2022 Forwards Preview

The 2022 group of Aussie forwards in NCAA Division I may not have massive goal tallies at this level yet, but there is no doubting the potential of this set of players. Courtney Butlion starred at junior college level for Eastern Florida State before heading to La Salle, whilst Holly Furphy and Katie Godden have both spent time in the national setup over the most recent off-season. Meanwhile, Renée Pountney is set to emerge as a leader of the Creighton attack as she enters her senior season.

Courtney Butlion (Sophomore, La Salle, Perth)

Following a junior college career that included a national title, Courtney Butlion becomes the second Western Australian to join La Salle in recent years, following Explorers legend Alyssa Van Heurck. A starter in 17 of her 23 appearances for Eastern Florida State College during a two-year junior college career that delivered 10 goals alongside that 2021 national championship, Butlion has already made her mark at one college level and will now look to help bolster La Salle’s attack as they attempt to make a move up the Atlantic 10 standings. The Explorers finished 10th in 2021, but only four points off fourth position despite tallying less than a goal per game on average. Should Butlion replicate her junior college form at the NCAA Division I level, a highly fruitful partnership in could be brewing in Philadelphia.

Madison Chambers (Sophomore, Alabama State, Hobart)

Injuries may have interrupted Madison Chambers’ progress at Alabama State, but the Tasmanian remains a dangerous proposition on the wing for any opponent. Restricted to just four appearances in 2021, Chambers notched an assist in her first game against Winthrop before earning the start on two occasions and showing real promise before her season ended in late August. Having featured in the starting lineup in Alabama State’s recent preseason draw with highly fancied Mercer, there is reason to be optimistic that the Tasmanian can play an influential role for a Hornets side looking to return to the summit of the SWAC. Although well-entrenched in the top echelon of the conference, a semi-final defeat in last year’s conference tournament will only provide motivation to chase another title after winning the program’s third in 2020. The Hornets already possessed a relatively potent attack, and Chambers’ reinsertion will only assist the transition following the graduation of All-SWAC second team forward McKenna Wiscombe, who banged home seven of the team’s 23 goals in 2021.

Holly Furphy (Freshman, Santa Clara, Melbourne)

A member of both the Young Matildas program and the recent Australian AFF Championship squad, Holly Furphy’s reputation is only set to grow further with a move to 2020 NCAA Division I Champions, Santa Clara. A regular goal scorer at NPL level, Furphy has also spent time with Melbourne Victory, and now joins a program with a long history of producing high-level professional players, including Brandi Chastain, Sofia Huerta, Julie Ertz, Aly Wagner, and current San Diego Wave star Kelsey Turnbow. Despite not playing in a power conference, the Broncos have managed to retain their status as a blueblood of college soccer even as many others have fallen by the wayside, helped in part by coach Jerry Smith who this season enters his 34th campaign as head coach. With a College Cup appearance in 2021 and a preseason coaches’ poll ranking of fifth, the Broncos look primed for another successful season, although they will be pushed all the way in the West Coast Conference by BYU before the Cougars leave for the Big 12 in 2023.

Katie Godden (Sophomore, DePaul, Brisbane)

The 2021 College Matildas Freshman of the Year, Katie Godden’s form caught the eye of Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney, who handed the DePaul forward a debut in the green and gold against New Zealand earlier this year. A trip to the AFF Championships followed, before earning a call-up to the extended squad the Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Whilst Godden was one of the unfortunate group of players to narrowly miss out on a spot in the final 21, the experience will have given Godden a real leg-up as the former Arsenal academy player approaches her sophomore season. Godden now returns to DePaul as part of a squad that finished well clear of the lower group in the Big East standings in 2021, but remained just off the pace of the midpack to finish 8th and miss out on the conference tournament. However, eight of the team’s 11 losses were 1-0 results, so they weren’t particularly far away on a number of occasions. With a young set of attackers, including Godden, returning with a year’s experience under their belt, that scoring average of just a single goal per game should rise in 2022 and hopefully flip some of those results that went against them in 2021.

Ashley Jordan (Junior, San Francisco, Melbourne)

Having not made an appearance in her freshman season at San Francisco, Ashley Jordan featured on six occasions in 2021 and looks set to build on that experience in 2022. A stint with San Francisco Nighthawks in WPSL will have done the Victorian’s preparation no end of good as Jordan slotted home two goals, and hopefully the junior can hit the ground running in the 2022 college season with some solid off-season football under her belt. Having finished 7th in the West Coast Conference in 2021, San Francisco have been picked to finish in exactly the same spot this season in an extremely competitive conference. However, if Jordan and the Dons’ attack can improve on their average of just a single goal per game from 2021, there is certainly opportunity to pick up a few extra points, especially considering that the Dons dropped four games 1-0 alongside their two draws in 2021.

Renée Pountney (Senior, Creighton, Newcastle)

After playing just 67 minutes in her first season at Creighton, Renée Pountney started in 10 of her 17 appearances in 2021 and comes into the 2022 season as a crucial member of the Bluejays’ attack. Now the lone Australian on the Creighton roster following Ayana Aoyagi’s departure to NCAA Division II outfit Florida Tech, Pountney has a real chance to become a leader for the Bluejays as they look to make a move up the Big East standings. Despite finishing with just four points in conference play in 2021, Creighton are seen as one of the rising teams in the Big East, particularly as they return their entire starting lineup which includes a solid defence from which to build on. Should Pountney and the rest of the Creighton attack fire, a massive leap up the Big East table into the conference tournament positions is certainly on the cards.

Isabella Stein (Freshman, Long Island, Sydney)

The second Manly United player to head to the north-eastern United States in recent years after Hannah Peric’s move to Massachusetts, Isabella Stein’s experience has come more at the NPLNSW reserve grade at youth level prior to her move to Long Island. Despite Stein not featuring at first grade level for the Cromer Park club, there is no doubting the level of player that the club has been able to produce in recent seasons, including former Sydney FC stars Ally Green and Remy Siemsen. LIU fans will be hoping that Stein can deliver in front of goal for the Sharks in the same way Siemsen has in sky blue, particularly as the team was shut out on eight occasions in 15 games last season and averaged just 0.6 goals per game. If Stein can produce the same form in front of goal that she has shown at times at NPL youth level over the years, a prosperous partnership could yield improved results for a Long Island side looking to improve on a 2-11-2 record from 2021.

Lua Suero (Freshman, Kent State, Gold Coast)

The Mid-American Conference has not been a regular destination for Australians, but Lua Suero has become the first Aussie to join the league since Freyja Murray’s single season at Akron in 2018. Having debuted for Olympic FC in Queensland at the tender age of 14, Suero has spent time not only in the Brisbane Roar NTC program, but also trained with Manchester United’s Under 23 team in between stints with Gold Coast United, Souths United, and Logan Lightning. After returning to Olympic FC for the 2022 campaign, Suero heads to Kent State looking to provide even more firepower to an already dominant attack that posted 2.1 goals per game in 2021. Described as an attacking midfielder back home but listed as a forward for the Golden Flashes, the role that Suero plays will be something to watch not only as the season progresses, but throughout her time at Kent State.

Caitlin Webster (Freshman, UTRGV, Sydney)

Whilst Dani Rutstein will be busy in defence for UTRGV, her former club teammate in Sydney, Caitlin Webster will be hoping to provide plenty of goal support as the Vaqueros look to move up the table in the WAC after finishing 10th last season. A former APIA Leichhardt junior, Webster has more recently spent time with Inter Lions and slotted six goals across First Grade and Under 20s in 2022. Tipped to finish in the 10th again in 2022’s preseason coaches’ poll, Webster will become part of an attack tasked with improving the team’s fortunes in front of goal. The Vaqueros tallied only a single goal per game in finishing with a 6-12-2 record in 2021, with six of their defeats coming by a single goal. Whilst the defence will also need to improve after finishing in the bottom third of the nation, even modest improvements at both ends could lead to a significant improvement for UTRGV this year.

About Lachy 436 Articles
Founder of College Matildas. An Australian women's football fan who also happens to be a college sports fan. Often found at A-League Women or NPLW games.

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