Two seniors, Rebecca Quinn and Kadeisha Buchanan, play for the Canadian National Team.
With exhibition games already underway, the 2016 women’s soccer season is just around the corner. A powerful pack of seniors hopes to lead its teams to victory, and fans should take note, keeping up with these women and what each brings to her team.
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Kirsten Crowley | Florida State Seminoles
Because she redshirted as a freshman in the 2012 season, Crowley serves as a redshirt senior this year. As captain of her team, Crowley looks to lead her team through a strong 2016 season. Last year, she was named to be part of the All-ACC Second Team and the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team as well as named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week twice. Setting career highs in points, goals and assists, she also helped lead the Noles to win the ACC Championship for the third year in a row.
Nickolette Driesse | Penn State Nittany Lions
As the only senior on Penn State’s team, which was ranked second in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, Driesse is expected to lead her team as a team captain. This midfielder transferred from Florida State to play with Penn State in the 2015 season, leading the Nittany Lions with three shot attempts in Penn State’s College Cup semifinal victory over Rutgers. Before attending Penn State, she was a member of the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team that competed in the 2014 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada and was the only FSU freshman to play in all 28 matches in 2013.
Rebecca Quinn | Duke Blue Devils
A senior midfielder from Toronto, Canada, Quinn prepares for her season this year by fighting for a gold medal at the Olympics in Rio as part of the Canada National Team. Just before taking off her spring semester at Duke to train for the Olympics, Quinn was named part of the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Third Team and All-ACC Third Team as well as starting 20 of 22 games as a junior. Once she returns from Rio, fans should prepare for this senior to shine in 2016.
Alexis Shaffer | Virginia Cavaliers
Senior midfielder Shaffer started all 23 matches of the 2015 season and was named to the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team and the All-ACC Second Team. She tied for leading the team in goals, hitting five game-winning goals and two game-winning assists. Shaffer was also recently tabbed as a preseason All-ACC selection by a vote of the league’s coaches.
Jane Campbell | Stanford Cardinal
Currently holding the record of fourth in shutouts for Stanford history, this senior goalkeeper was named two years in a row to the NSCAA All-Pacific Region Team and the All-PAC-12 Team. She was also named PAC-12 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015. In 2014, she travelled to Canada to play for the U.S. U-20 National Team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. With national experience as well as plenty of playing time logged for Stanford, this goalkeeper has a chance to show fans many more shutouts before she walks off of Stanford’s field for good.
Kadeisha Buchanan | West Virginia Mountaineers
Currently competing in Rio as a backline starter for the Canadian National Team, senior defender Buchanan holds eight honors and awards from 2015 alone. She was named to the NSCAA All-American First Team, the NSCAA All-Region First Team, All-Big 12 First Team, Big 12 All-Tournament Team and the Hoosier Classic All-Tournament Team. She also was named the Soccer News Net Women’s College Boot Winner, a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy and the Mountaineers’ Defensive MVP. While starting all 23 matches at center back, she was part of a defense that allow only 11 goals and post a record of 15 shutouts for the year.
Savannah Jordan | Florida Gators
This three-time NSCAA All-American forward has been racking up titles since her freshman year, most recently being named the 2015 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Hero Sports’ National Offensive Player of the Year. She finished second in the standings last year with 24 goals and 55 points. She also was named to the NSCAA South Region First Team, All-SEC First Team and the TopDrawerSoccer National Team as well as a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.
Related: NSCAA Coaches Rankings
