Season Recap: Women's Soccer

Season Recap: Women's Soccer

Vermont State University Johnson Women's Soccer officially concluded their 2024 campaign last week as runner-up in the NAC West Division Championship match, marking one of the more promising seasons in program history. After the 2023 season saw the Badgers reach a 29-year high in wins and winning percentage, the single best season since joining the NCAA, high expectations were set for 2024 competition.

With eight new players joining the roster, the Badgers found their rhythm early with a preseason victory over NHTI and tie versus Castleton, setting the tone and building confidence for regular season play. Johnson put their talent on display during Homecoming Weekend, when they secured back-to-back victories against conference rivals for a packed crowd at home, SUNY Cobleskill (1-0) and SUNY Delhi (2-0). Sophomore, Olivia Davis, delivered the game-winner against Cobleskill, while first-year players, Sloan McLain and Jenna Jones, produced both goals against Delhi, as goalkeepers Sophia Johnson and Isabel Atkisson recorded complete game shutouts between the posts.

The depth of talent within the young roster paved way for the team to focus on the ultimate goal of clinching a playoff spot, even when late-season injuries limited their bench. The team secured their place in the West Division title game against Delhi, where they controlled much of the possession in the second half and outshot the Broncos 6-1. Despite their control, a final score of 1-0 fell in favor of Delhi, concluding the Badgers' playoff run.

The program's values have never been stronger, promoted by a roster of smart, hard-working, dedicated student athletes who are eager to learn and continue to grow as a team. These values lifted Sloan McLain to a NAC Player-of-the-Week honor, while six Badgers were awarded NAC end-of-season awards. First Team All-Conference: Isabel Atkisson (Junior, Goalkeeper), Olivia Davis (Sophomore, Midfield), Peyton Fairchild (Junior, Defense), and Maddie Power (Sophomore, Defense). Second Team All-Conference: Ida Eames (Junior, Forward), Shelby Royea (First Year, Midfield). A promising future for the talented group.

The coaches reflected on the season and looked forward to the future:

From Assistant Coach, Amy Sparks:

"The 2025 season was my first with the VTSU-Johnson Women's Soccer Team and these Badgers blew me away daily. Their kindness, dedication, hard work, humor, and thoughtfulness are just some of the words I would use to describe them. Together, they make up a team that takes care of one another---after making hard tackles and goading each other into one more game. Soccer is not always about winning (though they did manage to do a lot of that, too!). It is about connecting with others, challenging one another, and growing together. As a coach, the lessons learned from these young women, the administrative staff, our coaching staff, and most importantly, Head Coach Norm, are ones I will take with me forever. This 2025 season may be over, but I am looking forward to being a Badger for many years to come!"

From Head Coach Norm Peterson:

"Every season is different and there were a lot of changes from last season. We brought 8 new players and two new coaches this season. It takes a while to get everyone on the same page and find our identity as a team. We had some injury setbacks this season, losing Emily Ward and Haley Root in the middle of the season was hard, but both of them remained big parts of the team and will be back. Happy how others helped carry the load. I feel like we hit our stride late this season with the coaches optimizing sessions and workload and the players realizing the effort needed to win consistently at this level. That bodes well for the future. We have an incredible foundation to build upon for next season and beyond. I'm excited to see where we go as a team."