By: Ryan Henry
KENNESAW, Ga. – Let's try this again! Following last week's cancellations against Coastal Carolina and The Citadel, the Kennesaw State soccer team will now open up the 2025 season against No. 24 Memphis in front of the Owl faithful before heading to Auburn.
Thursday, August 21
7 p.m. – Kennesaw State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. #24 Memphis (2-0-0, 0-0-0 American)
Location: Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium | Kennesaw, Ga.
Sunday, August 24
3 p.m. – Kennesaw State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. Auburn (0-1-1, 0-0-0 SEC)
Location: Auburn Soccer Complex | Auburn, AL
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New Name, Same Feel
On August 19, Kennesaw State announced that the field at Fifth Third Stadium, home of the Owls' football, soccer and lacrosse programs, will be named Walens Family Field in recognition of a transformative $4 million philanthropic gift from Dave and Donna Walens.
2024 Year in Review
The Owls concluded their first season in Conference USA with a 3-10-4 record, finishing seventh in the conference. The season was highlighted by their 3-0 thumping of eventual CUSA champions FIU. For their efforts, forward
Tianna Rivera and goalkeeper
Charlee Bernal became the program's first CUSA Player and Goalkeeper of the Week. At the year's conclusion, Rivera received all-conference second-team honors.
Mark Your Calendars
Coach
Chris Cahill packed the schedule in his second season at KSU. The Owls will face three teams that made the 2024 NCAA tournament (Auburn, FIU and Missouri State). KSU hosts American regular season champions Memphis on Aug. 21 for its season opener. CUSA play begins on Sept. 21 at Western Kentucky.
Key Returners
Six starters from last year's squad (Bernal,
Aly Bryan,
Naomi Moleka,
Alana Nesbit,
Anabel Orozco and
Delaney Edwards) return for the 2025 season. Bernal made history last season as she became the program's first CUSA Goalkeeper of the Week after her 3-0 shutout against the conference champions FIU on Oct. 20. Senior
Mai Jensen also returns, having started in all seven matches she played in before going down with an injury.
Fresh Faces
Eight new players (two transfers and six freshmen) will be added to the fold this season. Georgia transfer
Rebecca Womer brings two years of SEC experience, having played with current KSU assistant coach
Daniella Murguia.
Sydni Whitehead (Bellarmine) received ASUN All-Freshman team honors in 2023 and will face her former squad on Sept. 14.
Courtney Allen,
Julia Balchen,
Aubrey Diskin,
Anna Economopoulos,
Sara Hill and
Caroline Shaw hope to make an impact at The Nest from day one.
CUSA Preseason Poll
Kennesaw State was picked to finish eighth in the Conference USA coaches' preseason poll, tallying 47 total points. The Black and Gold finished seventh in their inaugural CUSA season with a conference record of 2-4-3. The conference expanded to 12 teams following the additions of Missouri State and Delaware, who were predicting to finish third and seventh respectively. Liberty tops the poll with 119 points and nine first-place votes.
Scouting Memphis
Last season's American Conference regular season champion has picked up where they have left off, slotting in at 24th in the most recent United Soccer Coaches' rankings. Memphis scored nine goals in its first two matches, which included a 6-0 victory over Southern Miss in the season opener.
Ellis Kelly received the conference's freshman of the week honors after scoring two goals and recording an assist against the Lady Eagles. Memphis returns reigning American Defender of the Year Finley Lavin and Freshman of the Year Ai Kitagawa.
Scouting Auburn
The first of three NCAA tournament teams KSU will face in 2025, the Auburn Tigers are winless in their first two matches and have failed to score a goal.
Auburn is now under the direction of James Armstrong, who took over for Karen Hoppa after 26 years with the program. Armstrong comes back to his alma mater with multiple key returners including double-digit goal scorer Olivia Woodson.
