William Carey Crusaders Start Strong

Last year, the William Carey Crusaders seemed unstoppable, ending their 2024 season with an almost unbelievable 20 wins, 2 ties, and only 1 loss. Under head coach Danny Owens and associate head coach Ryan Weir, the Crusaders accomplished scores that seem more like typos than actual results: 17 goals against Blue Mountain University (Miss.), 17 goals against Brewton-Parker College (Ga.), 14 goals against Thomas University (Ga.), and 26 goals against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Ga.). 

Even the most casual soccer viewer would recognize those stats as jaw-dropping. When the Crusaders went on to lose the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Championships in the quarterfinals to Columbia College (Mo.) in a 1-2 defeat, fans new and old were disappointed. Owens walked the razor’s edge of positivity and realism, stating after the game that: “Tough loss tonight, Columbia were very good. We created some good chances but just couldn’t put them away.” 

Something else Owens touched on in this post-tournament reflection is the Crusaders’ changing roster. “With the amount of players we lost from last year, for us to go into this tournament as one of the favorites and reach another quarterfinal, I couldn’t be prouder of these girls. It just goes to show how good this team is. I’m proud of each and everyone of these girls.”

As the Crusaders blazed through their opening matches this season, their success in part is due to returning players: Marie Reinwald and Nerea Pallas Padilla have returned as goalkeepers; Argentina Estrada, Sabrina Ramos-Camatta, Livia Pertl, Karen Vilau, Ella Jefcoat, Nanako Seki, Kokona Nishikawa, and Lesley Vasquez have returned to dominate the field. 

This season, the team must continue to balance new and old players. If their opening matches are a sign of things to come, the Crusaders are off to another promising season. The team opened with a 7-0 win against Louisiana State University Alexandria on August 21st , and then went on to win against Louisiana State University Shreveport in a  2-1 victory on August 26th. 

Even with a close score, the Crusaders still impress. William Carey had 28 shots with 11 on goal, while LSUS trailed behind, managing only 8 shots with 6 on goal. Returning player Karen Vilau snatched a win for the Crusaders with a penalty kick in the 85th minute, breaking William Carey away from the 1-1 score just before the clock ran out. 

Fair-weather and die-hard fans are both anxious to see how the 2025 Crusaders will measure up to their 2024 season. After a rousing pair of opening games, all eyes are on William Carey.  

Author contributor Faith Ellington