Campus News

Lakers announce women's soccer launch

Team's inaugural 2023 season to coincide with turf field installation

Coming Fall 2023

Garrett College officials announced Tuesday that the Lakers are adding women's soccer to their stable of intercollegiate athletic sports.

The women's soccer team, which will start play in fall 2023, will be the first Laker squad to play on Garrett College's multi-purpose turf field. That field – made possible by a combined state and county funding initiative – will be installed next summer.

"This is a very exciting time for Garrett College," said co-Athletic Director Liz Show. "The turf field is going to be home to our baseball and softball teams, as well as women's soccer. And we anticipate adding men's soccer at some point in the near future."

Eric Hallenbeck, co-athletic director and head baseball coach, said the turf field "is going to be a great recruitment tool."

"It allows us to bring softball – which has been playing on the Lions Club field – back to campus," said Hallenbeck, adding it will be possible for baseball and softball to play more spring home games despite Garrett County's challenging weather. "The turf field is also what made it possible for us to add women's soccer, which we've wanted to start for years."

JR Kerns, GC's dean of student affairs, said the College has already begun a search for a full-time women's soccer coach.

"We want to give the new coach an opportunity to spend this fall recruiting high school seniors to come play for our new program," said Kerns.

Women's soccer becomes the Lakers' seventh sport, joining women's volleyball, basketball and softball as well as men's basketball, wrestling and baseball.

Like the other sports, the Lakers' women's soccer team will play in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference. Eight of the 15 member institutions fielded women's soccer in 2021 as the league began to rebound from COVID-related shutdowns.

Howard Community College (13-3) won the conference title and the NJCAA Region 20 Division II championship while Montgomery College (8-5) won the NJCAA Region 20 Division I crown.