The 2022 crop of Australian midfielders in NCAA Division I is absolute filled to the brim with quality. The group features the reigning Rachael Doyle Medallist in Eliza Ammendolia, a Matildas representative in Amy Sayer, a number of Young Matildas and Junior Matildas, and even a pair of Scotland youth national team players. It’s safe to say that this group of players will provide plenty of excitement with a number of contenders for this year’s Rachael Doyle Medal among them.
Eliza Ammendolia (Senior, Hawai’i, Griffith)
The reigning Rachael Doyle Medallist as 2021 College Matildas Player of the Year, Eliza Ammendolia has firmly entrenched herself as one of the top players in the Big West Conference and helped turned Hawai’i into a contender in the league. An All-Conference First Team selection in 2019 and Second Team selection in 2021, Ammendolia notched three goals and a pair of assists last season, leading the team in the latter category as she provided outstanding midfield support for the attack throughout the campaign. Unfortunately, results did not go Hawai’i’s way in 2021, falling back to eighth in the Big West after finishing in the top 4 in 2019. Picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches’ poll, the Rainbow Wahine will be out to prove that 2021 was merely a blip in an otherwise uninterrupted upward trajectory, and Ammendolia is set to once again play a large part in any success the team may have.
Molly Arens (Junior, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Newcastle)
2021 saw Molly Arens’ campaign interrupted due to injury, although the former Junior Matildas representative started each of her eight appearances to demonstrate her class when the opportunity arose. However, 2022 brings a chance for Arens to really stamp her authority on the Southland Conference as the Novocastrian midfielder looks to put together an uninterrupted season. The Islanders finished last season at the wrong end of a packed Southland mid-table, ending 2021 in sixth position in the seven-team league, but only five points off third place. If Arens can become a regular presence in midfield, there is plenty of reason to believe that the team can improve significantly at both ends of the pitch and make a move towards the upper reaches of the league in 2022.
Emma Bates (Freshman, Louisiana, Central Coast)
Emma Bates headed to the US in January rather than taking the usual mid-year option, and the move appears to have paid off in spades even before the freshman has stepped onto the pitch for a competitive college fixture. Playing for San Antonio Athenians in United Women’s Soccer, Bates notched a pair of goals and an assist in 6 appearances as the team reached the national semi-finals. Now, the former Northern Tigers midfielder returns to Lafayette for her first season of college play with valuable experience under her belt as she looks to lock down a starting spot from day one. With the Ragin’ Cajuns sitting on the wrong side of the national median in both goals scored and conceded last season, the addition of Bates to the midfield could yet go some way to improving those numbers as they look to improve on last season’s 6-win campaign.
Isabella Chidiac (Freshman, Denver, Sydney)
A long-time member of the FNSW Institute program, Isabella Chidiac heads to Denver with extensive NPLNSW experience as well as appearances for the Young Matildas under her belt. Although her time at NPL level has been interrupted by a certain global pandemic, Chidiac has been an integral member of the FNSW Institute side over the last few years, whilst also training with Western Sydney Wanderers’ A-League Women’s side during the most recent season and spending time in the national setup. Chidiac now joins a Denver side that dominated the Summit League regular season in 2021 with an 8-0-1 record but fell to South Dakota State in the conference championship, destroying their hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth in the process. The Pioneers will be determined to not let that happen again and make a return to the national stage for the first time since 2020, when they defeated Loyola Chicago in the opening round before falling to eventual College Cup semi-finalists North Carolina 2-0 in the second round.
Lara Kirkby (Sophomore, Oregon, Adelaide)
Part of what is now a burgeoning Australian contingent alongside assistant coach Rachael Doyle and USC transfer Isabel Rolley, Lara Kirkby will be looking to secure regular playing time in her sophomore season at Oregon. The South Australian featured on just a single occasion in 2021, notching an assist against Fresno State, and will be looking to provide that kind of impact on a regular basis in 2022. A former member of the Adelaide United A-League Women’s squad, Kirkby’s time at Oregon coincides with a promising time for the Ducks after finishing as the ‘best of the rest’ in the Pac-12 behind runaway top four sides UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Washington State in 2021. Whilst those four remain the teams to beat in the conference, there is no denying that Oregon are on the up under former US national team assistant coach Graeme Abel, and they will definitely be one of the teams to watch even before Kirkby’s presence on the roster is taken into account.
Grace Mitchell (Freshman, Seton Hall, Perth)
Hailing from Perth, Grace Mitchell becomes part of a burgeoning Australian contingent in the Big East after signing with Seton Hall alongside twin sister Sarah. Hand-picked by Tanya Oxtoby during her time at Bristol City, Mitchell has been part of the Vixens’ academy since 2020 and recently received a call-up to the Scotland team for the UEFA Under 19 Championship qualifiers, featuring in two games. Mitchell now heads to South Orange looking to help continue the improvement of a Seton Hall side that had struggled for much of the last decade before posting six wins in 2021. Those six wins equalled the combined tally of the previous four seasons, so it appears that Mitchell is joining at a promising time for the program. However, it will take continued improvement for the Pirates to truly compete in the Big East.
Sarah Mitchell (Freshman, Seton Hall, Perth)
One could almost copy Grace Mitchell’s preview word-for-word when describing twin sister Sarah. The Western Australian moved to Bristol City alongside Grace in 2020 and also received a call-up to the Scotland Under 19 side, making a solitary appearance in the UEFA Under 19 Championship qualifiers in 2021 before heading to Seton Hall this season. Although the Pirates have been tabbed to finish near the bottom of the Big East in preseason polls, they are definitely on the up, whilst there will be no shortage of games featuring fellow Australians as Butler, DePaul, and Creighton also feature Aussies. Whilst we are all aware of what Claire Farrington, Katie Godden, and Renée Pountney can produce, it will certainly be exciting to see what Sarah, as well as Grace, can bring to one of the premier conferences in women’s college soccer.
Grace Norbury (Junior, Alabama State, Melbourne)
An integral part of the Alabama State midfield, Grace Norbury hasn’t missed a beat since her debut for the Hornets in Spring of 2021. A starter in 29 of her 30 appearances, Norbury developed into a regular 90-minute player in the second half of the 2021 campaign as the Hornets followed up the previous season’s SWAC Championship with a run to the conference semi-finals. Now entering her junior season, Norbury looks set to be a part of a highly experienced starting lineup as the Hornets attempt to secure a fourth conference championship in the space of seven seasons. Whilst it will take contributions all over the pitch to return to the summit, Norbury has a knack for delivering a goal or assist at the perfect time, and a few more may just be the catalyst for a championship run.
Amy Sayer (Junior, Stanford, Sydney)
Fresh off a return to the Matildas squad in which she notched appearances against both Spain and Portugal, Amy Sayer now turns her attention back to Stanford as the Cardinal look to return to national title contention after falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to local rivals Santa Clara in 2021. Now listed as a midfielder/forward by Stanford, that change represents how Sayer’s role for the Cardinal has evolved over the last two seasons as the former Sydney FC star has taken on a far more attacking position in recent times. That is reflected in the 36 shots that Sayer finished with in 2021, which culminated in a pair of goals to go with the two assists on her record for the campaign. A starter in 16 of her 29 appearances for the Cardinal to date, Sayer will be looking to earn a spot in the matchday eleven on a more regular basis as she attempts to help lead Stanford back to the pinnacle of women’s college soccer for the first time since the 2019 team featuring Beattie Goad defeated North Carolina in a penalty shootout to win the College Cup.
Iona Snape (Freshman, Siena, Central Coast)
One of many players with experience at NPLNSW club Northern Tigers currently in college, Iona Snape may share a name with one MAAC program, but will be joining another as she heads to Siena College in Loudonville, New York. Alongside fellow former Northern Tiger Eloise Jones, Snape will be one of a pair of Aussies in the MAAC this season, and joins a team that reached the conference tournament semi-finals in 2021. Prior to heading to Siena, Snape spent the 2022 NPLNSW season mostly playing in reserve grade for Northern Tigers, but did see some playing time in first grade, making three appearances for a team currently sitting in second place in NPLNSW. However, the midfielder’s time at Central Coast Mariners in NPL2 saw her bang home around a goal every three games, which would be invaluable for a team that had a decent time in front of goal in 2021 but could definitely see improvement. Every team in the MAAC will be looking to take the place of perennial powerhouse Monmouth after the Hawks left for the CAA earlier this year, so any advantage a team can gain could prove the catalyst for a conference championship.
Chloe Walker (Freshman, St. Francis Brooklyn, Sydney)
St. Francis Brooklyn’s women’s soccer program may only be in its fourth season of existence, but have already secured their second Aussie as Chloe Walker follows the recently graduated Jazzmin Forwood to Brooklyn Heights. Having played much of her junior football for Gladesville Ravens, Walker has also played senior football for Northern Tigers, making a number of appearances in the reserve team alongside her duties for the Under 17 side, whom she helped to reach the NPL New South Wales grand final in 2019. Walker now joins a St. Francis side that has just secured its highest ever position in the Northeast Conference coaches’ poll, with the Terriers tipped to finish seventh in the ten-team league. Considering that this is just the team’s fourth season in existence, things are certainly looking up for a team that has been steadily improving since posting a 0-17 record in its inaugural year of play in 2019, and Walker appears to be joining at a highly promising time in Brooklyn Heights.
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