UNF women’s soccer is the only sport on campus that plays games before classes start.

“We have a short pre-season compared to other sports here,” head coach Eric Faulconer said. “It’s a lot, especially for our freshmen.”

This can make the onboarding process feel rushed and overwhelming for incoming freshmen. 

“They get dropped off by their parents, and here you are, and you’re playing soccer,” Faulconer said. “School starts soon and it’s a lot for them in this short period of time.”

“Best Freshman Class”

However, this isn’t your ordinary freshman class, according to Faulconer. In fact, the seventh-year head coach believes this is his best freshman group. If there’s one group of athletes that could handle this fast process, Faulconer says it’s these eight newcomers. 

“We have freshmen pushing to start right now,” Faulconer said. “They’re a super talented group.”

Nonetheless, Faulconer said things could change when the lights come on. Overall, Faulconer said he feels “really good” about this young group. More specifically, he said midfielder Emery Scerbo, defender Skya Horth, and local product Braelyn McMillan “stood out the most.”

Leadership and Taking Initiative

With UNF losing longtime team captain Zara Siassi to graduation, the Ospreys will vote on a team captain for the first time in four years. Even so, before a team captain was chosen, Faulconer said it was “evident she was no longer here.”

“There was no one really stepping up as much,” Faulconer said. “I’m a big believer that leadership happens organically.”

Instead of choosing a team captain in spring, Faulconer wanted to wait for someone to step up. In the fall, though, it wasn’t just one person who took the reins.

“We went from really not having any leadership in the spring to really having a good preseason leadership that’s sharing the wealth of that role and playing to the strengths as leaders,” Faulconer said. 

This week, UNF women’s soccer posted a quote from graduate goalkeeper Sofia Miliancano on social media, echoing Faulconer’s statement about team chemistry. 

“I really like the group. I think the chemistry is really good.” Faulconer said. “Now, once you start naming a starting 11 and things like that, sometimes things get a little bit more dicey.”

Faulconer also likes how his group is a mix of older and younger players. Even though it’s a larger group, Faulconer said they are close-knit and mix together well. 

Returning Players

As for returning players, the Ospreys kept top goal scorers Paige McSwigan and Isabella Pontieri. Some under-the-radar players that could take a step forward this season include—but are not limited to— junior Zoe Looker, defender Hadley Collier and Allison Souers. 

Souers scored her first and only career goal against Miami in last season’s opener. Faulconer said he hopes the Land O’ Lakes native has a breakout year. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

Most of all, Faulconer said depth and player versatility will be this team’s strength. 

“We’re not going to be afraid to rotate players through,” Faulconer said. 

One aspect Faulconer wants his team to improve on is scoring. Last season, the Ospreys were shut out five times. While the Ospreys did have a 10-game unbeaten streak and saw their scoring increase later in the season, Faulconer still thought his team had tied many winnable games. 

“We need to finish better than we have in the past to improve on a pretty good record last year,” Faulconer said. “But those seven ties, a lot of those could have been wins.”

Faulconer is referring to games where the Ospreys had a late lead and lost it, or outshot a team. To address this problem, Faulconer said he is looking for a consistent third goal scorer and more close-range goals. 

“We need another option that can maybe score five, six goals a year,” Faulconer said. 

Possible candidates for a third goal scorer include Souers and Allie Fekany, per Faulconer. 

Another way Faluconer wants his team to improve is by following their shots, which means going after the ball when it’s shot instead of watching it. Faulconer said this is being practiced during training. 

“You may follow 20 shots in a season, but one may fall to you, but that one fall could be a game winner,” Faulconer said.

Season Slate

According to last year’s standings, the Ospreys were six points or three wins from winning the ASUN conference. 

Therefore, per the standings, UNF isn’t far from winning the conference. It’s still up to UNF to “get over that hump.” The Ospreys’ non-conference slate includes Power 4 schools Florida, Georgia, and UCF. 

“We can play with anybody,” Faulconer said. “We just got to be more consistent over the course of the year.”

UNF women’s soccer will open its season by traveling to Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Aug 14. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

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