Karl van Gelder
Staff Writer
Women’s soccer is entering their matchup versus Saint Leo as the best women’s soccer team since the seniors on the team entered kindergarten. Through their first five games they sit with a 3-0-2 record, the longest unbeaten streak to start a season since 2014 when the Mocs began the season 4-0-1. But, what the Mocs have done thus far is even more historic.
The season from the Mocs began with low expectations from those around the conference as they were projected in the preseason coaches poll to finish last in the conference after a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw a 1-5-4 SSC record. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Mocs last year as glimpses of hope appeared through and specifically in their lone conference win over No. 25 Embry-Riddle who the Mocs hadn’t beaten in Daytona Beach since 1998. With last year’s shortcomings the Mocs understood that a bounceback was needed.
“Our team’s expectations going into the season were to turn around the results from last fall and ultimately to win the conference this year,” senior starting centreback Allie Draper said.
The coaches seemed to understand that too, bringing in a fresh group of players both from the transfer portal and high school ranks to bolster the roster back into one looking to compete in arguably the best conference in Division II.
One of those transfers was Draper who came to the Mocs by way of Middle Tennessee State University. Draper is one of four Division I transfers that came to FSC this year with three out of the four starting every game this season in Draper, Sammie Markey and Isabella Payne.
These three are among the eight Mocs to start every game so far this season with four of the eight in their first year with the Mocs, the other being sophomore Aliya Roberts who came from UNC Asheville. The four returners that have started every game have been major contributors too with 2024 All-SSC third team member Rilee Hasegawa being one of them.
The player that has made the biggest jump so far this year though has been Carly Brodsky who came to the Mocs last year from Rollins College. Last year Brodsky was a mainstay in the Mocs goal, starting 10 games over the opening two months of the season, but struggled to find her stride. In her 11 games played she had 20 saves allowing 1.42 goals a game and saving just below 60% of shots on goal faced.
Brodsky has taken a major step, or three, in goal this season. Through five games she’s only allowed two goals, with both coming in the opener at Point Park, and since then has had four straight shutouts – the longest streak of her career and in program history. Additionally, she racked up a career-high seven saves against the preseason No. 2 team in the country, at the time No. 18 Columbus State, to help secure the Mocs first win against a top 20 ranked team since Oct. 18, 2023 when they beat, at the time, No. 3 Embry-Riddle 1-0.
“Carly’s performance this year has been amazing! As a defender, it gives me assurance that she’s behind me making big saves and always communicating with the backline. She has been a big part of our four shutouts so far,” said Draper.
Brodsky’s performance against No. 18 Columbus State and in the 3-0 win over Georgia College two days later secured her first ever SSC Defensive Player of the Week award.
After the win over No. 18 Columbus State the Mocs received the honor of regaining two major letters of recognition in RV (receiving votes) beside Florida Southern for the first time since the Aug. 1, 2023 preseason poll and for the first time in the regular season since Nov. 1, 2022.
Draper said, “Receiving votes for our team is huge! As a team we were very excited to see our name climbing up there. This really shows how much of a change we are making and what a threat our team is this year. This is also fueling our confidence to continue to work hard so that we will be in the top 25 soon.”
Mocs offense has helped with the heavy lifting, flexing their muscles when needed by helping dominate the possession of every game outside of the Columbus State matchup, the only game where an opponent had more shots than the Mocs. They’re able to dominate possession because of their adherence to head coach Gerry Lucey’s vision: constant pressure from the midfield and forwards to force errors and allow the Mocs to strike.
The Mocs offense, like its defense, is defined by the sum of its part with five players finding goals this year with Bria Weldon and Breena Harrigan leading the team each with two despite both mainly coming off the bench.
Weldon found both her goals against Georgia College in the 3-0 win with Breena Harrigan scoring the equalizing goal in the opener, and the biggest goal so far this season, with her second goal of the year being the game-winner versus Columbus State.
“When Breena scored in the first half it was a big confidence boost for us,” Draper said in regards to the win over Columbus State.
The Mocs will head back to Berend Field looking to extend their four game unbeaten streak against the Lions and further add to their already historic campaign. The match versus Saint Leo was played during the printing of the paper and results can be found on fscmocs.com.
They will take on Eckerd College in St. Peterberg for their first away conference matchup of the year Oct. 1. The Mocs will look to find their first win against the Tritons since their storied 2022 season when the Mocs won their lone regular season SSC title.
