University of Delaware Athletics
2022 Women’s Soccer In-Year-Review
11/11/2022 3:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NEWARK, Del. - The Delaware women's soccer team competed in its 31st season in the fall of 2022. With a plethora of newcomers and a wide mix of returners, it was a season filled with familiar faces and new ones.
Stepping Up
Raychel Speicher used her junior season to step up big for the Blue Hens. She registered three goals for Delaware in addition to tallying four assists, as she started 17 of 18 games. While the stat sheet may not show how big of an impact Julianna Bell had on the squad, there's no denying that if you saw her in person that she was a force to be reckoned with in the defender spot as she started all 18 matches for the Blue Hens. Freshman Izzy Lane led all players with six assists in her rookie season.
Record Book
Fifth-year senior Sara D'Appolonia capped her career as one of the top scorers in Delaware history. She finished 11th in career goals scored with 17 and tied for 12th in career points with 41.
CAA Honors
Three Blue Hens earned CAA All-Conference recognition. D'Appolonia, a senior forward, was named to the All-CAA Third Team. The Yarmouth, Maine native led Delaware with 13 points. She registered a team-best six goals, along with one assist. D'Appolonia was First Team selection in 2019 and a Third Team pick in 2020.
Defender Lea Panagiotidis earned All-CAA honors for the first time in her career. The junior from Norwalk, Conn. scored a pair of goals in six shot attempts, while she was an instrumental part of Delaware's backline during the season.
Newcomers Lane and Odaliana Gomez received All-Rookie Team honors. Lane, a native of Buckinghamshire, England, led Delaware with six assists to finish with six points. Her dynamic foot speed allowed her to speed past defenders as she finished with a shots on goal percentage of .533. Gomez, a native of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, started six games in eight appearances for the Blue Hens. At the goalkeeper spot she collected a career-high eight saves versus Hofstra and had five or more saves five times. She faced 90 shots and recorded two shutouts in nearly 600 minutes of play.
The Schedule
The Blue Hens concluded the 2022 season with a 2-11-5 record and a 1-6-2 conference mark. Captains for the season were D'Appolonia, Zoe Smith, and Claudia Benz. Delaware won its season opener for the fourth straight season when it defeated Delaware State, 3-0. The Blue Hens played nine opponents with 9 wins or more this season, including Virginia Tech and Hofstra that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Follow Us on Social Media: For the latest on the Delaware women's soccer program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareWSOC and Instagram @DelawareWSOC and like "Delaware Women's Soccer" on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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