GORHAM, Maine – Seniors Breanna Atwood (Franklin, Mass.), Catriona Gould (Freeport, Maine), Madison Johnson (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle), Mia Sargent (Portland, Maine/Deering) and Aly Veilleux (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Memorial) have been named captains for the 2024 University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's soccer season. 
 
Capturing the Little East Conference regular season and tournament championship in back-to-back seasons (2022, 2023), the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's soccer team has been picked to finish first in the 2024 Little East Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, and open up their 2024 campaign at home on Hannaford Field on Friday, August 30 (6:00 pm) against Maine Maritime Academy.  The Huskies finished their outstanding 2023 season as the conference's regular season and tournament champion for the second straight year and had a record of 16-2-4, and 6-0-2 in Little East Conference action.  Southern Maine was a perfect 10-0 at home on Hannaford Field last season.
 
A defensive standout, Johnson played in all 22 games last season, starting 21.  Logging 1352 minutes during the season, Johnson helped the Huskies to 14 shutouts during the season, and put in a full 90-minute shift in the Huskies' 1-0 win over then nationally-ranked Brandeis University.  Playing in 55 career games (starting 40), Johnson has helped Southern Maine to back-to-back LEC Championships and a combined 32 shutouts over the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. A Psychology major, Johnson is a William B. Wise Scholar Athlete.
 
A midfielder for the Huskies, Veilleux has played in 58 career games with 11 starts, recording six goals and two assist for 14 points.  Playing in 21 games last season, Veilleux had a goal in the Huskies' 6-0 win over in-state rival Saint Joseph's College.  Active in the department's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Veilleux served as the student-organization's Secretary during the 2023-2024 academic year.  A former College Sports Communicator Academic All-District selection, Veilleux is a Marketing major and a two-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete.
 
Earning back-to-back United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region honors, Gould is a three-time All-LEC forward, earning first team honors in back-to-back season (2022, 2023).  Gould returns after leading the Huskies in scoring with 14 goals and six assist for 34 points, scoring three game-winners.  Ripping through the Huskies' offensive records throughout her career, Gould is tied for the program's career goals mark (43), and is three points away from tying the program's points record (106 points).  Gould has 43 goals and 17 assists for 103 points in 58 career games. A College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team selection, Gould is a Biology major.
 
Named the Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Year consecutively in 2022 and 2023, Sargent holds the distinction of being the first Huskies' women's soccer player to earn the accolade from the LEC. A three-time All-LEC defender, earning first team honors in 2022 and 2023, Sargent has been a mainstay at center back. Playing the second most minutes behind Atwood in 2023, Sargent led a defense that combined for 14 shutouts and limited its opponents to just 0.77 goals per game.  Named the LEC's Defensive Player of the
 Week three times in 2023, Sargent contributed offensively, scoring two goals and picking up a pair of assists. Sargent scored the Huskies' game-winning goal in the program's first NCAA tournament win, a 2-0 victory over No. 10 Rowan. Playing in 62 career games with 60 starts, Sargent has nine goals and four assists for 22 points. A Biology major, Sargent is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District student athlete.
 
Named the LEC Goalkeeper of the Week five times during the 2023 season, Atwood repeated as the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year and became the program's first United Soccer Coaches All-American, earning second team honors. Atwood broke her own record for shutouts in a season with 12 during 2023, and established a new career mark for shutouts amassing 27 in 59 career games. Atwood earned her record-setting 12^th shutout of the 2023 season, backstopping the Huskies to their first-ever NCAA tournament win, a 2-0 victory over No. 10 Rowan University, making seven saves  - including a penalty stop. Making a career-high 102 saves during the season, Atwood established a career-best mark in goals against average finishing the 2023 season with an outstanding 0.709 GAA, and an equally as strong .872 save percentage. A two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection, Atwood is earning a degree in Exercise Science.
 
 
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