Whilst defenders don’t always get the glamour of those putting the ball into the back of the net, there is no shortage of class among this cohort of Aussies. Erin Gordon stormed onto the scene at Harvard last season, whilst Teagan Douglas has been ever-present for Bellarmine. Meanwhile, there are more than a couple of first-year players who could soon make an impact on their respective teams.
Sarah Birchall (Freshman, Gardner-Webb, Brisbane)
The Big South is becoming a common destination for Australian players, and Sarah Birchall’s decision to join Gardner-Webb makes the Runnin’ Bulldogs the third program in the conference to feature an Aussie in 2025, alongside Charleston Southern and High Point. A member of the Queensland Maroon Under 16 squad at the 2022 National Youth Championships, Birchall featured alongside recently capped Matilda, Grace Kuilamu, winning the national title in the process.
Birchall now joins a Gardner-Webb outfit looking to change its fortunes after a pair of four-win seasons in 2023 and 2024 as they look to navigate the post-Mike Varga era following his departure in 2022 after nine years at the helm. Second-year head coach Erik Solberg has a squad featuring over 40 players to work with as the Runnin’ Bulldogs opted out of the House settlement, which brings with it both positives and negatives. The Big South is not united in opting in or out, leaving two distinct groups playing under different roster rules. How that affects Gardner-Webb (and the rest of the league) in the short-term remains to be seen, but Solberg definitely has no shortage of players to work with.
Montana-Rose Currey (Junior, High Point, Central Coast)
A star at junior college level for Johnson County Community College in Kansas, Montana-Rose Currey will commence her NCAA Division I career under Australian head coach Aaron McGuiness at High Point. A two-time regional champion at junior college level, Currey banged in 10 goals and tallied six assists in 47 appearances across two seasons as the defender started every game for the Cavaliers. More recently, the Central Coast Mariners and Northern Tigers product has spent time in Football NSW League One with the Mariners, starting eight games and giving herself a leg-up in terms of match fitness as the season approaches.
High Point continued their improvement under Aaron McGuiness last season, from five wins in 2022 to nine in the coach’s third season in 2024. However, the Panthers will have some gaps to fill in 2025. Most notably from an Australian perspective, star midfielder Meg Roden has transferred to Providence, taking 16 starts and 75 minutes per game of playing time in 2024 with her. Despite this, the Panthers start from a good position after reaching the Big South championship game in 2024 before going down 3-0 to USC Upstate.
Zoe Daly (Sophomore, Tarleton State, Newcastle)
Coach Pete Cuadrado had an affinity for Australians throughout his time at Wyoming, and little has changed since his move to Tarleton State, as Zoe Daly is one of three first-year players joining sophomore Adelaide Wyrzynski in Stephensville. A Northern NSW representative with experience in both NPL New South Wales with Emerging Jets and NPL Northern New South Wales with Newcastle Olympic, Daly is also an elite 100m sprinter which will serve as another arrow in her quiver.
Listed as a defender/forward on National Signing Day, Daly could yet have an impact at either end of the pitch as Tarleton State look to continue to improve across their first few seasons in NCAA Division I. Their nine wins in 2024 almost equalled the ten they compiled across their first two seasons in the WAC, with solid performances at both ends of the pitch helping them to a solid campaign. However, the Texans will be looking to improve further in their final season in the WAC before the conference merges with the ASUN to become the United Athletic Conference in 2026 as the collegiate landscape changes once again.
Teagan Douglas (Junior, Bellarmine, Maitland)
A starter in all 38 games since joining in 2023, Teagan Douglas has been all but ever-present for Bellarmine as the Knights navigate the early stages of life as an NCAA Division I program. Averaging almost 85 minutes per game across her two seasons to this point, Douglas has helped lead Bellarmine through their transition to full NCAA Division I member status, and after an ASUN quarter-final appearance in 2024, the Knights will be looking to go a couple of steps further in 2025.
The Knights have cut their roster from 34 to 25 in 2025, but that will likely have little effect on Douglas’ playing time. More pointedly, it remains to be seen what effect the reduced roster size will have on the team’s ability to replace stars who have now graduated, with Douglas the only player of the four to start all 20 games last season to return. However, the majority of teams in NCAA Division I, not just the ASUN, will be in the same boat, with the around 80% of D1 teams having opted into the House settlement and its reduced roster limit rules.
Erin Gordon (Sophomore, Harvard, Sydney)
A contender for College Matildas Freshman of the Year in 2024, former Junior Matilda Erin Gordon slotted straight into a Harvard side featuring the likes of Canadian national team member Jade Rose. Gordon featured in all 16 of Harvard’s games, starting on 15 occasions and averaging in excess of 85 minutes per appearance. The defender also notched the first assist of her college career during the Ivy League tournament, demonstrating her attacking ability alongside her defensive prowess.
Harvard didn’t quite reach the same lofty heights of which the Crimson are expected in 2024, finishing 7-4-5 after four consecutive seasons reaching the 12-win mark. However, five draws suggests that they perhaps weren’t as far away from reaching that point again as it may have seemed. With Rose, as well as several other stars including Josefine Hasbo and Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir, having now graduated, the onus looks to be on players like Gordon to step up as leaders. However, considering the personal success of her first season, the Sydneysider should have no troubles on that front.
CJ Harris (Freshman, Rider, Sydney)
The Aussie presence at Rider will double in 2025, as freshman CJ Harris joins senior Eloise Jones at the Broncs. Originally a Manly United junior, Harris made the move to Northern Tigers in 2024 and helped the team from North Turramurra reach the NPL NSW Reserve Grade Grand Final, whilst also making eight first grade appearances. 2025 has seen Harris make 18 starts at Under 23 level for the Tigers, helping the team to third position prior to leaving for Rider.
Rider have bounced between four and nine wins for the last decade, but haven’t posted double-digits for wins since doing so three times in the space of four years between 2012 and 2015. Intriguingly, the Broncs are running with one of the smaller rosters in NCAA Division I at just 22 players, but that may work in their favour as coach Drayson Hounsome won’t be juggling as many players’ demands for playing time as some other coaches. It may also afford Harris some early opportunities, particularly with the loss of defensive stalwarts Genevieve Ryan, Jordyn Allen, and Emma Cordeiro. The Broncs will also bed in a new goalkeeper this year after graduate student Ellie Sciancalepore played all 1530 minutes last season, which only makes the defence more important in 2025. Hopefully, both Harris and fellow Sydneysider Jones can play a large part in keeping things tight at the back.
Eloise Jones (Senior, Rider, Sydney)
Now entering her senior year at Rider, Eloise Jones may not have seen as much playing time as she had perhaps hoped so far. However, the defender has nonetheless carved out a successful collegiate career and now has a chance to mentor fellow Northern Tigers product, freshman CJ Harris. A two-time all-MAAC Academic Team honouree, Jones may only have featured in five games over the last two seasons but has definitely put the student in student-athlete during her time in New Jersey.
As mentioned in CJ Harris’ profile, Rider have plenty of defensive holes to plug following the graduation of a number of players who spent plenty of time in the backline in 2024. The Broncs have brought in some defensive reinforcements among their freshman class, including Harris, but there certainly look to be additional opportunities available for players like Jones if she is able to take them during the early stages of the season.
Montanna Mathews (Sophomore, Incarnate Word, Albury)
Originally from Albury but with experience in NPL Victoria with Calder United, Montanna Mathews quickly became a reliable option during her first season at Incarnate Word. A fullback with the ability to play on either flank as well as push further forward, Matthews made 14 appearances during her freshman year in 2024, making six starts. Whilst her playing time fluctuated throughout the season, an overall average in excess of 40 minutes per game makes for a solid base from which to build on in 2025.
Incarnate Word finished 8-8-3 last season, with a 5-4-1 record in Southland league play before falling to East Texas A&M in their conference tournament opener. Whilst their defence conceded less than a goal per game, the Cardinals scored at the same rate, and improvement at the attacking end will be crucial to improving their fortunes in 2025. However, they will have to make up for the loss of Sierra Wanamaker and her five goals if they are to reach the next level in the Southland after finishing 6th in 2024, but only three points off 3rd position.
Eva McGorian (Freshman, Loyola Maryland, Melbourne)
Listed as both a midfielder and defender depending on the source, freshman Eva McGorian doubles the Australian presence at Loyola Maryland alongside sophomore forward Ava Blizzard, and brings obvious versatility that could be the ace up her sleeve in the chase for early playing time. McGorian has significant experience in NPL Victoria with South Melbourne and Calder United before most recently playing for Bulleen Lions. Having spent her early years with the Football Victoria NTC program, McGorian’s talent has been known for several years, and Loyola Maryland hope to be the next program to reap the benefits of the defender’s presence.
The Greyhounds have been solid over the last few seasons, finishing with eight wins twice and 11 wins once over the last four seasons. However, a 3-3-3 record in the highly competitive Patriot League is a mark that they will want to improve significantly in 2025. Although they reached the conference tournament semi-finals last year, their fifth-place finish saw the team face top-seeded Bucknell and fall to a 4-0 defeat. However, their defence conceded less than a goal per game, which is an achievement in and of itself, and McGorian will hopefully be part of a backline that maintains that level of success.
Kate Ryan (Junior, Dartmouth, Dallas)
Although her hometown is Dallas, Kate Ryan grew up both in the Lone Star State and country Victoria, playing both soccer and Aussie Rules football before making the move to Dartmouth. Playing opportunities have been scarce for the defender over the last couple of years, with just a single appearance in both 2023 and 2024, but 2025 is a new season. Intriguingly, just one of Dartmouth’s freshmen this season is a defender, and there are only eight defenders listed on the roster in 2025. If the Victorian Texan is to secure an extended run of playing time, the early stages of the upcoming season will be her best opportunity.
The Big Green have regularly finished above .500, but conference play has been far less kind to the team from New Hampshire. 2024 saw Dartmouth finish 7-6-3 overall but just 1-4-2 in the Ivy League, a mark that put paid to any hopes of postseason participation. Whilst they could do with some improvement at both ends, it would be harsh to call either their attack or defence particularly bad, with both sitting well inside the top half of the nation. Moreover, with three of their four conference losses coming by only one goal in 2024, they are clearly there or thereabouts in the conference.
Wilma Thodhlana (Saint Peter’s, Junior, Perth)
Sophie Cook may have transferred to NCAA Division II outfit Grand Valley State, but Saint Peter’s still retain an Aussie presence on the pitch as Wilma Thodhlana enters her junior year under fellow countrywoman, head coach Julia Bazi. After making five starts in nine appearances in her freshman year, Thodhlana was one of the first names on the team sheet in 2024. The defender made 15 starts and started all but one of those games, and played the full 90 minutes 11 times on her way to averaging in excess of 80 minutes per game. Listed as a defender/midfielder for the Peacocks, Thodhlana also notched the first shots of her career last season, tallying six with three on target.
Unfortunately, success for the Saint Peter’s program has been hard to come by, with the four wins in each of the last two seasons representing a high point for the program. However, a number of the team’s leaders last season were underclassmen, which will hopefully ensure consistency and continued improvement for the Peacocks going forward.
Leave a Reply