Fresh of the regular season and postseason championship from last season, the Hastings women’s soccer team was chosen as the #1 team in the GPAC, receiving 120 points and 10 first place votes. Concordia and Dordt received the other two first place votes, finishing second and third in the conference preseason poll.
Jade Ovendale begins her sixth season as head coach for the reigning back-to-back GPAC regular season champions after being named the 2024 GPAC Coach of the Year. Defender Megan Lampe returns for her senior season after a year in which she became GPAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-GPAC First Team as a junior. She led the team with 13 assists last year, which was tied for second-most in school history in a single season.
Hastings will be looking for ways to replace their programs’ all-time points leader with the graduation of Dekota Schubert, who had 16 goals and eight assists last year. Sophomore Madison Rhodes, who was second on the team with nine goals last season, is the only returning player of the top six goal scorers from a year ago.
Sophomore Tatiana Villasenor enters her sophomore season after she took over goalkeeping duties during the last half of the season and allowed just six goals in her 11 games. Defender Millie Gell also returns for her senior season, recording two goals and two assists last year to go along with her strong defense, leading to being named All-GPAC First Team.
Among the other notable returners, sophomore defender Norah Stewart recorded three assists and started in all but one game last season, being named All-GPAC Honorable Mention. Midfielders Jesse Chartier and MaKenna Lockhart enter their senior and junior years, respectively. Chartier played in 21 games last season and contributed three assists. Lockhart appeared in 16 games and registered one goal.
Last season, the Broncos went 15-1-6 overall and won the GPAC regular season title by going 8-0-3. After a 5-1-2 non-conference, Hastings won their first seven conference games, then tied three of their last four regular season games, entering the GPAC tournament as the #1 seed.
Hastings dominated the GPAC tournament, outscoring their three opponents, 10-0, including a 4-0 Championship victory over Concordia. In the first round of the NAIA Tournament against Olivet Nazarene, Hastings forced overtime with the match tied at one with a second half goal, but ultimately fell in the penalty kick shootout, 3-1.
The Broncos will begin the 2025 regular season with a home match against Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday, August 23 at 5:30pm.