MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Montevallo women's soccer is outfitted to take on the 2023 season, starting with a match against Kentucky Wesleyan at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31.
 
Montevallo enters the 2023 campaign after being picked to finish fourth in the league with 125 total points after finishing fourth in the 2022 season. The Falcons posted a 12-3-3 overall record with an 8-2-3 mark in conference play. Head Coach Jake Wyman's squad recorded an impressive 7-1-2 home record with the lone, home loss coming against fifth-seeded Lee in the first round of the GSC Tournament.
 
The 2023 season kicks off with a trip to Owensboro, Ky. to take on Kentucky Wesleyan on Aug. 31 before heading to Trevecca Nazarene on Sept. 2. The Falcons then stay on-campus for a four-game homestand beginning with a non-conference contest against West Alabama on Sept. 8. Montevallo then hosts Nova Southeastern on Sept. 10 with the first GSC match on Sept. 15 versus West Georgia. Valdosta State comes to town on Sept. 17 before taking to the road on Sept. 22 to take on Shorter. The Falcons stay on the road for three games against Lee, West Alabama, and Alabama in Huntsville. UM then hosts West Florida and Spring Hill on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8, respectively. Montevallo is then scheduled to face Auburn Montgomery on Oct. 13 before travelling to Tennessee for games at Union and Christian Brothers on Oct. 20 and Oct. 22, respectively. The Falcons close the season with a pair of matches at home against Mississippi College before Delta State comes to town for Senior Day on Oct. 29.
 
The 2023 Gulf South Conference Tournament is scheduled to start with on-campus, round one games on Nov. 5 before the tournament moves to John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. for the semifinals and finals on Nov. 9 and 11, respectively.
 
Ahead of the new season, Wyman added nine fresh Falcons with the signing of the 2023 recruiting class. Read more about the 2023 Signing Class here.
 
Wyman's newcomers have shown well in the preseason with the highlight of the group being the drive to put the ball in the back of the net. "I would say the hunger to score," said Wyman. "I think we've probably signed more strikers in this class than we have in the past. And last year, we were a little bit thin up top. I think we were asking the 'Tina Palmeri's' of the world to play striker, and she's not a striker. We were asking Tori Ochoa to play striker last year. She's not a striker. So, we went out of our way this year to sign kids that we felt like had a nose for goal, that had a hunger to score. And so, obviously, we feel like we brought in a balanced class. But of the newcomers, compared to years past, I think we've signed a few more kids that like to put the ball in the back of the net."
 
Of the nine signed to Montevallo's 2023 class of recruits, freshmen Raylene Alcaraz, Morgan Goehring, Jordan Hood, and Isabel Dillehay were named to the 2023 GSC Newcomer watchlist. Alcaraz makes her way to Montevallo out of Poly High School in Riverside, Calif. The freshman forward earned first team All-League and Scholar Athlete awards her senior year of high school. Goehring hails from Yorba Linda, Calif. and was a two-time offensive MVP for Orange Lutheran High School. Hood, another California product, spent the last three seasons as captain for Valley View High School. Dillehay, a two-sport athlete at Grandview High School, comes to Montevallo from Centennial, Colo. The forward was named Academic All-State as well as 2022 Scholar Athlete.
 
Graduate midfielder Kieran Burkey reiterated Wyman's statement highlighting the aggressiveness of the new additions to the Falcons' roster. "Kind of going off of what Jake says, I think a lot of the newcomers are goal hungry. I remember last year, we had a hard time putting the ball in the back of the net. But already this first week at practice, a lot of the incoming freshmen have done that, and all the trainings are super competitive. So, that stands out to me."
 
"The new group has come in, and I feel like when you get a freshman class in, one thing we can always count on is they come in with a bit of hunger," said Wyman. "They come in with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder to prove themselves. I think they've done a really nice job coming in and competing straight away."
 
The Falcon squad also features several returners who made some noise during 2022. Montevallo brings back reigning Freshman of the Year Angelina Rivas who led the team with seven goals and 14 points on her way to a 2023 Preseason All-GSC Team selection. Montevallo also returns 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Second Team selection Avery Campbell after a season that saw the rising senior tally a team-leading five assists.
 
With the duo of Cambpell and Rivas taking the official recognition, Wyman highlighted a pair of players that have shown out during the preseason. "The two that stand out to me are Tina and Madeline Milby. I think Tina and Milby had really good springs. They've gone away during the summer. They've come back fit, they've come back sharp. It's a bit of a loaded question because I think we have quite a few kids that are back and looking really good. But those two, to me, look better than I've seen them in previous seasons. And I'm excited for their final year because they look as good as I've ever seen them."
 
Montevallo added to its attacking corps with the signing of four strikers in the 2023 class but the vast majority of the 2022 squad will suit up in 2023. The Falcons lost just eight players during the offseason, returning seven of the team's 2022 starters. Wyman touched on the importance of retaining the core of a team. "I think the nucleus that we have coming back is something that is going to be a strength of ours. We've got 17 returners, and this will be the heaviest fifth year group that we've had since I've been here. You just can't replicate that experience. I think we have six kids that are in their fifth year. Two of them are graduate students. The other four are still pursuing that bachelor's degree. And then we have three fourth-year seniors, and we have a balanced roster. Right now, we have nine freshmen, but we have nine seniors or older. So, I think that nucleus, that core group coming back, will be the ones that lead this freshman group with how we want to play and the intensity that we want to train at."
 
Much of the Falcons' leadership returns from 2022 with some players stepping into new leadership roles. Burkey, one of those that has transitioned into a leader on the team, said, "It's been fun. My whole soccer career, I haven't taken the easiest route. This is obviously the third school I've been at, and obviously this is, like, the happiest I've been. This is a great program. I just think I feel comfortable here, and it's been easy to take on the more leadership role. I know as a freshman, I wanted and needed those girls to look up to and to push me on and off the field, and it's honestly an honor to be that person for someone else. Multiple people. I hope that years from now, somebody can look back on their soccer career and be like, 'yeah, she was a great teammate.'"
 
With the start of a new season on the horizon, the Falcons have the same goals as a year ago. Win a conference championship.
 
"I think our main goal is to win a conference championship," said Burkey. "I would like to go to end my career with a ring. And I know that we've mentioned how many fifth years and seniors there are, and I think they can say the same thing. We set goals, and I think we just kept raising the bar from last year with clean sheets, goals scored, numerous things. I think we just keep raising the bar for this season."
 
The Falcons take to the pitch for the first match of the regular season on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. for a matchup with Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
Stay up to date with the latest news, stats, and scores online at montevallofalcons.com or on social media @UM_WSoccer and @montevallo.womens.soccer.