NEW LONDON, Conn. —
The Coast Guard Academy women's soccer team is set to kick off the 25th season in program history this Friday, August 29th, at Montclair State University!
The Bears were chosen to finish eighth in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) by the league's coaches in the annual Preseason Poll. The team went 2-11-6 last season but managed to sneak into the NEWMAC playoffs as the eighth and final seed before falling, 1-2, to MIT in a first-round matchup that saw CGA put up a plucky fight against the #3 team in the nation and eventual conference champions.
"We're fortunate to have a strong core of returners and a group of freshmen ready to make their marks," says head coach Susan Grant, "and we're very excited to celebrate 25 years of NCAA women's soccer at the Coast Guard Academy!" Grant is the longest-tenured head coach in the program's history, set to enter her 19th season at the helm in 2025.
SENIORS
Two senior leaders were tabbed as captains for the upcoming season: forward Mia Forti (Durham, Conn.) and midfielder Teal Wasson (Kahuku, Hawaii).
Forti has made a name for herself as an ambitious shot-creator, both for herself and her teammates. She recorded two assists and no goals last season but led the 2023 team with 13 points on six goals and one assist. The Bears will be happy to have Wasson back on the pitch full-time after making just nine starts in 11 games last campaign due to a mid-season injury. When healthy, the Hawaiian contributed two scores and proved herself versatile by playing wherever she was needed.
Three more seniors will make their returns for the 2025 season. Arwen Wise (Weatherford, Tex.) played 16 games with two starts while providing midfield and up-front depth last season, while Lydia Boyer (Crofton, Md.) and Mary Kate Huynh (Grantville, Pa.) will both make their first appearances since 2022. The duo were participants in the Service Academy Exchange Program last year, with Boyer spending her fall at the Air Force Academy and Huynh with Navy. Boyer played six games in 2023, while Huynh scored a goal in seven games with three starts.
JUNIORS
The Class of 2027 features six players returning for their junior seasons, including two starters.
Lulu Vlases (Bozeman, Mont.) figures to be one of the pistons of the Bears' offensive motor after tallying a team-high seven points on three goals and an assist last season. She started in all 19 games and will bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the midfield alongside Meren Zeliger (Farmington, Maine), who made 13 starts in 16 games during her sophomore campaign.
This season's goalkeeper room features Emma Acker (Springfield, Va.) and Julia Little (Fort Meade, Md.), who will both look towards more playing time after the team graduated three-year starter ENS Emily Scharnitzky. The duo played two games each in 2024, with Little making a start. Rounding out the class are midfielder Anabelle Pezzullo (Ashaway, R.I.), who started twice and scored once in 15 games; defender Celia Bertrand (Ashland, Oreg.), who made six appearances; and fellow back-liner Therese Sherwin (Destin, Fla.), who joins the team by way of the Air Force Academy as part of the Service Academy Exchange Program.
SOPHOMORES
The Class of 2028 makes up the deepest portion of the roster, bringing back 11 players from last season's squad. Defender Mia Lambert (Rome, Italy) returns with the most playing experience after making 19 appearances and 18 starts last season, a trait that is expected to be vital for a Bears defense that graduated three starters. Midfielder Bella Brittain (Woodbridge, Va.) made five starts in 18 games and had one of the team's most important goals of 2024, a 67th-minute free kick at Wellesley College, which proved to be the decider in CGA's second win of the season.
Ella Pottle (Epping, N.H.) also returns with experience and goal-scoring ability in the midfield, scoring twice in 15 games and 11 starts before missing the last few games of the year to injury. Mia Carabajal-Hartog (Los Lunas, N.M.) played in ten games with two starts, while Laurianne Gaillard (Owings, Md.) played in 15 games from the bench. Katelyn Mankewich (Scituate, Mass.), twins Gwen & Lily Slaughter (Cary, N.C.), and defenders Mallory Sultan (Ashburn, Va.) and Maya Litchfield (Manassas, Va.), who is joining the team as a walk-on, are all looking to earn playing time during their sophomore seasons.
FRESHMEN
Finally, the women's soccer program will welcome eight players into its ranks: midfielders Gabbie Kirwin (Galena, Ohio), Elena Millner (Woodbridge, Va.), and Liana Vivas (Sahuarita, Az.); and defenders Kaela Hoss (Old Lyme, Conn.), Emily Kukal (Millville, N.J.), Bianca McIntosh (Woodbridge, Va.), and Malia Sarmac (Woodbridge, Va.).
"The team has been working hard in the offseason and is excited to start playing together," says Grant. "We're looking to qualify for the NEWMAC Tournament, go on a strong postseason run, and make this 25th season a special one!"
