In 2023, the St. Cloud State University Women’s Soccer program continued its journey of improvement to reach new heights. A wave of fresh recruits and committed returners cemented a championship standard for the team. The Huskies broke records, set new standards and put together the best season in program history.
Right out of the gate in the 2023 season, the Huskies impressed on their way to a 13-3-2 regular season record, ending the conference schedule with a record of 10-2-2 and 32 points. Over the regular season, the Huskies tallied the best five-game start (4-1), best 10-game start (7-2-1) and best 15-game start (12-2-1) since 2000.
In early November, SCSU put a bow on a dominant and historic regular season by defending their home field at Husky Stadium to capture their first-ever Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season championship title.
The dominance of the Huskies continued beyond the regular season, carrying the success into the NSIC playoffs. SCSU hosted the conference tournament in St. Cloud for the first time in school history. The team advanced to the semifinal round of the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2019 and for the fourth time in program history.
Following that conference tournament run, SCSU heard its name called during the NCAA Women’s Soccer National Selection Show as they earned the third seed in the NCAA Central Region. That at-large bid was another record-breaking achievement, marking the first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history. SCSU’s season concluded in the national tournament, amassing a 14-5-2 record while setting a new record for total number of wins in a season.
“This season reflects the evolution of the program at SCSU. The people who paved the way for us started the journey that we are on,” SCSU head coach Gretta Macdonald said. “The University’s investment to advance our program by adding a full-time assistant coach to our staff in 2021 has played a pivotal role in creating our success. With this investment, our staff has worked to elevate the student-athlete experience and expand our recruiting efforts. The 2023 team is a special group that has helped change our program forever. This future SCSU Hall of Fame team will be remembered for their commitment to the process and embodying a championship culture.”
Award-winning Campaign
The team’s historic success was recognized by the NSIC and NCAA. SCSU had an NSIC league-high eight players earn All- Conference honors, four of whom were named to the first team (sophomore Ellie Primerano, sophomore Brooke Quam, freshman Ana Spaine and junior Rheana Zerna) and four named to the second team (freshman Jaylee Strickland, junior Gracie Parsons, freshman Linsey Trapino and freshman Grace Olson). In addition, Quam and Olson received NSIC All-Tournament Team honors, Trapino was named NSIC Freshman of the Year and Macdonald was named NSIC Coach of the Year.
“The 2023 season was an amazing experience, we were out there winning game after game and kept improving,” junior Rheana Zerna said. “Practicing as hard as we played and pushing each other helped us win the NSIC for the first time ever, and we look forward to breaking more records.”
Nationally, Primerano, Quam and Spaine earned NCAA D2CCA All-Central Region Team honors while four Huskies were recognized by the United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Team (Primerano, Quam, Trapino and Zerna). These accolades were a testament to the success and hard work put forth by the entire Women’s Soccer program all year long.
“Last season was definitely one to remember; I had so much fun with my teammates, and our strong success created an unbreakable family bond. That is what I look back on and cherish the most,” freshman Jaylee Strickland said. “Qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, winning our conference and putting together a record-breaking season meant so much for our program. We worked together for months on end and came together to achieve a like-minded goal; that made us who we were.
“I’m looking forward to coming back together next season to do just the same, and having that cohesive chemistry carry over from last season,” Strickland continued. “It’s really exciting to think about all we are going to be able to accomplish together.”
The historic 2023 season generates excitement for 2024 and beyond, as the team turns their focus to welcoming the next wave of recruits. The defending NSIC champions are ready to build off their success.
The future is bright for SCSU Women’s Soccer.
“A sincere thank you to all who supported our pursuits in 2023. It takes a village, and we appreciate everyone’s efforts,” Macdonald said. “We’ve accomplished great things together and set a new standard for the future of our program. We hope everyone can take a moment and appreciate everything we did in 2023. We are excited to build on this season and look forward to the possibilities ahead.”
