2023 PBC Women’s Soccer Season Preview

AUGUSTA, GA — The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2023 women’s soccer season preview with the coaches poll and preseason All-Conference team.

Columbus State is once again the preseason favorite in the poll. The Cougars captured every available first-place vote for a maximum 81 point total. Flagler is second in the poll with North Georgia third and Lander fourth.

Columbus State won their second straight PBC regular-season championship in 2022 and advanced to the NCAA final four. The Cougars return eight seniors and graduate students and led all PBC teams with six players on the preseason All-Conference Team.

Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams or vote for their own players.

Preseason Coaches Poll

Preseason All-Conference Team

Moa Arlebo, Flagler (Jr., MF, Örebro, Sweden)

• A 2022 PBC second-team All-Conference selection
• Scored three goals on the season including the game-winner against UNC Pembroke in the NCAA Tournament
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Gold Scholar; PBC Team of Academic Distinction and D2ADA Award Recipient

Lauren Barnes, Columbus State (Jr., F, Clayton, Ga.)

• NCAA Championship All-Tournament team and PBC All-Tournament team
• Scored six goals with seven assists and was tied for third in the PBC in assists
• Had two game-winning goals including against Lenior-Rhyne in the second round of the NCAA Tournament

Emma Beddow, Columbus State (Jr., F, Savannah, Ga.)

• A United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-American in 2022
• Tied for second in the PBC with 19 goals on the season to go with a league-leading nine assist; was also second in the league in points
• Ranked ninth in NCAA Division II in goals per game

Carley Canzoneri, Columbus State (Grad., D, Suwanee, Ga.)

• 2022 United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-American; PBC Defensive Player of the Year
• Won the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Elite 90 Award
• Anchored a defense that led the PBC in shutouts (11) and goals allowed average (0.44)

Maysoon El-Shami, UNG (Sr., MF, Alpharetta, Ga.)

• A 2022 PBC First-Team All-Conference selection, also named PBC All-Tournament and a United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection
• Scored four goals with six assists; tied for fifth in the PBC in assists
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Gold Scholar; PBC Team of Academic Distinction; United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award

Andrea Fernandez, Flagler (Jr., F, Pozoblanco, Spain)

• 2022 PBC Offensive Player of the Year; United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-American; D2CCA Southeast Region Player of the Year
• Led the PBC with 20 goals and was tied for first in NCAA Division II with 2.53 points per game; also ranked fourth nationally in goals per game
• Four-time PBC Player of the Week and one of two players with a PBC-best four goals in a game; named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week

Lizzie Hedrick, Columbus State (Grad., GK, Columbus, Ga.)

• PBC First-Team All-Conference goalkeeper
• Led the PBC with a 0.55 goals against average and .883 saves percentage, allowing only seven goals in over 1100 minutes
• Has a 0.63 career goals against average which is currently fourth in PBC history

Sarah Hungerford, Columbus State (So., F, Richmond Hill, Ga.)

• A first-team All-Conference selection in 2022, also named to the PBC All-Tournament team
• Tied for eighth in the PBC in goals and added three assists
• Scored a hat trick against Clayton State and also scored the game-winner in CSU’s 4-3 win over West Florida in the NCAA national quarterfinals

Faith Knoedler, Columbus State (Sr., F, Columbus, Ga.)

• Named to the 2022 PBC All-Tournament team
• Ranked third on the team and tied for sixth in the PBC with 10 goals on the season
• Added two assists and was ranked 10th in the conference in points

Amiah Sprunger-Hightower, Clayton State (So., F, Westfield, Ind.)

• A 2022 PBC Second-Team All-Conference selection
• Led her team with seven goals on the season and was eighth in the PBC with 1.15 points per game
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Bronze Scholar

Maren White, Lander (Jr., MF, Fort Mill, S.C.)

• Played in 18 games with 15 starts in 2022, scoring four goals with one assist; tied for second on the team in points
• All four goals came against PBC opponents with one against Columbus State and in back-to-back games against GCSU and USC Aiken
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Gold Scholar; PBC Team of Academic Distinction and D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient