Women's soccer opens 2022 season on Thursday

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women's soccer team is set to kick off the 2022-2023 season for the Chapman Athletics department. The Panthers' first match on Thursday, Sep. 1 will be the first official game of the new year.

Head coach Courtney Calderon welcomed an influx of new student-athlete, making up over half of the roster. Of the 27 active players to start the 2022 season, 13 freshmen fill up rosters spots alongside one transfer.

"We have a young, enthusiastic group that has picked up our systems of play and will make an immediate impact on our program," Calderon commented. "We look forward to watching this group grow throughout this season and the seasons to follow."

When the team takes the field on Thursday for its first official match, new Panthers will be expected to immediately contribute to the program looking to build off its 2021 SCIAC Tournament semifinal appearance – particularly up top.

Chapman returners accounted for just two goals and two assists in 2021, leaving plenty of room for a new generation of goal-scorers to step into the spotlight and keep the program in the top half of the SCIAC.

Lily Jose played in every match last season, scoring one goal and assisting on another from her position in the midfield. Ashley Wielenga also returns to the midfield after playing in every match and scoring her first career goal in 2021.

The Panthers do return plenty of experience on the back line and will be rejoined by senior Shannon Coyle, who missed most of 2021 with an injury. Emma Harper and Quinn Barrett return after playing in every match in 2021 in their first year on campus. As freshmen, the duo helped the Panthers to a 1.24 goals against average – allowing just 19 goals all last season.

Along with graduating the top goal scorers, the Panthers also graduated their starting goalkeeper. Junior Maia Mills saw her first collegiate action in the net against Whittier last season, holding the Poets scoreless for 23 minutes. Come Thursday, it will be Mills or freshman Maya Ford making their first collegiate start in goal.

The Panthers play five non-conference matches before jumping into the 12-match SCIAC schedule. Chapman opens the season with Gustavus Adolphus on Thursday before hosting preseason No. 13 Wisc.-La Crosse on Saturday. A home match against McMurry on September 6 wraps up a three-match homestand to start the year.

The non-conference segment finishes with a trip to Texas to take on Texas Lutheran and No. 16 Trinity before the start of the SCIAC season.

The SCIAC coaches picked Chapman to hold its third-place position in the standings following Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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