There's no shortage of "new" when it comes to the 2023 Madison College women's soccer team, which opens their season on Friday, August 18 at Oakton College. Gone are 11 players from last year's team that won a conference and region title. Gone is the North Central Community College Conference, which announced it was dissolving over the summer after the WolfPack had won its sixth consecutive championship. And gone are the days of Division III dominance, for which the Pack had won four Region 4 titles in the last six years. Enter a new era against Division II competition and a roster featuring 16 fresh faces.

"Our incoming Class of 2023 is the largest we've had since the start of the program," commented head coach Matt Schwartz, who enters his eighth season at the helm with 68 wins and a near .680 winning percentage. "It's very exciting to see all the talented players that our program has been able to attract. This will be such an athletic group that will be looking to make their mark on the team early and help Madison College successfully compete at the Division II level for the first time."

Among the big list of first year players, forwards Atziry Ocampo and Delaney Bracken, midfielder/forward Emma Purcell, midfielders Camille Gilbertson and Logan Vollert, and defenders Mirella Zielke and Alyssa Moore appear likely to make some of the biggest impacts early on. Within that group is a conference offensive player of the year, a conference defensive player of the year, and a Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-Star.

Eight returning players complete the 2023 roster, led by the teams three captains, forward Kierstin McHugh, midfielder Savi Pursley, and defender Peyton Yaun. Also back is goalkeeper Morgan Thompson, who joined the other three in receiving postseason accolades last fall from the conference and region. McHugh and fellow sophomore Mahala Frey are the only returning goal scorers from 2022 with seven combined, meaning the team will need to replace 68% of its scoring. Grace Huber, McHugh, Frey, and Thompson amassed five assists as freshman.

Thompson recorded the second most saves in a single season in program history a year ago, posting 115 over 13 games. She will likely move into second place all-time in saves for the WolfPack, with a chance to set the school record if she duplicates that feat. However, that might be decided more by the folks directly in front of her on the pitch.

"We have a great core group coming back this fall that will help carry their experience over to the new players. We will be looking to Peyton and Savi to bring the edge to a rebuilding defensive unit that will be most likely featuring a number of first years. Kierstin will be invaluable up top for us. and hopefully can continue to build on the momentum she finished last season with. Anytime you can return a goalkeeper is an enormous benefit to your program and Morgan is one of the best to mind the sticks."

After a pair of road games to start the 2023 schedule, the WolfPack will host Prairie State College for their home opener on August 26. Madison College is hoping to build some steam through the first month of the season as a four-game homestand starting in late-September also brings the start of challenging closing stretch. Three of the final six opponents are currently ranked in the NJCAA Division II Preseason Poll. Waubonsee Community College is ranked #19 and comes to Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Pitch-East on September 30, followed by an October 3 contest against #12 South Suburban College. And the season concludes with an October 17 date versus #16 Triton College. Should the WolfPack put together a deep postseason run, they might benefit from some home field advantage as Madison College will host the NJCAA Region 4 Division II Championship on November 4.

"We will have a solid spine to our team with returning players to build around. This will only be strengthened by the talent and athleticism of the first year players that will be plugged into the roster around them. We should have a lethal attack this fall if we can be smart and wrap our heads around the concepts we are working on in training. Along with that, we have an outstanding group of midfielders that will be able to control the center of the pitch and distribute the ball where we need it to go. I am very excited for what's ahead."

The NJCAA Division II National Tournament is set for November 12-18 in Tucson, Arizona. The WolfPack are hopeful their history of winning at the region level can carry on and make a winter trip to the desert a possibility.

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