Waterville, Maine- The Colby Women's Soccer Team comes into 2024 on a roll. With added energy from new head coach Seth Benjamin and a young and talented team, the Mules will look to return to the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2018.

"The team has had a fantastic pre-season and we are excited for the regular season to start!" stated Benjamin. "The main focus for the season is to implement our style of play. I feel this team is going to be exciting to watch! The group has been amazing to work with and is only getting better. I'm looking forward to an outstanding first season and I know that the team is going to make Colby Nation proud!"

Last season, the team secured major upsets over three Top-25 teams, shocking Hartford, MIT, and Hamilton. They added ties against in-state rivals Bates and Bowdoin and victories against Husson and Thomas. Still, little rest is available in NESCAC play. 

The NESCAC is a powerhouse for women's soccer, with five teams earning berths to the NCAA Tournament last season and the always-dominant Tufts making a run to the final four. The Mules will play all 10 NESCAC teams in 2024 in a testing and demanding schedule. They add a return trip to Hartford and a match against Benjamin's former team, the University of Southern Maine. 

Colby returns some key pieces from last year in starting goalkeeper MK Marshall, leading goal scorer Sophie DiGrande, and All-NESCAC defender Samantha DeWitt. In particular, the Mules' stellar back line stays largely intact. The crew allowed more than three goals only twice last season and will continue to rely heavily on Junior Fati Salifu and Dewitt. Colby adds seven first-years to the team, making it one of the youngest squads in the NESCAC.

The season opens on Tuesday, September 3, against Saint Joseph's, under the lights of Harold Alfond Field. They open NESCAC play the following weekend against rival Bowdoin, where they will seek their first win against the Polar Bears since 2009.