CMS Women's Soccer Projected to Reach Postseason in 2022

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the SCIAC in a preseason vote of the league's coaches, the conference office announced this week.

The Athenas are entering their first year under head coach David Nolan, and are projected to finish in the top four and earn a SCIAC bid, after three straight years of narrowly missing by coming in fifth. A year ago, CMS was less than 10 minutes from reaching the tournament, but ended up getting whistled for a penalty kick late in a key game at Chapman, which allowed the Panthers to tie the score and win it in overtime. 

CMS, though, only graduated two seniors off that team, All-SCIAC midfielder Gracyn Buenconsejo and forward Ava Sherry, giving the Athenas a strong returning nucleus as they strive to return to the postseason this fall. 

The top two goal-scorers, the team's assist leader, and the starting goalkeeper are all back this season. Sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Helfrich led CMS in scoring last fall (seven goals, two assists) as a first-year and captured the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year award. Fellow sophomore midfielder Ava Schmitt had five goals to rank second on the team in scoring, while senior midfielder Nicole Oberlag led in assists with four. 

Athena Manthouli started every game in goal and is back for her senior season after tallying an .820 save percentage. Plenty of returners from the back four last year are also returning, including seniors Lizzie Iwicki, Sam Ree, Taylor Arakaki, and Olivia Tuffli, junior Jenna Rempel, and sophomores Emma Fogg, Annie McKinley, and Natalie Phillips.

Adding to the team's list of weapons in the attacking third are senior Caelyn Smith, juniors Kelly Schlutz, Eva Fernandez, Laurel Ovenell and Jihae Oh, and sophomores Hannah Dearman-So, Tori Holden, Sunshine D'Elia and Amelia Reyes. 

CMS opens its season on Thursday, Sept. 1 with a road game against Cal State San Marcos, before returning home for a big matchup on Saturday, Sept. 3 against tradional power University of Chicago, which reached the NCAA Quarterfinal round last year.