Monmouth, Northeastern’s Akyirem Earn CAA Women’s Soccer Preseason Honors
Miles McQuiggan
RICHMOND, Va. (Aug. 10, 2023) – The Monmouth women’s soccer team was one of six CAA members to receive at least one first-place vote, as the Hawks edged out the group to be selected as the conference’s preseason favorite in a poll of the league’s 13 head coaches.
In addition, Northeastern forward
Vivian Akyirem followed an outstanding freshman campaign by being named Preseason Player of the Year heading into her sophomore season. Akyirem’s 13 goals in her first collegiate season were tied for the most by any Division I rookie over the last three seasons.
CAA regular-season champion Monmouth (6), Northeastern (1), CAA tournament champion Hofstra (3), Towson (1), Drexel (1), and newcomer Campbell (1) each received a first-place vote, with the first five of those teams separated by 13 total points and Monmouth edging Northeastern by one point.
Monmouth went 13-2-3 in 2022 and captured the CAA regular-season crown in its first year in the league. The Hawks ranked ninth nationally in won-lost-tied percentage (.806), 19
th in goals-against average (0.659), and 27
th in scoring offense (2.11 goals/game).
Northeastern played in its second consecutive CAA title game in 2022, as the Huskies hosted the final at Parsons Field in a 10-6-4 campaign. Hofstra rattled off a magical run in October and November to become the first No. 8 seed ever to win the CAA title. Towson and Drexel were semifinalists in the eight-team CAA Championship, while Campbell won the Big South regular-season title prior to entering the league this summer.
The Camels were picked seventh in the 13-team poll behind Elon, which is the most recent team to win a CAA title (2020-21) prior to Hofstra’s active streak. William & Mary finished just ahead of UNCW and Stony Brook in a tight vote between eighth and 10
th, while Charleston, Delaware, and Hampton rounded out the poll for a 13-team table – the largest in league history.
Nine CAA teams were represented on the 12-player preseason All-CAA list with Drexel, Northeastern, and Towson each earning two selections and Campbell, Hofstra, Monmouth, UNCW, Stony Brook, and William & Mary each collecting one.
The CAA Women’s Soccer Championship will move to a six-team format in 2023 with the top two seeds hosting opening weekend games on October 26 & 29, with the final slated for the highest remaining seed on Saturday, Nov. 4.
2023 CAA Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
|
School (1st) |
Points |
| 1. |
Monmouth (6) |
124 |
| 2. |
Northeastern (1) |
123 |
| 3. |
Hofstra (3) |
117 |
| 4. |
Towson (1) |
112 |
| 5. |
Drexel (1) |
111 |
| 6. |
Elon |
86 |
| 7. |
Campbell (1) |
80 |
| 8. |
William & Mary |
62 |
| 9. |
UNCW |
61 |
| 10. |
Stony Brook |
59 |
| 11. |
Charleston |
40 |
| 12. |
Delaware |
27 |
| 13. |
Hampton |
12 |
2023 Preseason All-CAA Women’s Soccer Team
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Vivian Akyirem * |
Northeastern |
So. |
F |
Kumasi, Ghana |
| Kayla Burroughs |
UNCW |
Jr. |
F |
Asheboro, N.C. |
| Nia Christopher * |
Towson |
Sr. |
F |
Devonshire, Bermuda |
| Ivey Crain |
William & Mary |
So. |
F |
Milton, Ga. |
| Delaney Lappin * |
Drexel |
Sr. |
F |
Corbin City, N.J. |
| Wiktoria Fronc * |
Hofstra |
So. |
M |
London, England |
| Jessie Hunt |
Northeastern |
Sr. |
M |
Edina, Minn. |
| Annalena O’Reilly |
Drexel |
R-Sr. |
M |
Ardmore, Pa. |
| Lauren Bruno |
Monmouth |
Sr. |
D |
Manalapan, N.J. |
| Laney Peabody |
Campbell |
R-Sr. |
D |
Solana Beach, Calif. |
| Catharina von Drigalski |
Stony Brook |
Gr. |
D |
Oberursel, Germany |
| Riley Melendez |
Towson |
Sr. |
GK |
Springfield, Va. |
2023 CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern
* Received at least one vote for Preseason Player of the Year
There was a tie for the final spot on the team, hence the 12-player list.
Honorable Mention: McKenna Dalfonso, GK, Elon; Lily Dunbar, D, Drexel; Jasmine Hamid, M, Towson; Kennedy Jones, M, Elon; Alexis Legowski, M, Northeastern; Makaya Parham, D, UNCW; Dagny Run Petursdottir, M, Hofstra; Grace Powell, M, Charleston; Caitlin St. Leger, M, Delaware; Holland Stam, GK, Northeastern; Shae Yocum, D, Charleston
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