2025 Union Women’s Soccer Season Preview

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – Last season, the Union Commonwealth University women's soccer team (7-7-4, 5-7-4 AAC) ended their year in ninth place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).

This season, the Bulldogs are welcoming in head coach Casey Mclellan. Mclellan spent the last couple of years as an assistant coach at Emporia State University.

To get an understanding of the view for the team this season, Mclellan was asked what he expects from the team.

"My expectations are straightforward: I want the team to work hard," Mclellan said. "This is a new group facing many changes and challenges, but their effort and progress in such a short time have been impressive. With that foundation, we are prepared for a successful season."

Looking at last year's finish, sophomore defender Mikayla McKenzie went in depth on what the team's identity this year is going to be.

"Our team identity this season is perseverance," McKenzie said. "It is one of our core values as a team, but it also describes us as a whole. Everyone is doubting and underestimating us in this conference this year because of the circumstances we were in last year, and because we have a new coach. Last year we were put in an unfortunate position, but we are here to prove everyone wrong, and we are fighting for that conference title this season. I want our team to hold the message that we are here for a reason. We play this game because we love it and want to win. We are all thousands of miles away from home with the goal of winning and continuing to win, so we keep persevering."

When asked about his coaching philosophy, Mclellan talked about how he focuses on things that will allow the players to thrive at Union.

"My coaching philosophy is to provide players with the tools and resources to make better decisions on and off the field. I don't believe it's possible to coach every situation, pretend to know everything, or insist there's only one right way to play," Mclellan said. "Instead, my focus is on bringing the best out of each individual and building their confidence to make decisions without fearing mistakes."

"The main focus has been on developing the players into a team. We've used team bonding activities and culture meetings to build trust off the field, so it carries onto the pitch."

Looking at Mclellan's coaching philosophy, McKenzie spoke on how the team has reacted positively to it.

"Coach Casey's style of fun and positivity combined with his true care for our team has made a huge impact on our program so far, and you can see it in every girl's playing style," McKenzie said. "The confidence that all of us have and have gained within just the last two weeks of preseason has been amazing. His organization of our program and our team has helped us as a team gain a lot of trust in each other and in our coaching staff."

Looking at who Mclellan believes will help lead the team on the pitch, he talked about how he expects a group of key players to become leaders for the team.

"I'm looking to a few key returners, like Alberta and Mikayla, to take on leadership roles as well as established leaders such as Erin and Chaira to bring their experience and lead by example," McLellan said. "Alongside them, some of our new players have already shown real leadership qualities. Elianne and Charlotte, in particular, have stepped up within their groups and made a strong impact through really buying into the program and what we're looking to build."

While understanding that there will be many leaders on the team, McKenzie gave her expectations on what she needs to do to step up.

"My personal expectation is to continue to grow as a leader both on the pitch and off," McKenzie said. "I want to be confident in myself so that I can be a leader on this team, continuing to communicate, grow confidence, and be a positive force for my team."

The Bulldogs' first game is at home on Aug. 21 against Cumberland (Tenn.) at 4 p.m.