HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) women's soccer coaches have cast their votes to decide the preseason favorites for the upcoming 2022 season. The Trine University women's soccer team was selected to place third in a congested top of the league table.
The Thunder received two first-place votes and totaled 20 points. Calvin University was chosen to snag the regular season title for the third consecutive season with a league-high four first-place votes and 15 points. Hope College was second place with two first-place votes and 17 points. Albion College in fourth received the final first-place vote and tallied 24 points.
The point totals are determined by votes cast by the association's coaches, who cannot vote for their own team, with low point total receiving the top spot.
Gary Boughton is entering his fourth season at the helm of the women's program and has set the bar even higher every year thus far. In 2021, the team won 15 games, the most ever for a single season, and made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Trine was 15-5-2 and went 5-3 in MIAA action.
The Thunder returns all three 2021 All-MIAA honorees, including First Team All-MIAA forward Teresa Ashbrook in her sophomore season. Ashbrook is already closing in on the career goals scored record in Trine's NCAA Division III era after finding the back of the net 18 times one season ago. She is four scores away from tying Morgan Sanderson at 22. She led the league in goals (18) and was second in points (39) in limited action during her freshman campaign.
Senior midfielder Olivia Butterworth and sophomore goalkeeper Sophie Aschemeier will also be returning to the Trine team after both were named to the All-MIAA Second Team last year. Butterworth scored three times from the midfield in 2021, including the game-winning goal of the MIAA First Round Tournament match against Adrian College, and had a pair of assists. Aschemeier separated herself from the competition during the conference portion of last year's schedule. She started and played in all but five minutes in the final 11 matches of the season. Aschemeier and the Trine defense held opponents without a score six times in that span.
Bella Mabry, Mia Augustino, Taylor Noll and Veronica Ocampo all scored three or more goals last season and return to the Thunder roster in 2022. Staples on defense include Andrea Wright, Ellie Price and Rachel Hill, who each started 20 or more games last season.
Trine women's soccer opens the season on Thursday, September 1 on the road at Franklin College. Kick-off is set for 7 pm.
