quite generate enough offense to get over the hump. Defense should be a strength in 2014 with the return of junior midfielder Tamara Vuckovich. Up front, the combination of senior forward Lauren Manna, and junior midfielder Lavinia Nkomo will be looking to build off of very good 2013 seasons as they scored 18 goals between them last season. Becca Rogers, the returning SSC Defensive Player of the Year returns to give the Bucs a seasoned leader at keeper.
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Tampa Spartans (15-4-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to Rollins 3-2 in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 9
View Tampa Team Page
Outlook: Tampa returns in 2014 looking to recover from a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to rival Rollins in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The Spartans finished third in a very difficult Sunshine State Conference last season. They were very good in all phases outscoring the opposition 57-17 and they will be returning a strong nucleus in 2014. Senior midfielder Lauren Moore, the 2012 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year returns from injury to bolster the attack. Junior forward CiCi Gonzalez and senior midfielder Gabby Russo also return up front as this duo scored 22 goals last season.
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Saint Rose Golden Knights (20-1-2)
2013 Postseaso: lost to American International 2-0
2013 Final HeroSports: 5
View College of Saint Rose Team Page
Outlook: This program has established themselves clearly among the elite in Division II Women’s College Soccer. The Golden Knights have won 20 or more matches in six consecutive seasons. The only blemish was a 2-0 loss to rival American International as the College of Saint Rose conceded two early goals and could not recover. Senior back Jourdan Thompson has the task of taking over the leadership for a departed senior class that went 87-6-6 over the past four season. That is not easy but Thompson is one of the best returning players in the nation this season.
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Florida Tech Panthers (12-6-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to West Florida 2-1 in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 11
Outlook: This will be a Florida Tech team on a mission as the 2013 season was a very invaluable learning experience for the Panthers. The loss to West Florida in the NCAA tournament should also be a confidence builder as they battled the Argonauts to the wire before falling short. The key in 2014 will be to generate more offense from more sources besides junior midfielder Aubri Williamson. Williamson, scored 14 of Florida Tech’s 30 goals last season. The Panthers need a second primary goal scorer to emerge from either senior midfielder Courtney Hueston or junior forward Ashley Vezina to boost the Florida Tech attack in 2014.
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American International Yellow Jackets (18-3-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to Grand Valley State 4-1 in the National Semifinals
2013 Final HeroSports: 7
View American International Team Page
Outlook: It was a historic 2013 season for American International with a school record 18 wins and the first ever trip to the Final Four. The Yellow Jackets put everything together after an early semifinal round exit in the Norheast-10 Conference Tournament. Senior forward Sonia Basma returns in 2014 to lead the way offensively in 2014. Basma, scored 19 goals, and was an NSCAA All-America First team player in 2013. Defensively, American International was elite in 2013 allowing just ten goals as a team. Senior goalkeeper Samantha Tabak will be entrusted with leading another dominant performance this season by the Yellow Jacket backline in order to get back to the Final Four.
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West Florida Argonauts (18-1-3)
2013 Postseason: lost to Grand Valley State 2-0 in the National Championship match
2013 Final HeroSports: 3
Outlook: It was a tremendous run for West Florida in 2013 as they gave Grand Valley State a great battle in the National Championship match. The Argos will have to do some reloading with the graduation of forward Chelsea Palmer. Palmer, was a 2013 NSCAA All-America first team for West Florida as she led the team in goals with 12 and assists with 16. The key to the reloading process is going to be finding a collective group of scorers to replace Palmer’s production. The faster this happens the faster West Florida will be back in the national title conversation.
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Sonoma State Seawolves (12-5-3)
2013 Postseason: lost to Seattle Pacific 1-0 in the First Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 15
Outlook: The inability to finish quality scoring chances quickly ended a tremendous season for the Seawolves in a first round upset loss to Seattle Pacific University in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Sonoma State will have to reload slightly in the attack with the loss of two of the top three goal scorers from last season. Senior midfielder Lauren Curtin will have be the top returning scorer from last season with seven goals. If Curtin can increased that to around a dozen that will be a big boost for Sonoma State. This team should be in the mix for the CCAA Conference championship this fall.
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Grand Valley State Lakers (24-0-1)
2013 Postseason: defeated West Florida 2-0 in the National Championship match
2013 Final HeroSports: 1
View Grand Valley State Team Page
Outlook: The 2013 season was very special for Grand Valley State as they cruised to their third national title in program history. They were lethal in all phases outscoring the opposition 88-4. This attack in 2014 might not score 88 goals but they will be tough to slow down. Senior forward Jenny Shaba is the leading returning scorer with 16 goals. The sophomore trio of forwards Erika Bradfield, Kendra Stauffer and midfielder Marti Corby all return as well in 2014. This will give opposing coaches plenty to think about when prepping for the Lakers this season.
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California (PA) Vulcans (18-3-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to Slippery Rock 3-0 in the Third Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 8
View California Team Page
Outlook: Glenn Francis takes over as the new head coach for the Vulcans in 2014 replacing Gene The ability to start fast was a big reason for California (PA) getting to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. They outscored their opponents 28-2 in the first half last season. Senior midfielder Hayley Henderson returns to lead a balanced attack that scored 64 times in 2013. Also, look for another year of a two goalkeeper rotation with the return of senior Ashley Magruda and sophomore Meghan Jayes as each split time in 2013.
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Western Washington Vikings (20-2-1)
2013 Postseason: lost to West Florida 2-1 in the National Semifinal
2013 Final HeroSports: 6
View Western Washington Team Page
Outlook: Resilience was the story of the 2013 season as Western Washington was a team that would be denied of its quest for history. The Vikings won 20 matches and made their way to the Final Four for this first time ever in school history. In 2014, Western Washington with a nice of returning talent and development of new leadership will have a strong chance to get back to the Final Four. Junior forward/midfielder Catherine Miles scored 15 goals in 2013 and should be an early top candidate for National Player of the Year honors this fall. The key is going to be solving the goalkeeper question with Alyssa Beauchamp graduating in order to solidify the defense this fall.
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Slippery Rock The Rock (15-3-2)
2013 Postseason: lost to American International 1-0 in the Quarterfinals
2013 Final HeroSports: 10
Outlook: Slippery Rock come into the 2014 season looking to take the next step and get to the Final Four. The Rock was outstanding defensively last season as they only allowed 12 goals. Two of the top returning sophomores in the country in Dara Demich and Andrea Felix return looking to build off outstanding freshman campaigns. Demich and Felix scored 21 of Slippery Rock’s 40 goals in 2013. The Rock should be in the mix again for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Armstrong Pirates (11-4-3)
2013 Postseason: None
2013 Final HeroSports: 14
View Armstrong Team Page
Outlook: It was a bit of a rebuilding season for the Pirates in 2013. Plenty of young players got to play and helped Armstrong still find a way to win 11 matches last season In order for the Pirates to get back to the NCAA Tournament they will need to boost their scoring. Armstrong only scored 34 goals all of last season. Junior forward Taylor Valley and Sophomore Sarah Olin will need to get their goal scoring up over ten each to take the pressure off of the defense. The Pirates will have a key non-conference matchup against Florida Tech on September 24.
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North Georgia Nighthawks (12-5-1)
2013 Postseason: None
2013 Final HeroSports: 17
Outlook: The Saints missed be NCAA tournament despite winning 12 matches. North Georgia scored 46 goals so the attack was fine. However, the defense struggled giving up 32 goals last season. This number should improve as a more experienced back line will be in place for 2014 starting with junior goalkeeper Mallory Sayre. The question to be answered up top in the attack is replacing the 18 goals by Kelly Penston who graduated. Junior forward Kassidy Freeman is the leading returning scorer with four goals in 2013.
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Lander Panthers (13-5-0)
2013 Postseason: None
2013 Final HeroSports: 18
View Lander Team Page
Outlook: Lander had a pretty solid season despite missing the NCAA tournament. They played excellent defense only allowing 16 goals. The thing that hurt them was the offense not being able to generate a high enough shots on goal percentage. The Panthers allowed their opponents to get 48.8 percent of shots taken to get on goal versus 44.0 percent by the Lander attack. Three of the top four scorers return this season led by senior forward Kimberly Kesler who scored eight goals last season.
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Columbus State Cougars (15-6-1)
2013 Postseason: lost to Wingate 5-3 in penalty kicks in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 19
Outlook: The heartbreak of the postseason penalty kick shootout cost the Cougars an upset bid of Wingate. They showed outstanding resilience by getting the equalizer to force the penalty kick shootout. Sophomore forward Nicole Corcione returns off of a terrific freshman season where she scored 11 goals. Junior defenders Shelby Rolling and Rebecca Calder are a year older and their experience should help shore up the defense to be more difficult to score on in 2014.
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Colorado Mines Orediggers (19-1-1)
2013 Postseason: lost to Metro State 3-1 in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 27
Outlook: The Orediggers saw their 34 match unbeaten streak come to unfortunate end as Metro State surprised them 3-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Colorado Mines rose as high as number two in the NSCAA polls during the regular season. The Orediggers need to replace the 14 goals of forward Anna Evans who graduated. Sophomore forward/midfielder Jaclyn Knott is the leading the candidate to replace the scoring lost from Evans. If the defense can cut opposing teams shots down from 17.3 down closer to 10 per game they will be in great shape for a deep postseason run.
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Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles (10-6-3)
2013 Postseason: None
2013 Final HeroSports: 27
View Cal State Los Angeles Team Page
Outlook: It’s not always about how you start a season but its how you finish is what truly matters. The Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles were the epitome of this in 2013. After starting 0-3-1 in conference play, Cal State Los Angeles scratched and clawed their way to an 8-5-3 conference record. This strong finish has set the tone for 2014. The offense will need to be stronger as 26 goals is not enough for an entire season. The encouraging thing is almost all of the scoring returns from 2013 led by senior forward Amalia Arvidsson who scored ten times last season.
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Wingate Bulldogs (16-4-3)
2013 Postseason: lost to West Florida 3-2 in the Quarterfinals
2013 Final HeroSports: 12
View Wingate Team Page
Outlook: It was a groundbreaking season for Wingate women’s soccer in 2013. The Bulldogs won 16 matches and advanced all the way to the Elite Eight. Wingate was about as balanced a team as there was in Division II Women’s soccer in 2013. They limited chances defensively very well and did a nice job of possessing the ball in the attack. Senior forward Jade Montgomery should lead the way for the Bulldogs again in 2014. Montgomery, scored 17 goals and dished out 11 assists in 2013. Sophomore forward Brooke Howell will looking to build on her eight goal performance as a freshman this fall as well.
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UC San Diego Tritons (7-6-5)
2013 Postseason: None
2013 Final HeroSports: 29
Outlook: It was an uncharacteristically difficult season in 2013 for the Tritons. They missed the CCAA Championship tournament for the first time since 2000. UC San Diego struggled offensively as they were dead even in goal differential. They started slow in opening halves as they were outscored 10-6 in the first half last season. Senior forward Cassie Callahan is the leading returning goal scorer with six. Callahan, is going to need more help from the likes of sophomore forward Jamie Benedetto and sophomore midfielder Kiera Bocchino this fall.
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Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes (12-7-4)
2013 Postseason: lost to Western Washington 1-0 in the Third Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 31
View Cal State San Bernardino Team Page
Outlook: Despite their season ending on a questionable goal in the NCAA tournament at Western Washington. The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes had a historic season by advancing to the first West Regional final in program history. Offensively, the inability to create enough shots and goal a possessing of the ball kept Cal State San Bernardino from going deeper in the postseason. They allowed their opponents too many extra shot opportunities as well last season. Sophomore forward Kiana Quarles is back to lead the offensive attack for the Coyotes. Quarles, was very efficient in 2013 as she scored seven goals out of 19 shots on goal.
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Adelphi Panthers (14-3-4)
2013 Postseason: lost to the College of Saint Rose 2-0 in the Second Round
2013 Final HeroSports: 25
View Adelphi Team Page
Outlook: The growth of the Panther program continued in 2013 as they returned to the NCAA tournament for this first time since 2007. Also, the win over Mercy College in the first round was the first tournament win since 2004. Thus, expectations have been raised for this Adelphi to start a streak of trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers did a nice job defensively in 2013 in limiting the opposition to 16 goals. Offensively, Adelphi was sound with the potential to be even better in 2014. Junior forward Olivia Czavar will be the leading the way for the Panthers offensively this fall.
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Seattle Pacific University Falcons (15-6-1)
2013 Postseason: lost
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