Quality Goalkeepers to Protect Women’s Soccer Goal This Fall

The Georgia College women’s soccer team is blessed with a wealth of talented players across all positions who are ready to lead the Grizzlies to more success on the pitch this fall.

And that abundance of positional riches is no more apparent than at goalkeeper.

Four players have entered preseason practice and exhibition matches competing to be the team’s primary goalkeeper. That blessed group features two returning starters and a transfer from an NCAA Division II college.

GGCAthletics.com begins its preseason position preview series by highlighting those goalkeepers who are looking to build off last season’s six shutouts when the 2026 season starts August 22 with a home match against Montreat College (North Carolina) at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

“We head into this season with a very strong team, but it might not be as deep as we were last year,” said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano, who enters his 10th season guiding the Grizzlies. “There were many times a year ago that we would make seven to nine substitutions at a time and could keep everyone fresh. I love all aspects of this year’s team, but we’re going to have to be a team that stays healthy and be fit for us to have another good year.” 

GGC is coming off a 10-6-5 season in 2025 that included two victories against nationally ranked teams, winning the Continental Athletic Conference championship and making the program’s ninth straight NAIA postseason appearance.

Junior Elle Sarter opened last season by making 16 saves, having a .889 save percentage and twice earning the CAC Defensive Player of the Week award while posting a 2-1-0 record. One of those victories came in a road match against defending NAIA champion SCAD Savannah. 

Then came a season-ending injury.

Senior Rirei Sasaki started at goalkeeper for 17 of the Grizzlies’ remaining 18 matches, picking up eight victories and five draws along the way. She made four key saves in a home triumph against top 15-ranked Cumberland University (Tennessee) and then posted a shutout in helping the team capture the CAC title and an appearance in the Second Round of the 2025 NAIA championship tournament. 

Junior Ulrike Duyck adds more depth to the goalkeeping unit as she appeared in four matches during the 2023 season. Classmate Eva Norris has arrived in Lawrenceville after playing three seasons at NCAA Division II Quincy University (Illinois), having a 2-2-1 record in five starts as a freshman.