2022 Women’s Soccer Season Preview
WEST POINT, Ga. (Aug. 22, 2022) – The Point University women's soccer team returns to the pitch on Tuesday as they travel to face Faulkner University.
Head coach Randy Douglas enters his 22nd season at the program's helm and shared that his returners mixed with the newcomers will be exciting to watch.
"It will take some time to mesh," Douglas expressed. "But the ingredients are there for a really good season."
The team enters this year intending to finish in the top four of the Appalachian Athletic Conference standings. In the AAC preseason poll, the Skyhawks were picked to finish fifth behind Reinhardt at No. 1, Truett McConnell at No. 2, and Montreat and Tennessee Wesleyan tied at No. 3. Last season, the Skyhawks defeated Montreat 1-0 and tied with Tennessee Wesleyan during the regular season but defeated the Bulldogs 2-1 in the AAC tournament.
Women's soccer finished the 2021 season 11-8-1 (10-3-1 AAC), and their victory over Tennessee Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round of the AAC tournament was the Skyhawks' first trip to the semifinal round since 2014. In October, Point finished 8-2.
Point graduated seven seniors last season, including 2021 All-Conference first team member Carmen Kager. Seniors Kelly Carlisle, Keiry Bonilla, Jasmine Mathis, and Erica Burkhardt are amongst the strong returners for the Skyhawks. Carlisle, Mathis, and Burkhardt were named to the All-AAC second team in 2021. Carlisle is a two-time All-AAC second-team honoree.
Nathaly Villalobos joins Douglas' coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Villalobos graduated in 2021 and was a member of the women's soccer program for six years. With Villalobos joining the staff as a graduate assistant, former graduate assistant Jasmine Marquez enters this season as the program's assistant coach.
Among the newcomers that Point has brought in this year that Douglas expects to make an immediate impact are Lorelei Lewis, Chiara Cavicchiolo, Brooke Wiseley, Hannah Delp, Keely McGuffin, Chiara Zaccagnino, and Isabel Sanchez.
This will be the Skyhawks' 11th season competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. This season's schedule features 14 conference matchups, with Point's AAC opener on Sept. 10 at home against St. Andrews. Following Point's conference opener, the Skyhawks will compete against four of the top six teams in the league to close out the month of Sept. The Skyhawks will host Truett McConnell, preseason ranked No. 19 in the nation, on Sept. 14. The Skyhawks will host conference rival Tennessee Wesleyan on Sept. 21 and reigning AAC Champions Reinhardt on Sept. 28.
Point will host three games inside River Bowl Stadium in October, starting with Bryan on Oct. 1, Johnson on Oct. 8, and Kentucky Christian on Oct. 22. Point's matchup against Johnson will be the Skyhawks' senior day, and Oct. 22 will be Homecoming.