Northwestern women’s soccer 2023 player previews: Newcomers

Is the Women’s World Cup not giving you enough of your women’s soccer fix? Not very surprising, given that Northwestern women’s soccer is the true pinnacle of the sport, and it has been too long without it. However, wait no longer, because the ‘Cats’ season is just around the corner and Inside NU has you covered.

Northwestern’s first game kicks off on August 17 at Marquette, and with it comes a whole new crop of Wildcats. Let’s meet them before they grace the pitch this fall.

Gina Muzi, GK

Last season, a large part of the Wildcats’ success came from their grad transfer goalie Mia Raben. This year, they’ll be looking to follow that same blueprint, bringing in graduate transfer Gina Muzi from St. John’s University. Muzi started 19 games for the Red Storm, making 42 saves while allowing 16 goals. The fifth-year will likely compete against rising sophomore Reiley Fitzpatrick for the starting job.

Maddie Finnerty, M

The Wildcats’ midfield was prolific last year with Josie Aulicino and Caterina Regazzoni leading the way, and first-year Maddie Finnerty will look to add to that group’s production. Hailing from San Clemente, Cal. Finnerty joins Northwestern after completing her first season in over three years. The SoCal Blues club player suffered ACL tears in both her sophomore and junior years of high school, but she returned for her senior year to help San Clemente to a 14-3-6 record and reach the CIF-SS quarter finals.

Presley Nevadomsky, M

Northwestern looks to continue bolstering its midfield with the addition of first-year Presley Nevadomsky out of La Canada, Cal. In 17 games for Flintridge Prep as a senior, Nevadomsky scored 13 goals and notched 5 assists. This production is reminiscent of numbers put up by the Wildcats’ midfielders last season, so the Los Angeles SC player should fit in well. Nevadomsky and Finnerty both will look to fill the gaps left behind by the likes of Rowan Lapi and Lily Gilbertson as the newcomers look to become regular members of Northwestern’s dynamic midfield.

Megan Norkett, F

Norkett comes to Northwestern from nearby Naperville with quite the resume in tow. In three years at Naperville Central, Norkett racked up 47 goals and 33 assists to go along with three All-State and two Gatorade Player of the Year finalist honors. Her ability to score and facilitate could prove impactful for the Wildcats in an already impressive offense.

Keira Wagner, D

Wagner keeps Northwestern’s west coast connection strong, hailing from Redondo Beach, California. The defender comes into a loaded back line, but she’ll be able to learn from the likes of Danika Austin and Emma Phillips during her first year in Evanston.

Holland Carey, M

Carey is trading the dry heat of Scottsdale, Arizona for the lakeshores of Evanston where she’ll join a stacked midfield unit. Carey ran track and cross country in high school, so her speed can be a major contribution on the pitch.

C.J. Roy, GK

Roy has four years of starting experience under her belt, but she will likely slot in at third on the goalie depth chart behind Fitzpatrick and Muzi once at Northwestern. A dual-sport athlete in high school, Roy accumulated accolades, earning Second Team All-Met three years in a row for soccer and winning Gatorade Player of the Year twice for softball.

Sarah O’Donnell, M

O’Donnell, out of Ashburn, Virginia, is the final first-year joining the midfield group. She will provide depth for some of the hardest working positions on the team and look to maximize her playing time come fall.

Jennie Clark, Assistant Coach

The field won’t be the only spot where new ‘Cats will be residing with Jennie Clark joining head coach Michael Moynihan on the touchline as an assistant coach. Clark will be returning to the Big Ten, a conference she knows well, thanks to her four seasons on the field as a Minnesota Golden Gopher. Since her time in Minneapolis, the former defender made her way through professional soccer, playing in Women’s Professional Soccer in the US and the Frauen-Bundesliga in Germany. Since transitioning to coaching, Clark has worked with Utah Tech in the collegiate ranks and Minnesota Aurora FC in the USL W League. Clark will look to bring her defensive experience to improve an already impressive backline that only allowed 18 goals last season.