The top returning goal-scorers in the 2019 DII women's soccer season

A good save or perfectly placed assist is a sight to see, but there is little more exciting on the pitch than the ball blasting past the goalie. Let's take a look at eight DII women's soccer players who have racked up more hat tricks, game-winners, and highlight-reel goals than anyone else heading into the 2019 season. 

These totals are all taken from the NCAA's official site for statistics. 

The active DII women's soccer career goals-scored leaders

Southwestern Oklahoma State Athletics

56 — Sandra Nabweteme, Sr., Southwestern Oklahoma

Nabweteme gets the show all to herself in 2019. She shared the spotlight with Alimata Rabo the past three seasons as perhaps the most frightening scoring duo in DII women's soccer, amassing 130 combined goals between the two. Nabweteme is a two-time All-American and isn't simply a goal-scorer. She totaled 57 points last season with a team- and Great American Conference-best 15 assists.

OPENING DAY: The complete opening day schedule for the top 25

42 — Ruby Mendez, Sr., Auburn Montgomery

Auburn Montgomery Athletics

Mendez led the Gulf South Conference in scoring last season, putting 19 balls past opposing keepers. She's now in the top five in program history in shots, goals, and points. She's scored at least 11 goals in each season with the Warhawks and will end her career as one of the best offensive weapons in AUM history. 

HISTORY: Programs with the most DII women's soccer championships

40 — Maegen Doyle, Sr., Bridgeport

Bridgeport Athletics

Doyle finished second to Central Oklahoma's Katie Killion for the DII lead in 2018, netting 28 goals. That turned out just fine because Doyle's Purple Knights finished first in DII women's soccer, winning the program's first national championship in 2018. Her 2018 campaign was one for the ages: she tied for the DII lead in game-winning goals at 13, was a first-team All-American and took home both the East Coast Conference and DII national player-of-the-year honors.

39 — TeMia Pride, Sr. West Alabama

West Alabama Athletics

Pride set the Tigers' single-season record with 18 goals in 2018, earning her a share of the GSC player-of-the-year award. She needs just eight goals to tie the West Alabama career record of 47 in her senior season. That should be in reach: eight is the fewest amount of goals she's scored in her first three seasons (13 as a freshman, eight as a sophomore, and 18 as a junior). 

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37 (tie) — Ruth King, Sr., Oklahoma Baptist | Jamie Boyar, Sr. Daemen
Trenady Scott, Sr., Angelo State | Ava Cook, Jr., Grand Valley State

The one thing that stands out amongst this group is the Lakers' Ava Cook. She's the only junior on the list, but big-time goal-scorers have become the norm in Allendale, Michigan. Cook bust out in her sophomore year, taking the reigns from one-time teammate Gabriella Mencotti as the GLIAC's most-feared goal-scorer with a conference-best 24-goal campaign. 

#FeelGoodFriday! Relive the thrilling OT winner (and ensuing celebration) over SVSU last year in a Top-25 showdown! @avaaaaa with the game-winner... and a great slide too. pic.twitter.com/ZbTwuxfYwu

— GVSU Soccer (@GVSUsoccer) July 26, 2019

King was the Great American Conference offensive player of the year, matching her career-high with 13 goals. Boyer's program record-setting 2018 was somewhat lost with the breakout of Doyle in the ECC, but cannot be overlooked. Boyer became the first Daemen Wildcat to score 20 goals in a season. Scott led both the Belles and the Lone Star Conference in goals with 18, a new career-high.