The UW women's soccer team's fifth and final game of the spring season begins Friday night at 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart set a program record for wins in a season with 11 wins in 2022. However, the 2023 fall season did not go as planned with 6 wins, 9 losses, and 4 losses, and they were eliminated in the first round of the NEC tournament. The Pioneers, led by sophomore Morgan Bobardi, will look to win three of their final four games of the regular season. Sacred Heart's other key players include forwards Desiree Crawford and Grace O'Hara, midfielder Kelly Medeiros, and defenders Maria Nolan and Alexis Schickler, all of whom have excelled on the field and in the classroom. Her efforts earned her College Sports Communications Academic All-District honors. . Expect a goaltending rotation of freshmen Kylan Seabon and Lauren Calabro, junior Faith Gargano and graduate student Elissa Kipperman from Southbury, Conn.
Yukon and Sacred Heart will play for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Huskies defeated the Pioneers in both meetings, winning 1-0 on October 24, 2004 and 3-0 on November 13, 2001.
With the fall season just four months away, the Huskies have high expectations for this game. The Huskies, who are 7-1-3 at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium, will try to use their home turf to their advantage Friday.
Goaltenders Mary-Kate Ward, Elizabeth DiBlasi and this year's Big East goaltender of the year, Caitlin Mahoney, will each have their seasons of success. Newly elected team captains, defender Yasmin Rosewell, forward Abbie Jones and midfielder Lucy Cappadona, are also expected to lead the rest of the squad into action.
The Huskies' young cast should also get plenty of field time Friday in preparation for the fall season. Five of the seven forwards are underclassmen, so the rest of the team, including Chioma Okafor and Alexandra Taylor, will be looking to score. Okafor, a first-team All-Big East member and the Huskies' leading scorer with six goals last season, has emerged as a new leader as a sophomore and will continue his strong play in his junior season. I would aim to do that.
The Huskies' final line of the field is made up of veterans, with Maya Mathis being the only underclassman defender. The midfielders are a healthy mix of four seniors and underclassmen, with freshman Anaya Johnson, who scored three goals in her freshman campaign in the fall, being the biggest goal threat.
Fans can watch games at Morrone Stadium for free when they enter Friday at 7 p.m.
