Georgia women’s soccer starts new era with head coach Keidane McAlpine

A coaching change can sometimes breathe new life into a program.

The introduction of Georgia women’s soccer head coach Keidane McAlpine, along with a 2-1 win over the preseason No. 2-ranked Duke Blue Devils during the fall exhibition season, has created an elevated interest in the Bulldogs’ program around the country.

McAlpine brings an elite winning pedigree to Athens from the University of Southern California, where McAlpine had sustained success. Under McAlpine’s direction, the Trojans captured a national championship in 2016 and never missed the postseason. During his tenure, the Trojans excelled on the biggest stages, compiling a 13-2-7 record in the postseason in seven seasons.

Postseason success is something that has eluded the Bulldogs program in recent years, as Georgia has not reached the NCAA tournament since 2013. In November 2021, the decision was made to move on from former Bulldogs head coach Billy Lesene after a mediocre 4-4-2 showing in conference play. With the subsequent hiring of McAlpine, a coach with 182 career wins, the message from athletic director Josh Brooks was clear, mediocrity will not be tolerated at the University of Georgia.

The 2022 Bulldogs will have to find a way to have success without 2021 SEC Forward of the Year Mollie Belisle. Belisle is now playing professional soccer for HB Koge in Denmark. Look for seniors Dani Murguia and Abby Boyan to do most of the scoring for the Bulldogs this season.

The Bulldogs should be competitive in a tough Southeastern Conference. They could possibly sneak into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. They kick off a challenging slate as they face in-state rival Georgia Southern on Thursday, August 18 at 6 p.m. at Georgia’s Turner Soccer Complex. The game can be seen on SEC network plus and the ESPN app.

Branch Carter