9 of the Best NCAA DII Women’s Soccer Players to Watch in 2024
We at GSN have always kept up with some of the best DI ballers in the college game, but we haven’t always shown as much love to the DII and DIII levels. Today, we will change that by highlighting some of the top players at the DII level. Don’t think DII players can make an impact? Look no further than Bethany Balcer and Ava Cook, two DII stars who were elite college players before going pro. Plus, numerous DII players perform well and transfer to a D1 program. Here are nine of the best DII women’s soccer players to watch, although there are so many more than just these nine.
Reese McDermott- Colorado School of Mines, Forward, Senior
View this post on Instagram
Reese McDermott was a Third-Team All-American last season for the Colorado School of Mines and is poised to become a First-Team All-American by the end of this season. McDermott is third in the nation in scoring with ten goals, on the No. 1 team in the rankings. The public university in Golden, Colorado, is ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history after winning the National Title in 2022. McDermott is leading the charge for a program that has consistently been on the rise at the DII level. With 15 goals as a sophomore and 11 as a junior, she’s on pace to set her career high for goals in a season. She’s also got a great chance to win DII Player of the Year.
Evan O’Leary – Lenoir-Rhyne University, Midfielder, Senior
View this post on Instagram
Evan O’Leary is one of the elite midfielders in D-II and has consistently produced in her four years at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. O’Leary has eight assists, tied for the most in the country on a team ranked No. 8 in the national polls. Eight assists in nine games is outstanding, and her role has shifted from being a goalscorer to a facilitator for her team. Expect to see O’Leary’s name somewhere on one of the All-America teams by the end of this season.
Ancksu Dixon – Mercy University, Forward, Junior
View this post on Instagram
Ancksu Dixon has been showing out at Mercy University, a small private school tucked away in Dobbs Ferry, NY. With eight goals and five assists, she’s tied for seventh in the nation in total points, carrying the Mavericks to a 6-4-1 record. If Mercy can pull off a few more conference wins and win the East Coast Conference Tournament, they can look to make a run in the NCAA Tournament with Dixon leading the way. Dixon is an All-ECC first-team player who has to be the favorite to win Conference Player of the Year and possibly sneak onto a Third-Team All-America. Between this year and next year, she’s sure to put up some big numbers.
Lexi Gentry – Maryville College of St. Louis, Midfielder, Graduate Senior
View this post on Instagram
Lexi Gentry is one of the best players in Maryville College history. The midfielder is their first-ever two-time All-American, making the first-team All-America last year. Gentry is practically a lock to make the team this year and is the engine of a program ranked No. 13 in the nation and unbeaten. Gentry is on pace to hit double-digit assists this year, which would be a career-high. Having returned as a graduate senior, she’s looking to lead her team to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament this season.
Jordan Tenpas – Washburn University, Defender, Senior
View this post on Instagram
Jordan Tenpas was the best defender on one of the best teams in the nation last season. The senior was named a First-Team All-American, and Washburn, unfortunately, lost in the National Title game as a No. 1 seed. This year, Washburn is down to No. 22 in the rankings, but only because they lost their first two games of the season. The Topeka, Kansas-based school has to be one of the more feared teams come NCAA Tournament time, with Tenpas anchoring the backline. The Ichabods have only allowed four goals this season, and Tenpas has certainly played a major role in making that happen.
Taesja Paopao – Cal State Los Angeles, Goalkeeper, Senior
View this post on Instagram
While some D-II players might dream of going up to the D-I level, Taesja Paopao did the opposite, which paid off in a big way. After starting four games in two years at UC Irvine, she transferred to Cal State Los Angeles for more playing time last year. All Paopao did was dominate last year as she became First-Team All-America, allowing just 9 goals all year. This season, Cal State LA is back in the rankings at No. 25 and has yet to lose a game this season. Paopao has allowed five goals this season, and her save percentage is slightly lower compared to last year, but she’s clearly one of the more talented goalkeepers in the nation at the D-II level.
Emma Thrapp – Point Loma Nazarene University, Defender, Senior
View this post on Instagram
Emma Thrapp anchored a backline that won the National Championship last season, and she was named second-team All-America. The San Diego-based school is looking to go back to back and is at No. 15 in the national rankings as of now. Thrapp and the Sea Lion’s defense haven’t allowed a goal in their last four games, with just five allowed on the season as a team. After winning every award there was to win within the conference, Thrapp has to be one of the favorites to be a First-Team All-American by the end of the season.
Mackenzie Simon and Maddie Dolenga – Ashland University, Goalkeepers, Seniors
View this post on Instagram
Ashland University in Ohio has been one of the elite teams in the country for the past few seasons. After earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, they’re on pace to do the same this season as the Eagles are ranked No. 4 in the nation. The school features one of the more unique situations at goalkeeper. Rarely will you see a team play two goalkeepers with equal minutes throughout the season, but that’s exactly what Ashland University is doing.
Both Mackenzie Simon and Maddie Dolenga have been incredible this season, and it’s amazing to see them share the spotlight. Most goalkeepers wouldn’t want to share the job with anyone else. Instead, Simon and Dolenga’s numbers show they’ve been equally as good. Both have allowed just one goal this season and have played the same number of minutes and games. Both are ranked in the top ten in the country in save percentage. You’ll rarely find multiple goalkeepers on the same team being this dominant in the same season. Ashland seems to be a team on a mission, and both goalkeepers will play a big role in trying to help the team win a national title.
Featured image via @lagoldeneagles on Instagram
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS
Girls Soccer Network
Your source for girls soccer news
