Athenians Reach National SemiFinal for the second Straight season

(SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS JULY 16) — The San Antonio Athenians will represent the South Conference for the second straight season at this year’s UWS National Championship Tournament in Ludlow, Massachusetts. The Athenians qualified directly to the final four after the league announced immediate sanctions against FC Austin Elite and the Southeast Division failed to provide a representative at the regional round. San Antonio ended the regular season with a 7-1-2 record scoring 32 goals and only conceding 5. The team is looking to improve on last season's national semifinals exit, the best finish in club history. 

Athenians Technical Director Leland Hammonds describes how this opportunity is the culmination of months of hard work on and off the field; “During the off-season we were extremely excited about the potential of our roster and the young ladies have exceeded even our lofty expectations through their work ethic, dedication and performance on the field. Qualifying for a back-to-back National Championship Tournament is just the cherry on top.”

Ashley Newland, one of three team captains this season, echoed the sentiment: “We've worked very hard this season to get to where we are now. And because of that we are blessed with the opportunity to represent San Antonio once again nationally!” Newland is one of seven returning players from the 2021 squad that won the Southwest Division but came up short in the national semifinals against Santa Clarita Blue Heat in Round Rock, Texas. 

This year's UWS National Championship Tournament will be held at the historic Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Massachusetts. The four team field will consist of San Antonio Athenians SC, Calgary Foothills WFC, and the winners in both the Central and East Conferences, which will be decided this weekend. All three matches in Ludlow will be streamed live on Eleven Sports. 

The 2022 Athenians squad, built around a strong core of returning players, was bolstered in the offseason with high quality collegiate players and further strengthened by the emergence of young talent from the Athenians NEXT Program. In the attack, the goals have come from a plethora of players, with Sierra Wannamaker leading the way with 6 goals. Her fellow UIW Cardinal Keely Ayala has also contributed 5 goals and 1 assist as the team’s striker this season. San Antonio native and Texas Tech midfielder Jillian Martinez provided the creative spark in midfield with 3 goals and 3 assists in the regular season. Jillian’s sister Brooke is also a part of a strong midfield group with a mixture of youth and experience.

Defensively, the Athenians set a new team record with 7 shutouts this season in 10 games. Two English center backs, Eve Clarkson and Amanda Chimbina, formed a dominant partnership with consistent fullback play on both sides from Ashley Newland, Sarah Bayhi, Jessi Reinhardt, and Jordan Bushnell. Mia Wildeman, a UWS all-region selection in 2021, returned to the team and was again at her best, conceding just 1 goal in over 500 minutes of action the season. The team will head to Massachusetts in great form, undefeated in 9 games to close out the season.

The San Antonio Athenians Soccer Club (SAASC) was created in 2016 and played its inaugural soccer season in 2017. SAASC is the first women’s semi-pro soccer team in San Antonio and features top players from the San Antonio area and beyond, including amateurs, collegiate, semi-pro and former professional players. After a change in ownership and a move to Soccer Central (6610 Low Bid Lane, San Antonio TX 78201), The Athenians lifted the first trophy in club history in 2021, defeating Lone Star Republic in the UWS Southwest Final 1-0.

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