DEARBORN, Mich. -- On the eve of gameday, the University of Michigan-Dearborn women's soccer team has the "Hay in the Barn," an old analogy meaning that the work is done. Now, it's time to show the fruits of their labor on the pitch for the 2024 season. "We know that this year will be key in proving ourselves in such a tough league," said Head Coach George Easter, who returns to the sidelines for his third season. "Our program has come a long way over the last few years; our veterans have put in the work during the off-season, and our new recruits have been doing well in the preseason. So I look forward to seeing what we can do this Fall as we continue to build and grow."
On the back of a 7-9-2 record in 2023, the Wolverines return their top-five scorers from last season. After Pinkowski's 24 points, Rena Arabi and Juju Kleit were tied with 12 points. Talia List and Nadia Saab rounded out the returners with nine and seven points, respectively. The lone uncertainty for Coach Easter's squad this season will be between the pipes. Julia Tasker (Canton, Mich./Canton High School) and Isabelle Shaw (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston High School) will be tasked with an ongoing battle throughout non-conference play to see who will take over the reins before the first game in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play.
Preseason Poll
The Wolverines were selected to finish eighth out of 13 teams in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference preseason poll. UM-Dearborn finished two points behind Lourdes, who finished with 76 points in seventh place. Aquinas took first with 166 points and 10 first-place votes, while UNOH and Siena Heights finished second and third, respectively, despite SHU recording more first-place votes.
The Week Ahead
The Wolverines take on Saint Francis (IN) in their season opener on Tuesday (Aug. 20). The Cougars finished the 2023 season with a 3-11-4 record. The Wolverines and the Cougars met in a September matchup that saw the Wolverines win 1-0 on the road thanks to a goal from Nadia Saab (Dearborn, Mich./ Crestwood High School) in the 63rd minute. Talia List (Plymouth, Mich. / Salem High School) provided the helper on the lone goal.
UM-Dearborn closes the week on Friday (Aug. 23) against the Indiana Northwest Redhawks. The Redhawks finished 3-9-5 with a 2-9-0 record in conference play during the 2023 season.
How to Watch
Live Stats can be found here: https://athletics.umdearborn.edu/sports/wsoc/2024-25/boxscores/20240820_frce.xml
Live Steam can be found here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/umdearborn/
