THE OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS

The 2018 UNA Women's Soccer Team Reached the ASUN Championship Game after defeating NJIT 3-0 in the Semifinal

UNA WOMEN'S SOCCER HISTORY, 1997-2022

The women's soccer program at the University of North Alabama began in 1996 as a club sport and moved quickly into the Gulf South Conference and the NCAA Division II in 1997. Since that inaugural season the Lions have won 236 games through 2021, including four straight banner seasons from 2009-12 that saw UNA make four straight appearances in the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament. The Lions then went 14-4-1 in 2014 and again advanced to the Division II Regionals. Then in 2015, the Lions went 15-3-2, won both the regular-season and Gulf South Conference Tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in seven years. Iin 2017, UNA was 13-4-2 and made its seventh NCAA appearance. UNA advanced to the NCAA post-season tournament seven times in the program's final nine years in Division II.

In 2018, UNA began its first season of NCAA Division I competition as a member of the ASUN Conference and the Lions advanced to the league's tournament championship game in its inaugural season. The women's soccer team's 5-1 win over Alabama State on August 17, 2018, was the first win by any UNA athletic team of the Division I era. The Lions won their first five matches and went on to finish 11-9-1 overall. After earning a spot in the ASUN Tournament, UNA defeated Kennesaw State 2-1 and NJIT 3-0 to advance to the championship match. The Lions fell 3-2 to Lipscomb in the finals in Nashville.

The Early Years

The Lions had a solid 6-4-2 record as a club team in 1996 and followed that with a 7-11 record in their first season in the GSC, advancing to the conference championship tournament. In 1998, in the team's second season in the GSC, the team was devastated by major injuries and finished with a 4-14 record. In 1999, the Lions finished with a record of 11-7-1. The Lions finished the season tied for 3rd in the GSC. In 2000, the team managed to finish the season with a solid 11-6 record. UNA's season included a five-game winning streak at one point in the season, but the Lions 4-4 conference record wasn't good enough to put them in to the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Lions finished fifth overall in the GSC, with the top four teams playing in the league tournament.

Former Alabama-Huntsville standout Aston Rhoden coached the UNA women's soccer teams from 1996 until 2001. Cory Tanzer coached the Lions to an 8-9-1 record in 2002.

Graham Winkworth took over the Lions for the 2003 season, leading them to an 8-11-0 record in his inaugural season.

Winkworth Leads Lions to Next Level of Success

UNA emerged on the national soccer scene for the first time in 2009 with a 19-4-1 record that included the school's first appearance in the Gulf South Conference Tournament since 1999, the first-ever appearance in an NCAA Tournament, and the program's first post-season win in the regional. That turnaround of 11 wins over the 2008 record of 8-11-1 made the UNA the most improved women's soccer team in the country in 2009.

North Alabama enjoyed another marquee season in 2010, going 16-4-1, finishing second in the GSC and advancing to the GSC Championship Game. The Lions also made their second NCAA Tournament appearance, losing 2-1 to Tampa in overtime. The Lions finished among the Division II national scoring leaders.

In 2011 UNA went 17-4 and claimed the school's first Gulf South Conference women's soccer championship. The Lions defeated West Florida, ending the Argonauts 54-match conference winning streak and later defeated Valdosta State in the GSC Tournament final. UNA again advanced to the regional but lost 1-0 to Tampa in two overtimes.

The 2012 season saw UNA to 13-6-1, advancing to the GSC Tournament championship match for a fourth straight year and to the NCAA regionals for the fourth time. The Lions lost to West Florida in both the GSC final and in the semifinal of the South Regional.

The four-year span from 2009-12 was highlighted by the play of Chloe Roberts, Nikki Brown and Jo Chubb, who were all four-time All-Gulf South Conference selections. Roberts set the UNA career scoring record with 93 goals and she and Brown tied each other for the school record for career assists with 51. Roberts goal, assists and career points (236) all rank among the best in GSC and NCAA Division II history. She became just the 25th player in Division II history to have at least 40 career goals and 40 career assists.

Winkworth's final record with the Lions for his ten-year tenure from 2003-12 was 111-81-8.

The Chris Walker Era

Chris Walker became the fourth women's soccer coach in UNA history prior to the 2013 season and led UNA to a solid 8-8-2 record. In his second season the Lions went 14-4-1, reached the championship match of the GSC Tournament and advanced to the Division II South Regional. That effort earned Walker GSC Coach of the Year honors. UNA was led by junior Chloe Richards who was named GSC, South Region and Division II National Player of the Year after leading the nation in four categories, including most goals scored (26) and most points (57). In 2015, Walker's Lions went 15-3-2, won the Gulf South Conference regular-season and post-season titles and hosted an NCAA Regional event for the first time. In 2017, UNA was 13-4-2 and again hosted an NCAA South Regional contest.

In 2018, Walker led a successful transition into Division I as the Lions went 11-9-1 and advanced to the championship match of the ASUN Conference Tournament. The Lions followed with a 6-11 mark in 2019.

Facilities
UNA played its initial season at Veteran's Park in Florence and then moved its home matches to North Florence Park in 1997. In 2008 the Lions began playing on a new artificial surface at the UNA Athletic Complex on campus.