Defense Ready to Answer the Call for Women’s Soccer

The Georgia Gwinnett College women’s soccer team will begin addressing its preseason questions with Saturday’s season opener at Montreat College (North Carolina), including finding out that there is life – and success – without Ola Orelesi.

The NAIA All-American stood tall in anchoring the Grizzlies’ defensive unit for the past five seasons, leading the program to five national tournament berths and four conference championships. Orelesi helped the 2024 team allow 1.18 goals per match and post nine shutouts.

Taking her place in keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard in front of a new starting goalkeeper will be seven returning defenders, along with a player shifting to the position and three newcomers.

GGCAthletics.com concludes the team’s preseason position preview series by highlighting those defensive options.

“A Division I conference championship coach called me and stated that Ola was the best defender in the country within the NAIA. I believed that as well. So, we enter the season in a post-Ola world,” said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano, who has won 486 matches in 36 seasons during his career, including 88 wins in Lawrenceville.

The returning defensive options include senior Grace Clark, who contributed a career-high five assists in her first season as an outside defender after splitting time in 2023 across midfield and defensive positions (scoring two goals and having three assists). 

Sophomore Yolanda Cruz Alt started all 15 matches she appeared alongside Orelesi last year as a central defender. Junior Paula Ortiz has appeared in 33 matches, with 11 starts during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Meanwhile, junior Gabriela Rosas is adjusting to a new defensive role on the pitch after being an outside forward and midfielder during her first two seasons in the program. The Gainesville, Georgia, native joins Clark among the team’s three captains this fall. Rosas found the back of the net in last season’s NAIA second round postseason match.

“Grace had a really good season for us in 2023 and brings two years of valuable experience to our defense, while Gabby’s position change brings depth to our group,” Giuliano said.

Other returning defenders are senior Izzy Bricheno, who saw playing time in 15 matches as a central defender last fall; an ever-improving junior Rikke Steenhold, who appeared in 16 matches at outside defender after making the adjustment from playing forward in 2023; and sophomore Christy Noble is another veteran who adds to the position’s depth. 

“Izzy made great progress over the spring and has put herself in contention for increased playing time,” the coach assessed during the preseason. “Bringing back Yolanda and Paula with starting experience gives us a good foundation to build the defensive unit this season.”

Newcomers who are adding depth and talent to the defense include junior Jade Perrin and freshmen Olivia Broderick and Dara Naismith. Perrin was a starter as a forward starter at nationally ranked Central Methodist University (Missouri) before transferring to NCAA Division I Morehead State University (Kentucky).

“Jade came to us wanting to be a defender, so we’re going to give her that chance,” noted Giuliano. 

GGC is striving to build off a 2024 season in which the team won 12 matches, captured the Continental Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the second round of the NAIA national tournament, losing a highly competitive match against eventual national champion SCAD Savannah. 

After the August 23 season opener at Montreat, GGC is scheduled to host Truett-McConnell University (Georgia) on August 26 at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.