It's the start of a new era for Celt Women's Soccer as they are now led by Head Coach Nataki Stewart. With 14 games on deck for St. Thomas this season, the Celts will look to set a new standard by taking on a mix of NCAA and NAIA opponents. This will all culminate in the SCAC Championship hosted by St. Thomas at Aveva Stadium in November.
A Season Worth Watching
This season, St. Thomas will open this year on the road against non-conference foe East Texas Baptist University on September 1st. After that, the Celts return for their home opener on September 6th against NAIA North American University before hitting the road for Howard Payne and Concordia. After that, St. Thomas will wrap up non-conference play with three straight home matches against Dallas Christian on September 22nd, Texas-Dallas on September 24th, and Wiley on September 29th.
In SCAC play, St. Thomas will look to improve off their sixth-place finish in 2022. After just missing their first SCAC tournament birth last season, the Celts will compete against the likes of Trinity, Texas Lutheran, Southwestern, and Schreiner for the conference title. At the conclusion of conference play the top four teams will advance to the conference tournament, which will take place November 3rd and 5th in Houston, Texas at Aveva Stadium.
Rookies & Vets Power Celts on Pitch
Returning for St. Thomas is their golden boot winner Emily McCoy. In her two years as a Celt, McCoy has found ways to make strides each year. To go along with three game-winners, she also puts opposing goalkeepers on notice with nearly 70% of her shots going on goal. In addition, defender Paola Colon and Midfielder Emma Cerda will look to improve on last year's campaign. Colon received a second-team All-SCAC nomination after anchoring various positions as a defender which locked up opponents. Emma Cerda was named to the all-freshman team last season after playing in 17 matches with 14 starts. She got it done as a midfielder helping the Celts in transition and defending the midlines. Offensively, she also chipped in a goal and an assist.
This offseason, St. Thomas hired Alumnus Nataki Stewart '14 as the new Head Coach of Women's Soccer. Stewart came to St. Thomas from the highly-ranked Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. He also brought in his staff of Paul Murillo, Daniel Fragachan, and Alex Baez.
"Our staff is excited about this talented, experienced, and high-character mix of returners and the 2023 class," Head Coach Nataki Stewart added. "There is a hunger and drive in the team right now to continue to push the program to new heights".
In addition, Coach Stewart also brought in 19 recruits to help bolster the roster as the Celts seek their first SCAC Top-Four finish. With a combination of rookies and veterans on the St. Thomas roster, the future is bright as a new era of Celt Women's Soccer begins this season.
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