MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton State University women's soccer team opens its 2023 season on Thursday afternoon at Laker Field against Valdosta State. The Lakers are trying to improve upon a 3-11-2 record last season.
VALDOSTA STATE PROFILE
- Conference: Gulf South Conference (GSC)
- 2022 season record: 4-11-1
- Head Coach: Stephen Andrew (16th season) (190-95-16)
- Leading returning scorer from 2022: Molly Wooldridge (5)
- Leading returning assist leader from 2022: Taylor Morris (4)
- Leading returning saves leader from 2022: Emma Pruett (35)
THE SCHEDULE
The 2023 schedule features seven home matches and nine matches on the road. The Lakers hit the road for five of their first seven games including trips to Columbus State, Saint Leo, Rollins, USC Beaufort, and West Alabama. Clayton State then opens their home Peach Belt Conference (PBC) schedule against USC Aiken on Saturday, September 23
rd at 1 p.m. After hosting UNG on Saturday, September 30
th, Coach Henderson's squad travels to Georgia College & State and Flagler on October 4
th and 7
th respectively. The Lakers then finish its schedule with three of the final five matches at home including hosting Albany State, Auburn-Montgomery, and Lander.
The PBC coaches picked the Lakers to finish in sixth place this season after an eighth-place finish last season. Clayton State will face three schools that reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
LAKER IMPACT PERFORMERS
The Lakers are led by PBC preseason All-Conference selection
Amiah Sprunger-Hightower. The Laker sophomore led the team with seven goals, 38 shots, and 15 shots on frame. Last season, Sprunger-Hightower scored four of the 11 goals against Albany State. In fact, those 11 goals represents a school record for the most goals scored and it is the most goals scored in a single game since 2003.
Also returning for the Lakers is
Nyeemah Lucky and
Julia Hasenecz. Lucky scored three goals in 15 matches last season. Lucky also added 13 shots and six points. Hasenecz, a junior from New Hampshire, had a stellar season in 2022. She knocked in a goal and added a pair of assists. Julia was one of six Lakers, which includes
Caitlyn Mosley and
Daniela Gularte, that played in all 16 matches.
Coach Henderson returns all three goalkeepers from last season. Leading the trio of keepers is
Trinity Chastain. Chastain led all Laker keepers with 75 saves in 11 matches. Chastain allowed 14 goals and amassed a save percentage of 84%.
Lisa Kelm then follows up Chastain with 30 saves in six matches.
Aubrey Harrison played in net for three matches and made nine saves.
Coach Henderson also added nine newcomers to the team for the 2023 season. Those nine newcomers are looking to make an immediate impact on the team this season. One newcomer that stands out is
Serwaah Danso. Danso, a freshman from Berlin, Germany, scored a goal in the exhibition against Georgia State. Another newcomer that stands out is
Carrie Consolino. Consolino, a transfer from Reinhardt, scored 30 goals, added 10 assists, and racked up 70 points in her only season. For her efforts, Carrie was named an NAIA All-Amercia Honorable Mention selection. To close out the impactful newcomers,
Lydia Madrid, who was on the team that won the NJCCA National Championship in 2021 and
Madison Nicolas, who was the runner-up in the 2022 NCCAA Division I National Championship, also are ready to make an immediate impact.
THE COACHING STAFF
Head coach
Ross Henderson returns for this second full season as head coach for the Lakers. He took over during the 2021 season in the middle of the season after being an assistant coach from 2018-2021. Assistant coach Isa Massa is going into her second season on Henderson's staff. Prior to being an assistant coach, Massa played in 45 career matches for the Lakers from 2018-21. The lone newcomer to the staff is the goalkeeping coach Ludvig Rhodin. Rhodin, who also works with the men's keepers, comes from programs that had some success and served as an assistant at Davis & Elkins, Western Illinois, and the University of Incarnate Word.
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