OSU Women's Soccer Preview: How Can the Beavers Cut Down on Goals Allowed in 2024?
Oregon State doesn't just need to improve their scoring this season, they also need to severely limit goals allowed. The Beavers allowed 1.79 goals per game last season, second worst in the Pac-12. A lot of names from last year are returning, but can they get those numbers down?
The Beavers return one full-time starter at defender in Amaya Bautista, who started in all 19 games last season. Bautista picked up one assist against Washington State. Megan Turi also returns, and last season Turi was actually one of the Beavers bigger offensive threats, picking up 2 goals and 1 assist over the season.
Defender is also where the Beavers will look to their young players. In particular, Zoe House, out of Highlands Ranch in Colorado, and Hayden Wilson, from Rancho Cucamunga in California, are two freshmen who could make an impact right away for the Beavers, With a lack of returning seniors and some exciting incoming freshmen, defender is the position group that should have the biggest face lift in 2024.
Of course, defenders are only half of the equation for cutting down goals, and the biggest shift for the Beavers this season will come in the net. Goalkeeper Hailey Coil, who started all 19 games last season, has graduated, so the Beavers are searching for her replacement.
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One option is Mya Sanchez, who saw a bit of action in 2023 coming in to relieve Coil. She saw the most action on the road at Cal, where she played for 75 minutes, but during which she gave up 2 goals, with 3 saves. Across the season, Sanchez allowed 3 goals and made 6 saves, so its unclear if she's ready to be a full-time starter.
The other option on the roster is Taylor Hannah. Hannah did not play last year as a freshman, but had an extremely promising high school career.during which she was the team captain at Chandler High School in Arizona. If she impresses early, there's certainly a chance Hannah could take the starting job.
Overall, this is the position group that has the most questions entering the season. While there's room for improvement at forward and midfielder, we know the big names the Beavers are going to rely on at those positions. Defender doesn't have that anchor, which means it's the spot where OSU really needs to have someone establish themselves as a team leader. We'll see how this shakes out in just a few weeks. The Beavers play their first exhibition in Corvallis against Oregon on August 4.
Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for Sports Illustrated, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.