OKLAHOMA CITY – The OCU Women's Soccer team is just days away from kicking off its season at the Brian Harvey Soccer Field on Saturday, August 26th against Missouri Baptist at 11 AM. While the Stars lose their leading goal scorer from a season ago, they return a majority of their youth who gained quality experience as underclassmen.
KEY RETURNERS
Ashton Seratte
Saizlee Carlton
Ashton Seratte
McLain Moss
KEY LOSSES
Madi Caputo
Millie Templeman
April Hill
Rylee Orton
KEY NEWCOMERS
Amelia Horsford
Yami Ponce
Devin Jansing
Reese Roberts
For the sixth consecutive season in 2022, the Stars women's soccer team won at least nine games by putting together a record of 11-4-4. After a heartbreaking loss to USAO in double overtime of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Semi-final matchup, OCU enters 2023 with high expectations. The majority of last year's freshman class saw a good amount of playing time in their first year at OCU. The Stars return one of the top of freshmen from a season ago in
Piper Nichols. Nichols, a nursing student out of Little Rock, Arkansas was a starter in every game and received a second-team All-SAC honor at the end of the year. Another Star who saw action in her freshman stint was
Saizlee Carlton, a business administration major out of Amarillo, Texas. Carlton competed in 19 games while starting in 13 of them, seeing over 1000 minutes of play. Carlton finished second on the team in goals scored with seven as well as second in points with 19. Two more freshmen who made big impacts last season were the two Russell twins Abby and Ashley.
Abby Russell made six starts while seeing action in 17 games. Russell scored the fourth most goals on the team with five. Her sister Ashley saw time in all 19 games and made seven starts at the mid-field spot. The pair of twins will look to make a strong impact on this team in their sophomore seasons.
OCU will also return a pair of seniors who each started 15-plus games for the Stars in 2022. Midfielder
Ashton Seratte comes back for her senior campaign after starting in 37 of 49 games in three seasons at OCU. Seratte, a two-time commissioner roll representative has competed in over 1000 minutes in the last two seasons and will look to lead her team in 2023. Joining Seratte in this year's senior class is
McLain Moss. Moss, a biomedical science major out of Tulsa, Oklahoma enters her fourth season at OCU after making 15 starts in 2022. Moss scored four goals last season along with three assists.
Hannah McReynolds out of McKinney Texas, Aubrey Armstong from Jenks, Oklahoma, and
Cara Compton from Norman, Oklahoma rounds out the rest of the senior class for the Stars in 2023.
OCU will have the tough task of replacing one of its top players from the last five years in
Madi Caputo. Caputo led the team in goals scored with 11, assists with 14, and points with 36 in 2022. Caputo was a four-time All-SAC Selection and Head Coach
Billy Martin knows the importance of having to replace her. When asked what does the team need to do to be successful? Martin said, "We have to score more goals."
The Stars bring in a group of six newcomers which include:
GK
Gemma Harvey Maidenhead, England
MF
Yami Ponce Oklahoma City
D
Amelia Horsford Crosby, Texas
MF
Devin Jansing Norman, Okla.
MF
Wachipi Hamelryck Bristol, Tenn.
MF
Reese Roberts Oklahoma City
F
Hallie Crom Choctaw, Okla.
After finishing third in the Sooner Athletic Conference last season with a 5-2-2 record the Stars find themselves tied for the third spot in the SAC preseason poll. The Stars kick off their season at the Brian Harvey Soccer Field on Saturday, August 26th in the first-ever matchup between the two schools. The Stars will then hit the road for two games heading to Lindsborg, Kansas to take on Bethany College on Monday, August 28 at 5 PM with a matchup against Southwestern College to follow on August 30 at 6:30 PM. OCU returns to Oklahoma for a six-game home stand beginning Sooner Athletic Conference play on September 26 against Texas Wesleyan.
