Women’s soccer 2025 -- ACC Champs, National runners up

Women’s soccer 2025 -- ACC Champs, National runners up - Printable Version

+- The CardBoard (https://thecardboard.org/board)
+-- Forum: C-House! (https://thecardboard.org/board/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: The CardBoard (https://thecardboard.org/board/forum-5.html)
+--- Thread: Women’s soccer 2025 -- ACC Champs, National runners up (/thread-25642.html)

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - OCcardinal - 08-04-2025

The Coaches ranked Stanford 7th in the preseason poll, which seems low given that 7 of the players who started for Stanford in the NCAA title game 2 seasons ago are still on the team (including Aikey, who was injured for NCAAs last season). The starters for the 2023 title match were:

D Elise Evans (soph)
F Allie Montoya (soph)
M Shae Harvey (frosh)
D Mia Bhuta (more typically a M) (frosh)
M Jasmine Aikey (soph)
F Andrea Kitahata (redshirt soph)
M Joelle Jung (frosh)

The 4 2023 starters who have graduated are:
GK Ryan Campbell
D Avani Brandt
D Kennedy Wesley
M Maya Doms

Granted, those were 4 really good players, but so are: Kohler, Klinger, Emri, Boamah and Thomas (not to mention the stellar freshman class mentioned at the beginning of this thread)

Yes, Florida State won that game 5-1, but that was one of the best women's soccer teams ever and our roster was especially young (with Bhuta playing a new position). Those 7 starters are now Juniors and Seniors (redshirt senior in Kitahata's case). And they beat eventual national champion North Carolina last season when Aikey was healthy. They have a favorable schedule this year (including reduced travel) and won't be missing Elise Evans for the U20 World Cup as they were for a good part of the fall last year. I like their chances.

The only major uncertainty I see is in goal, which may explain the relatively low Coaches Poll ranking. But Caroline Birkel is about as good of a GK recruit as one could hope for in this situation and Stanford has won a title with a frosh GK before (Katie Meyer, RIP). And if one of our older goalkeepers beats Birkel out for the starting role, she will have earned it.

They've got a big game just 2 games into the season (against Santa Clara) and then close out the preseason with that trip to USC and UCLA. I think they'll be ready. Can't wait!

P.S. An update on Brooke Holden (who I mentioned had won a WPSL national offensive player of the week award earlier). She won the So Cal Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award, beating out Mia Minestrella, a rising college junior who was Duke's second leading scorer last season, and Cherrie Cox, a former Big West Offensive Player of the Year, among others. There may be some minutes for her with Kostmayer transferring and Maryn Wolf injured (Wolf's IG account showed her having some sort of surgery recently).

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-05-2025

That does seem a bit low. Forget 2 years ago - they were a college cup team last year and most of the team is back (8 starters roughly.)

Overall position preview for this year. Note i don't know full injury statuses and i haven”r watched any preseason camp. I also assume that the staff keeps the current 433 though a formation change might be interesting this year considering the glut in MF. Also, there is almost always at least one surprise like Brandt not starting last year after starting the entire previous season. So I expect to get at least one of these wrong. Finally, things will likely look a little different 2/3 of the way into the season as players grow.

GK
Key losses: Craig who played all but 8 minutes last year.
This season: i expect Birkel to start, and I have no idea who the main backup will be.

Defense
Key losses: Harrison and Pagador as the starting outside backs. Brandt as a reserve defender.
This season: I expect Emri and Evans to start at CB and Boamah to be the LB (she was mostly the starter at the end of the year before Pagador got hurt anyway). RB is the biggest open question on the team. Sammy Smith is my guess at starter with Logan Smith as the only other outside back on the roster. So again I expect somebody - maybe Bray - to get converted to outside back this year. Murdock was pretty good late in the season as the emergency starter at CB. Tay might play a little as a second reserve CB. Finally, I hope to see Aikey play 0 minutes at CB this year. Read last year’s thread for why.

Midfield:
Key losses: none
This season: Bhuta is a lock at DM after moving from RM half way into last season. She was spectacular there - top 10 player and maybe the best DM in the country. Kohler was very good at LM as a Frosh, and should start again. RM will be either Harvey or Klinger and the non-starter is going to play a bunch somewhere. Jung is likely the 5th MF player again this year at least to start the season. Finally, Nguyen could see significant minutes, but MF is going to be really hard to break into. I don’t see Freer or Johnson getting many minutes this year just because there isn’t any open space.

Forward
Key losses: Williams outside and Lumi at CF as reserves.
This season: kitihata is a lock starter at LF. If healthy Aikey should start at CF with Thomas as the back up. RF should be Montoya though she had a rough last season, but there could be surprises later in the season here. Back ups are more interesting. Klinger played a bunch of minutes at RF and then started at CF late in the season, and could play more here this year. Since Grilione was not effective at LF and if Wolf is hurt, there are definitely reserve minutes to be had for Freshmen Harrison and Holden.

The biggest questions for me are:
1. Where does Klinger play - she is too good to not be on the field somewhere.
2. How does the staff balance MF minutes in general especially since Bhuta goes 90 minutes many games.
3. Starting RB and GK.
4. Where does Aikey play? I really hope it’s mostly CF.
5. Reserve L/RF minutes distribution.

Looking forward to 2025.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - OCcardinal - 08-05-2025

(08-05-2025, 12:41 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: Finally, I hope to see Aikey play 0 minutes at CB this year. Read last year’s thread for why.

Awesome preview Hieronymus! I agree, we don't want Aikey at CB. I didn't revisit last year's thread to see if you already mentioned it, but with Emri healed and Evans not off doing USWYNT things, there shouldn't be any need to play her there. The question for me is whether Aikey should play mid or forward. She's a player that changes the game no matter where you play her, so there's no bad answer. And obviously she has had a lot of success for Stanford at CF. But I like her more at mid because she is better than anyone else on the team at scoring from deep and that threat stretches the defense. Maybe we see Klinger up top and Aikey at mid? Either way, can't wait for the season to start!

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-06-2025

(08-05-2025, 04:49 PM)OCcardinal Wrote:
(08-05-2025, 12:41 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: Finally, I hope to see Aikey play 0 minutes at CB this year. Read last year’s thread for why.
Awesome preview Hieronymus! I agree, we don't want Aikey at CB. I didn't revisit last year's thread to see if you already mentioned it, but with Emri healed and Evans not off doing USWYNT things, there shouldn't be any need to play her there. The question for me is whether Aikey should play mid or forward. She's a player that changes the game no matter where you play her, so there's no bad answer. And obviously she has had a lot of success for Stanford at CF. But I like her more at mid because she is better than anyone else on the team at scoring from deep and that threat stretches the defense. Maybe we see Klinger up top and Aikey at mid? Either way, can't wait for the season to start!

So my view is we need Aikey at CF and she is a luxury in MF. That could end up being incorrect this year based on Thomas and Klinger, but we will see.

Just in general, the drop from Aikey to the next CF - say Thomas - is large while the drop from Aikey to the next MF - say Klinger or Harvey - is fairly small.

A specific team issue in addition is Kitihata is of average speed and Montoya is flat-out slow. Aikey is fast and forces a defense to worry about her getting behind them. Watch the Duke game last year where Duke parked the LB as a LF on offense and we couldn’t make them pay for it on the counter, and you see the problems with no speed up front. Maybe fast Frosh paired with Klinger would work as well, but Aikey is the simplest solution to the speed up top issue. As a side note Williams injuries really hurt the B unit as well; she used to be the speed spark when Aikey was in the MF or out of the game.

Overall then at CF:
- Thomas never got comfortable last year but she was a top 10 recruit.
- Wolf looks ok, but she doesn’t actually make much happen.
- Klinger was solid but more of a false 9. It isn’t totally natural for her, but she did good things and she is an excellent player overall. She would be better with faster wings to play off of and maybe the Frosh can add that.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - OCcardinal - 08-06-2025

(08-06-2025, 06:59 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: So my view is we need Aikey at CF and she is a luxury in MF. That could end up being incorrect this year based on Thomas and Klinger, but we will see.
* * *
Maybe fast Frosh paired with Klinger would work as well, but Aikey is the simplest solution to the speed up top issue.
* *
- Klinger was solid but more of a false 9. It isn’t totally natural for her, but she did good things and she is an excellent player overall. She would be better with faster wings to play off of and maybe the Frosh can add that.

As false 9s go, I prefer Aikey. She doesn't need to get even with or past the defense to score, as she showed here:
[Image: i-JbTk99r-L.gif]

and here:

and she can dribble past opponents to create opportunities:
[Image: i-CFn5787-L.gif]

I don't know how best to describe it in soccer terms, but I think it would be a waste of her talent to have her waiting up top for someone else to serve the ball in to her.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-06-2025

(08-06-2025, 01:02 PM)OCcardinal Wrote:
(08-06-2025, 06:59 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: So my view is we need Aikey at CF and she is a luxury in MF. That could end up being incorrect this year based on Thomas and Klinger, but we will see.
* * *
Maybe fast Frosh paired with Klinger would work as well, but Aikey is the simplest solution to the speed up top issue.
* *
- Klinger was solid but more of a false 9. It isn’t totally natural for her, but she did good things and she is an excellent player overall. She would be better with faster wings to play off of and maybe the Frosh can add that.

I don't know how best to describe it in soccer terms, but I think it would be a waste of her talent to have her waiting up top for someone else to serve the ball in to her.

Fun clips that show how good Aikey can be. Sadly none are from last season. But you show why I don’t want her at CB very effectively. Maybe 5 women in college soccer can do that consistently, and none of the others have played any CB except in an emergency.

Clip 1: first rd 2023 tournament. Jung to Aikey which means Aikey probably was at CF.
Clip 2: vs. Colorado in the regular season, Lumi to Aikey so she was definitely in MF.
Clip 3: vs. OSU. Must be 2022 vs. OSU and Doms with the headband and captain’s band on the assist. Likely Aikey is again at CF and has interchanged with Doms - they did that very well.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Sakibomb25 - 08-06-2025

I thought Harvey has always started at defensive center mid? I didn't realize Bhuta moved up to the mid.

I think the most effective line-up would be to have Bhuta be in right back and Harvey in defensive center mid. Then you can have Kohler and either Klinger or Aikey as the other mid, with Klinger or Aikey up top. I have a feeling Klinger will start in the midfield and Aikey will be center forward (though in the pros, she'll probably project to be a midfielder). However, at the next level, she could conceivably play any position her team needs of her.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-06-2025

(08-06-2025, 03:27 PM)Sakibomb25 Wrote: I thought Harvey has always started at defensive center mid? I didn't realize Bhuta moved up to the mid.

I think the most effective line-up would be to have Bhuta be in right back and Harvey in defensive center mid. Then you can have Kohler and either Klinger or Aikey as the other mid, with Klinger or Aikey up top. I have a feeling Klinger will start in the midfield and Aikey will be center forward (though in the pros, she'll probably project to be a midfielder). However, at the next level, she could conceivably play any position her team needs of her.

Bhuta never played RB last year- it was N Harrison with a few S Smith appearances all season. Bhuta started the year as the 8 in RM. Harvey struggles some with bad turnovers and she lacks the quickness to recover when she coughs it up. As a result she was briefly removed as a starter midseason and Bhuta moved to the 6. It was a win-win. Harvey showed a bit of a nose for goal at the 8 that the team badly needed with the forward injuries, and Bhuta was basically perfect as a DM. My top 10 player is no exaggeration - I don’t take topdrawersoccer as literal truth (Dudley at 31? Seriously?). But they had Bhuta as 14 at the end of the 2024 season and most of the players ahead of her moved on. She really was that good; so I think the odds she goes back to RB are basically zero. DM is just a much more important position especially for a team that likes to control the ball, and I say that as a dude who played a lot of RB.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Sakibomb25 - 08-07-2025

(08-06-2025, 03:49 PM)Hieronymus Wrote:
(08-06-2025, 03:27 PM)Sakibomb25 Wrote: I thought Harvey has always started at defensive center mid? I didn't realize Bhuta moved up to the mid.

I think the most effective line-up would be to have Bhuta be in right back and Harvey in defensive center mid. Then you can have Kohler and either Klinger or Aikey as the other mid, with Klinger or Aikey up top. I have a feeling Klinger will start in the midfield and Aikey will be center forward (though in the pros, she'll probably project to be a midfielder). However, at the next level, she could conceivably play any position her team needs of her.

Bhuta never played RB last year- it was N Harrison with a few S Smith appearances all season. Bhuta started the year as the 8 in RM. Harvey struggles some with bad turnovers and she lacks the quickness to recover when she coughs it up. As a result she was briefly removed as a starter midseason and Bhuta moved to the 6. It was a win-win. Harvey showed a bit of a nose for goal at the 8 that the team badly needed with the forward injuries, and Bhuta was basically perfect as a DM. My top 10 player is no exaggeration - I don’t take topdrawersoccer as literal truth (Dudley at 31? Seriously?). But they had Bhuta as 14 at the end of the 2024 season and most of the players ahead of her moved on. She really was that good; so I think the odds she goes back to RB are basically zero. DM is just a much more important position especially for a team that likes to control the ball, and I say that as a dude who played a lot of RB.

Fair enough. I guess I was going off of Harvey’s play when she started as a defensive midfielder. But honestly I think the key is find a consistent partner for Evans at center back and to make sure Aikey is part of the offense and not on defense. She can play defense, but she is much more valuable on offense.

Excited to see Boahmah grow in her role as a defender - she’s got the quickness to get it done, but also is an asset on attacks forward.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - BobK - 08-07-2025

ACC preseason rankings. Stanford 5th

https://gostanford.com/news/2025/08/7/coaches-name-kitahata-preseason-all-acc?utm_source=fb-organic&utm_medium=commpost_2025-08-07_1A2TYG&utm_campaign=womenssoccer_season_honors__&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMB90xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuIdL_F0PaV4sKAZUyPJMUaYfPmSY1CfZrTVHsnU-BOQbai214PD2zzFcuIL_aem_qbckQ3Send1nxSXpJ6gPeg

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-07-2025

(08-07-2025, 02:18 PM)BobK Wrote: ACC preseason rankings. Stanford 5th

https://gostanford.com/news/2025/08/7/coaches-name-kitahata-preseason-all-acc?utm_source=fb-organic&utm_medium=commpost_2025-08-07_1A2TYG&utm_campaign=womenssoccer_season_honors__&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMB90xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuIdL_F0PaV4sKAZUyPJMUaYfPmSY1CfZrTVHsnU-BOQbai214PD2zzFcuIL_aem_qbckQ3Send1nxSXpJ6gPeg

Which is consistent with the national poll since the top 4 teams were all ACC squads.

I hate the player preseason stuff though. A) It’s preseason and means nothing. B) gotta love the 337 formation. Scale that to 10 field players, call it a 235 and pretend it’s 1905 an offsides hasn’t been invented yet. Go pyramid formation!

Remember, only forwards deserve to be on all conference teams. But hey, at least they picked a goalie.

Still congrats to Kitihata for making the team.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-11-2025

Topdrawersoccer has its 2025 preseason rankings out with Stanford at #2. Honestly this seems more sensible than #7 considering they have 8 or 9 starters back (depends on your views at LB) and 3 key players returning from injury on a team that still made the college cup last year.

https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/women

It is humorous though- the top 5 is all ACC here. Still 6 of the top 10 are ACC. Big discrepancy on Wake Forest vs. the national poll.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - BobK - 08-11-2025

Thanks for the top drawer ranking. 7 seemed very strange to me

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-12-2025

Topdrawersoccer preseason top 100 is out with 5 Stanford players on the list.

Bhuta #6
Evans #20
Aikey #47
Harvey #61
Kitihata #70

Note my previous reference point Dudley is now up to #2 so this is a much more reasonable list then the 2024 EOY.

https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college/upperclassmentop100/?genderId=f&periodId=96&seasonId=2025&nopage=0

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-14-2025

Stanford beats San Francisco 7:0. I have not watched this yet; so this is just the box score.

Goals by:
Montoya
Aikey 2
Nguyen
Thomas
Holden 2

On the one hand, this was pretty weak opposition. On the other, they didn’t beat anybody by more than 4 last year and USF was 1:0; so this is a good sign for the offense.

Looking at the starting line up - and if the ACC network is right, it’s crazy. 262 or 253 so no outside backs anyone? Also, no Emri even as a sub which is concerning. Now I gotta watch the replay though to see what really happened.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Lorcan - 08-15-2025

#1 UNC begins their withering on the vine with a shocking season opening loss to unranked Tennessee, 2-0. Duke saves a bit of face for the ACC by outlasting #11 Penn State, 3-2. The other eye-opening result on opening day was Northwestern State producing a major upset of #19 Texas, 3-2. I wonder what the disparity in their athletic departments budgets are - but that's a Northwestern State team that didn't even win their conference last year.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-15-2025

The starting lineup was the standard 433

Kitihata Aikey Montoya
Kohler. Jung
Harvey
Freer Evans. Murdock Bhuta
Birkel.

So big surprises - we have not 1 but 2 MFs playing outside back.
1. Bhuta at RB. I am shocked.
2. Freer at LB. I am also shocked.
3. Jung starting.

More interesting stuff once the subbing started
- Boamah subbed in at LF not LB
- Bhuta moved to MF - probably DM - later in the half with Harvey moving farther forward.
- Freer flipped to RB for awhile
- Nguyen has a nasty outside shot.

It will be interesting to see what sticks long run and what doesn’t this season.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Sakibomb25 - 08-15-2025

(08-15-2025, 10:24 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: The starting lineup was the standard 433

Kitihata Aikey Montoya
Kohler. Jung
Harvey
Freer Evans. Murdock Bhuta
Birkel.

So big surprises - we have not 1 but 2 MFs playing outside back.
1. Bhuta at RB. I am shocked.
2. Freer at LB. I am also shocked.
3. Jung starting.

More interesting stuff once the subbing started
- Boamah subbed in at LF not LB
- Bhuta moved to MF - probably DM - later in the half with Harvey moving farther forward.
- Freer flipped to RB for awhile
- Nguyen has a nasty outside shot.

It will be interesting to see what sticks long run and what doesn’t this season.

Also interesting that Klinger didn’t play at all. I’m hoping she isn’t injured.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Hieronymus - 08-15-2025

(08-15-2025, 12:34 PM)Sakibomb25 Wrote:
(08-15-2025, 10:24 AM)Hieronymus Wrote: The starting lineup was the standard 433

Kitihata Aikey Montoya
Kohler. Jung
Harvey
Freer Evans. Murdock Bhuta
Birkel.

So big surprises - we have not 1 but 2 MFs playing outside back.
1. Bhuta at RB. I am shocked.
2. Freer at LB. I am also shocked.
3. Jung starting.

More interesting stuff once the subbing started
- Boamah subbed in at LF not LB
- Bhuta moved to MF - probably DM - later in the half with Harvey moving farther forward.
- Freer flipped to RB for awhile
- Nguyen has a nasty outside shot.

It will be interesting to see what sticks long run and what doesn’t this season.

Also interesting that Klinger didn’t play at all. I’m hoping she isn’t injured.

I would assume she was injured - makes Jung starting not surprising in retrospect. Also, no Wolf so the earlier comment about surgery is likely correct.

RE: Women’s soccer 2025 - Spiny_Norman - 08-15-2025

Another surprise. Top ranked (and defending national champ) North Carolina lost to Tennessee 2-0 in Knoxville.