Regis women's soccer poised to threaten for RMAC title again in 2023

Aug 29 | By: David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

DENVER, Colo. — The Regis University women's soccer team was the RMAC wildcard in 2022, coming in at No. 7 in last fall's RMAC Coaches' Preseason Poll as the leagued waited to see the direction the team would go under first-year head coach Jeff Frykholm.

Regis aced those unanswered questions, rebounding from a 1-4-1 start to finish 12-7-2 overall and 9-2-1 inside the RMAC Conference, capped off by a postseason run all the way to the RMAC Tournament championship game.

Coming into 2023, the Rangers are no longer an unknown. Picked No. 3 in the 2023 RMAC Coaches' Preseason Poll back on August 16, and earning one first-place vote, Regis is poised to once again be in contention for a RMAC Championship and a possible spot in this falls NCAA Division II Tournament once the 2023 campaign gets underway this Friday night at home against Chico State (7 p.m.).

"I thought that last year's poll was really an appropriate spot for the program to be with a new coach and a lot of uncertainty that's always around that. We started off slowly, losing four of our first six games, but I think it was during that time that we started seeing some of the pieces coming together," Frykholm said. "Those were the key ingredients that allowed us to really get on that run and be pretty successful. It was a slow build last year. But really there is still so much more work to be done and we've talked about that with our players. It's nice to receive that (No. 3) recognition, but all it really means is that we're going to need to be more prepared, more ready, tougher and more resilient so that, if all goes according to plan, we can continue to be a program that pushes the upper part of the RMAC."

RETURNERS
The Rangers welcome back a talented, experienced core group from last fall, including the team's leading goal scorer and All-Region player, senior forward Kelby Kuo (7 goals, 17 points).

Sophomore forward Natalie Bunch added four goals and four assists in 2022 as a true freshman, while junior midfielders Alex Baer and Sarah Wynn, junior forward Stella Straubing, as well as senior midfielder Jillian Skurcenski are two more experienced playmakers back in the fold for 2023.

Graduate student midfielder Alexis Gaffney (1 goal in six games), a Division I transfer from Valparaiso limited by an ACL injury in 2022, also profiles as another offensive weapon at the Rangers' disposal.
Defensively, Regis welcomes back another seasoned back row of veterans in seniors Emma Longbrake, Samantha Murray, Sophia Leone (RMAC Honorable Mention) and junior Madison Cullinan from a Rangers' defense that limited opponents to just 21 goals in 21 games played in 2022.

"There's so many good players in the RMAC and across the country. And we're lucky to have a good number of them here. But it is really a question of the strength of your system and how that system is built and allows you to achieve the ultimate goal of winning matches," Frykholm said. "So when I look at the players we have coming back this year, what is really encouraging is the depth of their knowledge in the system we're trying to play, the roles and responsibilities."

NEWCOMERS
The Rangers were active on the recruiting trail in 2022-23, as well, bringing in nine newcomers that includes seven true freshmen and a pair of transfer players in midfielders Alyssa Granno and Ana Lopes.

As for the seven freshmen — Kayla Arucan, Brooke Castillo, Madeline Gardner, Isabel Jones, Gianna Sparaco, Bridget Hankins and Elsa Nolen — they head to Denver from seven different states ranging from Hawaii to Arizona.

All nine players have impressed during what has been an extended preseason for the Rangers, which got underway in late July with a seven-day foreign tour to Costa Rica.

"We've been so pleased with our incoming group, the two transfers who have come in have been fantastic, and then our group of seven first-year freshmen from all over the country. The richness and diversity these players brought from their local clubs and high school teams has added something special to our group already," Frykholm said. "There's not a single one of them that we feel is not ready at this point to make some contribution throughout the course of the season."

BETWEEN THE PIPES
One new wrinkle for the Rangers in 2023 will be the goalkeeper position following the graduation of Katelyn Martin, who started 40 of 41 games between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Regis currently has a three-player battle for the starting job in senior Baileigh Baker, sophomore Grace Glover and true freshman Kayla Arucan.

"Katelyn was phenomenal for us last year and one of the top goalkeepers in the RMAC, so you rely on a player like that throughout the season and you realize that there hasn't been a lot of time for the next in line to get game experience," Frykholm said. "So, it is a position where we don't quite have the same number of minutes in experience coming back. But that said, we're really happy with the goalkeepers we have. Baileigh and Grace were both here last year and are familiar with the system, and both learned an awful lot working with Katelyn, so those two have looked very good in the preseason. Then we added a freshman in Kayla has been terrific as well and has fit right in. She brings a unique style, plays a lot with her feet, which is something unique that we're eager to look at and add into the mix."

LOOKING FORWARD
The Rangers kick off the 2023 season with a four-game homestand, beginning this Friday with a 7 p.m. clash against Chico State University at the Regis Turf Fields.

Regis is then set to welcome in San Francisco State (11 a.m. Sunday), Lubbock Christian (7 p.m. Sept. 6) and Texas Permian Basin (11 a.m. Sept. 10) in what will be a crucial six-game, non-conference portion of the team's schedule.

"I think one big lesson learned from last year is that we need to get out of the gates a little bit quicker. That was a learning moment for us and myself maybe expecting a little too much, being a little too complicated than we needed to be at the beginning part of the season," Frykholm said. "To the credit of the players, they picked it up and we rebounded quickly from that slow start. But this year, obviously, if you want to be playing in the NCAA Tournament, those early non-league games really matter and that was a hard lesson last year. If we pick up a win or two out of those first six games, I think the chances would have been pretty good that we could have snuck into the NCAA Tournament. So that's one goal for sure; our readiness and preparation for these first non-league games."

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