Roosevelt Lakers Women's Soccer Squares Off Against 13th Ranked Indiana Wesleyan to Open 2022 Season
CHICAGO – The Roosevelt University women's soccer team begins the 2022 season on Saturday, August 27 when it squares off against 13th ranked Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. The Lakers look to improve on their best season in program history last year, which included most wins in a season, most goals scored in a season, fewest goals allowed in a season, most shutouts in a season, and a second straight post-season appearance for the first time.
"Last season was a great year for Roosevelt Lakers women's soccer and it set a standard for what we want to accomplish moving forward," stated Lakers Head Coach Tom Czop. "However, last year is last year and we have a different and younger team this season. We have the potential to accomplish great things, but we need to improve upon on our mental focus and chemistry to eliminate the little mistakes that cost us in a few close games in 2021."
Despite the youthfulness injected into the Lakers roster this season, Czop is counting on the experience and leadership of several returning players, including Meaghan Smith, Gaby Aguinaga-Hernandez, Mayeri Diaz, and Paola Macias.
Smith was the team's leading scorer in 2021, registering 10 goals and two assists for 22 points, earning her CCAC All-Conference Second Team recognition, while Aguinaga-Hernandez was a stalwart in the goal, posting a school record seven shutouts to go with 81 saves. Diaz was an integral part of the RU backline that supported Aguinaga-Hernandez, and she returns this season to provide the experience needed to keep opponent's offenses at bay, while Macias will be counted on to make a greater impact in the midfield after a strong freshman season.
The Lakers will also benefit from the experience of several transfers, including Nyah Bejarano, Destiny Ashcraft, and Valeria Nunez from South Suburban College. All three have earned NJCAA All-Region accolades in their careers and led the Bulldogs to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2021. Darian Lucas is another NJCAA All-Region selection, who joins the Lakers from Kishwaukee College, while Frances Montoya will add experience and physicality to the backline after spending time at Robert Morris University Illinois and most recently St. Xavier University in the CCAC Conference.
After opening up the season with a tough contest versus 13th ranked Indiana Wesleyan University, the Lakers will play three straight non-conference home games beginning with Lourdes University (Ohio) on September 3, followed by games against Cleary University (Mich.) on September 5 and Thomas More University (Ky.) on September 10.
Roosevelt then begins its competitive CCAC Conference schedule on September 14 when it hosts Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.) and closes out the 13-game league campaign versus Indiana University South Bend on October 29 at Morris Field.
Click here to view the complete 2022 Roosevelt Lakers women's soccer schedule.
"We have had good preseason and this team has brought energy and a strong work ethic to training every day," added Czop. "The coaching staff is excited to see how we can come together on the field and compete against some strong opponents. If we can duplicate our efforts from training and continue to learn and adapt to different situations, then the sky is the limit for this team and we should have an exciting year."