JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's women's soccer position previews conclude with a peak at the defenders and goalkeepers with help from graduate student defender Noel Criser (West Yarmouth, Mass.).
Carson-Newman's defense in 2024 will have to replace all-SAC and all-Southeast region defender Abbie Zander. She was one of just four players to start and play in every game last season and helped anchor the backline of defense.
Luckily for head coach Simon Duffy, he has a whole host of defenders who return from this past season. The most experienced one is graduate student Noel Criser. Her senior season was plagued by injury, seeing playing time in just eight games. But the defender has 27 career starts as a main center back for C-N.
"Coming back and playing for Duffy is an easy decision," Criser said. "I was just grateful to have the opportunity to come back and I was excited about this group and getting to play with a lot of the same girls again. I am super excited to see what we are capable of."
After missing her entire freshman season, Annika Fend fit right in as an outside backer, starting in 18 of 19 games in her first year. She scored her first career goal in a 2-1 win over Newberry on Sept 30.
A trio of freshman defenders got lots of experience along the backline. Iris Palsdottir started 13 games as a center back defender, playing just over 1,000 minutes. She scored her first career goal off a corner kick to give C-N the lead 1-0 against Bluefield State on Oct 18, a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
Kendall Garber and Karli Pettitt are the other two freshmen that saw meaningful time along the backline. Garber played in 16 games and made nine starts as a rookie. Pettitt played in every game with three starts. She scored her first career goal, the game-winner in a 5-3 season-opening victory over North Greenville.
Upperclassmen Alayna Corbitt and Irish Miles will vie for extended playing time as the duo enters their junior seasons.
"It's important to be confident in the back," Criser said. "We lost some experience there, but I think the girls understand the expectation is and are excited to get back on the field. I am really confident in whoever goes out there to give their best and do a good job."
The one new addition to the backline is freshman Ava Rose. She was a three-sport athlete at the University School of Jackson. While on the soccer team, she was a key contributor for a defense that recorded 40 shutouts, only allowing 17 goals in four seasons. A four-year starter, Rose is a two-time state soccer champion and also has two state cup, southern regionals and national appearances.
There are three goalkeepers on Carson-Newman's roster for this season. After making 14 starts as a freshman, Berna Kabakci returns for her sophomore season. She posted a 5-7-2 record in goal with a pair of shutouts. In her first career start, she made a career-high ten saves in a 1-0 loss to Anderson. It was the first time a C-N keeper had ten or more saves in a match since Jasmine Rizk had eleven saves against Catawba in 2019.
"I think she knows our style of play really well," Criser said. "She is confident and calm with the ball, which is always great. She makes great saves and is very vocal back there, which is everything you want in a keeper."
Danielle Lacy returns for her second season along the banks of Mossy Creek after five games and three starts in the net. She had a .583 save percentage and made a total of 14 saves. C-N's third keeper in the room is a transfer in Amber Wilkinson. She spent one season at the NAIA level with Rocky Mountain College, making five starts, totaling 315 minutes in goal. Wilkinson recorded 16 saves and allowed nine goals.
Carson-Newman women's soccer begins its 2024 campaign on the road against Columbus State on September 5th. The match is set for a 2:00 p.m. start.
