Reigning College Matildas Player of the Year, Katie Godden, is among the list of Australian forwards in NCAA Division I this season, but the Oregon State junior is far from the only player to watch among this group. Bronte Peel earned all-conference first team honours in 2022, whilst Lua Suero’s belated start to her freshman season left questions as to what she could achieve in a complete campaign. Hopefully, those questions are about to be answered.
Courtney Butlion (Junior, La Salle, Perth)
A national championship winner at junior college level, Courtney Butlion eased her way into NCAA Division I in 2022, starting on three occasions but featuring in all 18 of La Salle’s games, tallying two goals and an assist in the process. However, a season with Eagle FC in USL W-League that culminated in an Eastern Conference championship and a trip to the national semi-finals will have done the Western Australian’s development no harm heading into her senior season. Dropping points in their final two games of 2022 saw the Explorers miss out on the Atlantic 10 conference tournament, however, Butlion could yet play a large role in helping the Explorers advance up the table and secure a spot in the postseason. Whilst conceding 16 goals in conference play certainly didn’t help their cause last season, La Salle also only scored 10 of their own. However, if that stint in the USL W-League has worked as intended for Butlion, that should hopefully translate to an increase in her own attacking numbers and potentially better results for the team in 2023.
Madison Chambers (Junior, Alabama State, Hobart)
Injuries interrupted Madison Chambers’ freshman season in 2021, but the Tasmanian returned with a vengeance in 2022 to appear in 16 games for Alabama State, making four starts in the process. One half of an Aussie duo that also includes midfielder Grace Norbury, Chambers’ 2022 exploits have given her a solid foundation from which to launch from an impact role into that of a player who regularly sees starter’s minutes. Alabama State averaged just over a goal per game in 2022, but were held goalless on eight occasions, including four times during conference play. Coincidentally, the Hornets finished 221st in the nation for both goals scored and goals conceded per game, but they will certainly be looking to improve both numbers in their attempt to return to the top of the SWAC after winning the conference crown in 2021. With a couple of players moving on, if Chambers can hit her straps early in the season, there
Holly Furphy (Sophomore, Santa Clara, Melbourne)
A starter for Santa Clara until injury cruelly ended her freshman season even before conference play, Young Matildas forward Holly Furphy will no doubt be looking to demonstrate her talents for an entire campaign as the Broncos look to improve on last season’s NCAA Tournament second round exit. Despite her shortened season in 2022, Furphy has shown both in her junior career and her brief stint playing last season that she has what it takes to play a major role for a Santa Clara side looking to build back to the level that saw them win a national championship in spring of 2021. With all eight forwards on the roster listed as either freshmen or sophomores, Furphy is actually one of the more experienced attackers on the roster behind WCC All-Freshman selection Farrah Walters. With that comes a massive opportunity for the Victorian, who has a chance to lock down a permanent starting spot for both this season and potentially beyond.
Katie Godden (Junior, Oregon State, Brisbane)
The reigning Rachael Doyle Medallist after an outstanding 2022 campaign for DePaul, Katie Godden will be attempting to replicate that form in new surrounds after transferring to Oregon State. An All-Big East First Team selection in 2022, Godden finished last season with a flourish, scoring in five of the last six games of the campaign to finish with seven goals and three assists in 14 appearances despite DePaul finishing with a 3-12-1 record and only one win in conference play. Although Oregon State potentially need more assistance at the defensive end than in attack, they certainly do need to add more potency up front after averaging only 1.26 goals per game, and a shot accuracy number of 43.9% that sat at 216th in the nation. Conversely, Godden’s put 48% of her shots on target, equal to teams sitting in the mid-80s nationally. Whether this results in a massive uptick in goals for the Beavers and an improvement on their single win in conference play last season remains to be seen, but the addition of Godden certainly appears to fill a need for Oregon State.
Emily Jensen (Freshman, Little Rock, Canberra)
One of two Australian freshmen to join Little Rock this season alongside Melbourne’s Candice Kilderry, Emily Jensen made the move from Canberra to Sydney in 2021 and has barely looked back since. Initially splitting time between reserve grade and first grade at Manly United, the balance of playing time slowly shifted more towards the top team for Jensen, and 2023 saw the winger make 19 first grade appearances for North West Sydney Spirit, plus a pair of Sapphire Cup outings and only a solitary reserve grade outing. Impressively, Jensen has made these appearances for a team that currently sits third in NPL New South Wales. In much the same vein as fellow Australian freshman Candice Kilderry, Jensen joins Little Rock with the Trojans looking for reinforcement at the attacking end after failing to average even a single goal per game in 2022. With only two goals in NPLNSW this season, Jensen will potentially serve more as a facilitator than an out-and-out goalscorer, but any upswing in attacking output will do a lot to help improve on the Trojans’ 5-7-5 record from last season.
Bronte Peel (Sophomore, Little Rock, Branxton)
After one year at the University of Newcastle, Bronte Peel made the belated move to the States in 2022, and hit the ground running at Little Rock, securing a spot in the All-OVC First Team as well as the conference’s All-Newcomer Team. Having come off the bench early in the season, Peel started 10 consecutive games to finish the season, finishing her first season with four goals and a pair of assists as the Trojans finished with a 5-7-5 record as they continue to hover around .500 ball since going 13-5-4 in 2018. Should the Hunter Valley product compile a complete season at the same level as the back half of her freshman year, Little Rock have a real chance to significantly improve their standing in 2023. The Trojans averaged less than a single goal per game in 2022, and although they could improve on their defensive numbers, attacking output certainly appears to be an area that needs more improvement. Fortunately, in Peel, they have just the player that can bang home the goals that they need.
Isabella Stein (Sophomore, Long Island, Sydney)
A product of Manly United on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Izzy Stein made 11 appearances in her freshman campaign including a single start late in the season, giving herself a solid foundation from which to build in 2023. Amazingly, those 11 appearances are the most NCAA Division I outings of any of the eight forwards on the Sharks roster in 2023, with five freshmen and one NCAA Division III transfer part of the attacking corps alongside Stein and redshirt sophomore Olivia Mancuso. Given that statistic, Stein will have to fend off a challenge from the first-year players for a spot in the starting lineup, but this also represents a massive opportunity for the Sydneysider. Although the Sharks finished 4-12-3 in 2022, they averaged only 0.63 goals per game, so if a player can show themselves to be a consistent goalscorer, they could be a real gamechanger in 2023.
Lua Suero (Sophomore, Kent State, Gold Coast)
Lua Suero may not have featured for Kent State until late September of her freshman year in 2022, but made up for lost time following that delayed debut, starting in 7 of 9 appearances and notching an assist in her second game, showcasing the kind of talents that may have seen her in the running for the College Matildas Freshman of the Year award had she played a full slate of games. Securing a starting spot so early in her career gives Suero a fantastic platform from which to build, and the Kent State faithful will be hoping that her trajectory continues in an upwards direction as the Golden Flashes look to improve on last season’s total of just four wins. Whilst there are improvements to be made at both ends, the team can be buoyed by the fact that their shot accuracy was just outside the top 100 in the nation in 2022. However, if Suero can stay on the pitch for the entire season, that quality of attempt should soon be accompanied by a higher quantity of shots that could generate an upturn in the team’s fortunes.
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