A solid class of 12 midfielders will represent Australia in NCAA Division I this season, with some star names among the list. Eliza Ammendolia has already won a Rachael Doyle Medal and is a perennial All-Big West selection, whilst Molly Arens was perhaps only a season-ending injury away from securing the College Matildas Player of the Year Award herself in 2022. Elsewhere, there are a number of players who have made solid starts looking to continue their upward trajectory as their college careers continue. Unfortunately though, injury has already scuppered a couple of players’ plans, with Seton Hall twin pairing Grace and Sarah Mitchell both set to spend the 2023 campaign on the sideline.
Eliza Ammendolia (Grad, Hawai’i, Griffith)
The 2021 Rachael Doyle Medallist, Eliza Ammendolia was among the contenders in 2022 and is a real chance of joining Harriet Withers as the only players to win the award twice. An All-Big West selection in all three of her college seasons, Ammendolia is fresh off a second selection to the first team after helping the Wahine to a 6-6-3 record, a vast improvement on their 2-9-3 finish in 2021. Although her name doesn’t feature on the scoresheet as frequently as some other players on the Hawai’i roster, with two goals and a single assist in 2022, Ammendolia remains a crucial part of the Wahine’s attack and will be vital if they are to make the jump from .500 ball to title contention in the Big West. It is also worth remembering that only a final week disaster that saw Hawai’i lose their last two games of the regular season kept them out of the conference tournament, so they aren’t too far away from making waves in the Big West.
Molly Arens (Senior, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Newcastle)
A red-hot favourite for the Rachael Doyle Medal in 2022 until a fractured fibula cruelly intervened, Molly Arens has been one of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s top players, with only injuries preventing her from playing more often. Having recently been cleared following that injury, optimism is surely on the rise in Corpus Christi that Arens can help the team improve, particularly given the Islanders sat 6-3 prior to the midfielder’s season coming to an end. Having tallied 3 goals and 7 assists in those 9 games in 2022, If Arens can put together an uninterrupted campaign in 2023, it could bring great reward for the Islanders program as they look to build on 2022’s 8-9-1 record, which in itself was an improvement on the previous season’s 7-11-1.
Emma Bates (Sophomore, Louisiana, Central Coast)
Injury scuppered what looked to be a promising freshman campaign for Emma Bates after playing for San Antonio Athenians in United Women’s Soccer, limiting the Central Coast product to just seven appearances in her first campaign. However, Bates showed real promise in her first spring campaign prior to her freshman year and certainly has the talent to play a far bigger role in 2023 should the injury bug leave her alone. With the Ragin’ Cajuns finishing last season 3-9-5 with just a pair of wins in their ten conference games and Haiti national team player Ruthny Mathurin transferring to Mississippi State, they will need all hands on deck if they are to improve on that record, and hopefully Bates can become an integral part of any success they are to have in 2023.
Matilda Boyle (Freshman, Long Island, Perth)
Having signed Izzy Stein last season, Long Island doubled their Aussie presence in 2023 with the addition of Western Australian midfielder Matilda Boyle. A member of Fremantle City’s NPL Western Australia squad, Boyle is not averse to chipping in with a goal here or there, something that will certainly pique the interest of Long Island coaches and fans alike as the team is sorely lacking in proven attackers; indeed, fellow Australian, Izzy Stein’s 11 NCAA Division I appearances are the most of any player listed as a forward on the current roster. With the Sharks averaging just 0.63 goals per game in 2022 but also conceding an even two goals per contest, improvement at both ends is required. However, Boyle’s job will be more at the attacking end as Long Island look to build on last year’s four-win season, with her position on the roster listed as both midfielder and forward.
Isabella Chidiac (Sophomore, Denver, Sydney)
Fresh off a stint with Boulder County United in WPSL, Isabella Chidiac returns to Denver for her sophomore year looking to increase her playing time under a new head coach. Chidiac saw just 27 minutes of playing time across 4 appearances in her freshman campaign, but following the surprise departure of head coach Jeff Hooker after 31 years at the helm, all players will now have the opportunity to impress themselves upon their new coach, former Melbourne Victory player Julianne Sitch. Denver have long been a mid-major powerhouse, particularly in the Summit League, in which they reached every tournament final from 2017-22, winning on three occasions. However, 2022 saw the Pioneers lose to Oral Roberts on penalties in the semi-finals, a result which will only stoke the competitive fires for 2023 after they finished 8-0-1 in regular season conference play before that defeat.
Candice Kilderry (Freshman, Little Rock, Melbourne)
Alongside transfer Cameron Barreiro, fellow freshman Emily Jensen and sophomore forward Bronte Peel, Candice Kilderry is one of four Australians on the Little Rock roster in 2023. A former Southern United player before joining the Football Victoria Emerging team, much of Kilderry’s time with the state program was interrupted by COVID-19. However, this did not prevent the midfielder making 49 appearances and helping her team reach the NPL Victoria semi-finals in 2022. With nine goals in those 49 appearances, a Little Rock team that averaged just 0.94 goals per game on their way to a 5-7-5 record in 2022 will be more than grateful for those tallies from midfield if Kilderry can reproduce her Australian club form on the college stage.
Lara Kirkby (Junior, Maine, Adelaide)
Following two seasons at Oregon, former Adelaide United midfielder Lara Kirkby is now one of a very small number of Aussies to play their college soccer in Maine, and will be looking to significantly increase her playing time after only seeing action in eleven games during her stint with the Ducks, the majority of which were brief cameos off the bench save for a couple of more extended outings during her sophomore year. Competition will no doubt be fierce for playing time with nine midfielders on the roster, but that experience at both A-League Women’s level and with a major conference program should serve Kirkby well in her chase for a spot in the starting lineup. Maine finished 9-3-5 last season with an undefeated 4-0-4 record in conference play, making a run to the America East semi-finals before being stopped by New Hampshire. Converting at least a couple of those draws to wins will no doubt be on the agenda in 2023 as going undefeated but still finishing third in conference play would surely be a major source of annoyance for the team.
Grace Mitchell (Sophomore, Seton Hall, Perth)
One half of the twin duo from Perth currently on the Seton Hall roster, Grace Mitchell was one of the more impressive Australian freshmen in 2022, featuring in 15 games for the Pirates. The midfielder made a single start late in the season against DePaul, but regularly played in excess of 45 minutes. Those first season performances gave Mitchell a solid base from which to build heading into her sophomore year, but unfortunately any aspirations for 2023 were put on hold after the midfielder suffered a torn ACL which will keep her out for the season. Despite this, there is still plenty to look forward to in 2024 for Mitchell as she spends the next 12 months preparing for her return to the Pirates lineup.
Sarah Mitchell (Sophomore, Seton Hall, Perth)
Much like sister Grace, Sarah Mitchell hit the ground running at Seton Hall in 2022. Earning a start in just her second game for the Pirates, Mitchell ended the season with nine starts and 18 appearances under her belt, averaging just over 53 minutes per outing. Unfortunately, just like Grace, an ACL injury will see Sarah spend the 2023 season on the sideline, leaving quite a hole in the Pirates’ midfield. However, given what we have seen from Mitchell to this point, there is little doubt that she can return to be an integral member of the Seton Hall side once again when she does return to the pitch.
Grace Norbury (Senior, Alabama State, Melbourne)
Having started in 41 of her 48 appearances for Alabama State, Grace Norbury has clearly established herself as a crucial piece in the Hornets’ midfield, and 2023 will see the senior look to return her team to the summit in the SWAC. The Victorian started in 12 of her 18 appearances as the Hornets finished 6-8-4 overall and 4-2-3 in conference play last season, tallying a single goal for the third consecutive campaign. Having recently tasted conference championship success in 2021, Alabama State fell to Texas Southern in their SWAC Tournament opener in 2022, and will be eager to bounce back this season as they look to maintain their status among the upper echelon in the conference. If the Hornets are to achieve those goals, Norbury is all but certain to play a major role as one of the most experienced players on the roster.
Meg Roden (Freshman, High Point, Canberra)
Under Australian head coach Aaron McGuiness, High Point have lured a fellow Aussie to the program as Young Matildas midfielder Meg Roden makes the move to North Carolina for her college career. A long-time member of the Canberra United Academy, Roden was part of the Young Matildas squad that faced Fiji and Solomon Islands in the Pacific Four Nations Series held in her hometown of Canberra late in 2022. With that experience under her belt, Roden now heads to High Point at a time when the Panthers are looking to return to their regular double-digit season win total after finishing 5-10-3 in 2022. The Panthers have been outstanding in either attack or defence for the majority of recent seasons, but if they can reach those levels at both ends in the same season, they could very well return to the top of the Big South very quickly.
Iona Snape (Sophomore, Siena, Central Coast)
An occasional starter for Siena in her freshman year, Iona Snape carved out a solid first campaign, even if the results may not have been what the Saints’ faithful were hoping for. Snape started in 8 of her 16 appearances in 2022, notching a goal and averaging just shy of 40 minutes per outing. Unfortunately, the Saints posted only a 2-11-5 record, with their average of 0.67 goals per game seeing a number of one-goal games end in the opposition’s favour. Snape did tally a single goal in an early-season loss to New Hampshire, and whilst midfield goals are always appreciated, it will take more than the Central Coast player popping up on occasion if those attacking numbers are to improve after just six Saints tallied goals in 2022.
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