The UNA Women’s Soccer team has officially kicked off its 2024 season. The Lady Lions are three games and an exhibition in and hopes are high. The program has successfully made several championship appearances throughout its history and fans are hoping this year will add to that list.
Looking Back…
The program has been on an upward trend over the last few years.
Since 2020, the Lady Lions’ records show a steady improvement in statistics. The average shots per game has increased four points from 7.2 to 12.5 in the 2023 season. Season goals have risen 13 points from eight in 2020 to 21 in 2023. Each year, the season and conference records improve from winning one game in 2020 to seizing 11 victories in 2023.
Two players have been through it all, Malin Andersson and Captain Alice Busey. Coming in as freshmen in 2020.
The pair helped build the program into what it is now.
In their inaugural season, Andersson, a defender, played 234 minutes, her highest being in an away game versus Lipscomb. Busey played 823 minutes, her highest lasting a full game at 90 minutes against Bellarmine. She also ended the season with one goal and one assist.
Since then, the pair have played a total of 6,455 minutes combined.
Coach Chris Walker, the longest-tenured coach at UNA, has seen the highs and lows of the program since his first season in 2013. Walker is one of four coaches in the program’s history; he has begun his 12th season with the Lions. This makes him the coach for almost half of the program’s 28-year history.
Walker’s career record stands at 94 wins, 82 ties and 24 losses.
Currently…
The Lions have participated in an exhibition game with the University of Alabama in Birmingham to kickstart their season. Exhibition games typically don’t have ending stats and are not considered league play. The Lady Lions headed down to the Blazers’ home field on Aug. 8.
Post-exhibition, the team has faced three teams in seven days. First, they faced the University of Tennessee Martin’s Skyhawks at home. The defensive first half featured five shots on goal from UNA, a collective 9 fouls sending the teams into halftime standing at 0-0. Coming into the second half, six substitutions from UNA occurred, putting in fresh legs to finish off the game. This half finished with UNA’s six shots on goal, one resulting in a point for the Lady Lions by sophomore midfielder, Giada Aldini and an assist by senior defender and captain Montana Merkle.
On Aug. 18, just three days after their home victory, the Lady Lions matched off against the Jacksonville State University’s Gamecocks in Huntsville at the Joe Davis Stadium. UNA started aggressively, forcing two corner kicks in a row less than 3 minutes into the game. An early-game goal from JSU’s graduate student Tori Paul, assisted by junior forward Naroa Domenech, put the game in JSU’s hands. Less than a minute later, JSU scored another point. After that aggressive start, the first half ended in a 0-2 lead for the Gamecocks. Eighteen minutes into the second half JSU snagged three more goals. After the final goal of the game, collectively the teams had ten fouls and one yellow card. The foul-riddled period ended with a 0-5 loss for the Lady Lions, making their standing season record a 1-1.
On the road to the University of Alabama on Aug. 22, the Alabama soccer stadium saw a 1-3 loss for the Lions. An early goal by senior forward Hope Lensing, assisted by junior midfielder and captain Molly Parham, put them on the board in the first 7 minutes. In the following ten minutes, UA put two goals up back to back. The second half concluded at 1-2 with UNA’s women putting up 2 shots on goal. UA’s women put six shots on goal in the second half to UNA’s none. Ending the game put UNA’s standing record at 1-2, where it remains.
The Future…
The team heads to Murfreesboro on Aug. 22 to face off with Middle Tennessee State University at Dean A. Hayes Soccer & Track Stadium. This will be the first time the two teams will meet, according to UNA women’s soccer website.
Looking ahead at the season, the women face familiar opponents. Many stand to have only wins versus the Lions. If the upward trend continues, the Lions have a great season ahead of them.
Sophomore forward Lily Hosmer said, “My goals for this season are to win our ASUN games and make it to the ASUN championship again like last year. Hopefully, win and be able to go to the NCAA tournament at the end.”
Hosmer’s experience within the team has been nothing short of a joy to her.
“Ever since I got to UNA for pre-season my freshman year, I have felt so welcome and found a sense of belonging on the soccer team. All of my teammates are my best friends and mean so much to me. When we are together twenty-four-seven we form a bond that is pretty special.”
Coach Walker spoke at UNA’s Fall Sports Media Day on Aug. 13, held at the Lost Pizza Company in Florence. Walker and his two assistant coaches, Adam Sportsman and Tara McQueen, attended along with a few players, including one of the captains, Alice Busey.
Walker remarked at the end of the last season, saying they would have liked to “ have scored one more penalty and come away with that championship ring.”
“I think last year really helped us grow people’s view of our team and the program by having such a successful season. With the development of the new stadium and the very rapid growth of UNA… I can see the UNA Women’s Soccer program becoming even bigger and better in the years to come.”
Despite that setback, Walker said his goal for the team was to make it back to the ASUN Championship game and have their hand at it once again.
With the development of the new facilities and Bank Independent Multi-Purpose stadium, the team is practicing at the Florence Sportsplex.
“The athletic department and director, Dr. Looney, have done a fabulous job with making sure all of the athletes are taken care of during this time of construction and making everything as easy and convenient as possible,” said Hosmer.
The Women’s Soccer program is looking to have a great future this season and those in the future.
