Season Preview: 2022 Women’s Soccer

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (August 15, 2022) – The Milligan University women's soccer team looks to continue its climb in the ranks of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) under first-year head coach John Newbery.

Visual Preview

The Buffs turned in their fifth-straight winning season last fall and begin their 2022 campaign against WVU Tech on Saturday, Aug. 20.

2021 Season Review: Milligan finished sixth of 15 teams in the conference standings and reached the quarterfinal round of the AAC Tournament. The Buffs finished the season with a 9-7-1 record (8-5-1 AAC) and were eliminated by No. 3 seed Montreat in the AAC quarterfinals.

The Buffs hit their stride in October, going 5-2-1 in eight conference games to close the regular season, including critical road wins over CIU and Columbia (S.C.).

Against teams below them in the conference standings, the Buffs went unbeaten at 8-0-1. All five of Milligan's conference losses came against the top five teams in the final AAC standings. In six one-goal games, Milligan recorded a 4-2 record. Both of Milligan's one-goal losses came at Montreat. In 17 games, the Buffs outscored opponents 33-27 and logged six shutouts. Milligan ranked seventh in the AAC in goals per game (1.94) and fifth in goals against average (1.55).

Last December, the Buffs graduated their top offensive threat, Ellie Cachiaras. Cachiaras earned All-AAC Second Team honors after she led Milligan with 13 goals, five assists and 31 points. She ranked fifth in the AAC in goals and points and scored 12 goals in 14 conference games.

"I think whenever you lose a goalscoring threat like Ellie it can be a hard loss," said Newbery. "I believe within the system we play that you will see different players step up and share the load of the offense. The goal will hopefully become a much more balanced attack and create different threats that our opposition will have to deal with."

2022 AAC Preseason Poll: The Buffs were picked to finish sixth out of 15 teams by the league's coaches in the AAC Preseason Poll.

2022 AAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) - Total Voting Points
1. Reinhardt (10) - 220
2. Turett McConnell (5) - 215
T3. Montreat - 181
T3. Tennessee Wesleyan - 181
5. Point - 167
6. Milligan - 151
7. Columbia - 128
8. Bryan - 125
9. Columbia International - 108
10. Brenau - 92
11. St. Andrews - 73
12. Union - 60
13. Kentucky Christian - 40
14. Johnson - 39
15. Bluefield - 20

Key Returners: Coach Newbery has several multi-year starters headlining his roster for his first fall with the Buffs in 2022.

"We have a solid returning group and I am excited for the returners that earned large minutes to continue to push the team forward," said Newbery. "And for those that are looking to compete for more minutes to compete in training and take full advantage of their opportunities when they get them."

Graduate center back Isabella Cranford is a two-time All-AAC Second Team selection with 59 career starts for the Buffs. She earned all-conference honors last fall and as a freshman in 2019.

Graduate midfielder Alex Thomas also returns as a four-year starter in the midfield. Thomas scored two of her three goals last season on free kicks and is a key part of Milligan's ability to possess the ball in the midfield.

Senior forward Ashlen Burch is back for a fifth season with the Buffs after starting each of her first four seasons. Burch was an All-AAC First Team selection in 2019 and was Milligan's second-leading scorer each of the last two seasons. Last year, Burch scored six goals and had three assists, all in conference play. She scored to force overtime in the final minutes at Montreat and had the lone goal in Milligan's 1-0 win over Brenau.

Senior Taylor Dawson returns as a three-year starter, pairing with Cranford as a center back over the past several seasons. Dawson has 44 career starts and doled out assists in wins over St. Andrews and Bluefield last fall.

Sophomore forward Autumn Daniels was Milligan's third-leading scorer with 11 points (5G, 1A) as a freshman. She scored in her collegiate debut against Warren Wilson and in wins over Union, Kentucky Christian, Columbia (S.C.) and Bluefield.

Junior Makenna Oiler and sophomore Emma True worked their way into starting spots at outside back last season. Oiler started the final 14 games of the season and twice assisted Cachiaras on game-winning goals in victories at CIU and Columbia (S.C.). True started the last eight games of the year.

Senior midfielder Hannah Chatterton started all 15 games she appeared in last fall and recorded a goal and two assists. Chatterton has 34 career starts and 43 appearances with the Buffs in the last three seasons. Junior midfielder Ella Sawa has appeared in 29 games with 19 starts and six points (2G, 2A) in her first two years as a Buff.

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Davies was the Buffs' starting goalie for the third-straight season in 2021. She posted a 1.58 goals against average, a .698 save percentage and six shutouts.

Senior forward Audra Morgan and sophomore midfielders McKinna Murr, Rylie Patrick and Shelby Knight appeared in double-digit games in 2021.

Newcomers: Freshmen McKenna Rook, Mariah Shull, Alaina Pemberton and Kelsey Miller join the Buffs for the 2022 campaign.

"The incoming freshman are a good diverse group of players that bring depth and competition for different areas of the field," said Newbery. "I am really excited about where they are and the growth they will have in their first season."

Looking at the Schedule: Milligan women's soccer plays three nonconference games before kicking off its AAC schedule against Tennessee Wesleyan on Sept. 10.

The Buffs travel to Truett McConnell on Oct. 5 and host Reinhardt on Oct. 22. The Bears and Eagles snagged the AAC's two automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round last fall.

The AAC Tournament begins on Nov. 1. The tournament features the top 10 teams with a play-in first round. The quarterfinals, semifinals and title game are played at the higher seed.

"The ACC has a hard schedule where every game we will need to compete and be unafraid of any opponent we play," said Newbery. "Our goal is to win and to be brave in our play. Milligan is a sleeping giant and I am excited to see what happens as we step into our fullest potential."

Last Word: "This season will not be defined in one single game but over the entirety of the season," said Newbery. "This is the beginning of a shift in the program, and we are going to push to be the best possible version of ourselves."