CELEBRATION Miami celebrates a goal on senior night against Duke, scored by Jackie Koerwitz early in the second half. Photo courtesy of Miami Athletics
Senior STRIKERS The four seniors on the women's soccer squad have gone through ups and downs, but have been leaders through it all.
This class of seniors has been through it all. A coaching change, upset victories, hurricane related disru tions and on field inconsistencies t s een a wild ride ro freshman year to senior year, with their careers coming full circle. The 2020 season was anything but normal, but the seniors always had the same goal every time they stepped foot on the pitch. “We appreciate the effort and energy this senior class has poured into our program,” Miami head coach Sarah Barnes said through Hurricane Athletics. hey ve attled in uries, a very di ficult season and year, dealin with the ande ic Regardless, they have continued to work hard and compete. I’m grateful to our administration and president that they had the opportunity to have a senior season.” Lexi Castellano-Mugica, Morgan Asmussen, Tia Dupont and Michelle Giamportone went through the tumultuous year together, while they each went through their own unique challenges. Castellano-Mugica tore her ACL in an offseason practice between the 2018 and 2019 season. The injury forced her to sit out the ’19 season— which was scheduled to be her senior year. The Boca Raton-native was forced to rehab and redshirt but returned stronger than ever in 2020. The defender’s goal at Virginia Tech was her individual highlight of the season. Asmussen earned a spot in the starting lineup for the ’20 season, but soccer is far from her only pursuit on Coral Gables. With ROTC and shark research being additional interests for the defender from Illinois, she plans on taking advantage of ande ic related eli i ility ro the N to return or a fi th year New Jersey-native Dupont was a statistical leader for the Canes. A forward, she logged a team-high 13 points as a junior and was a mainstay in the Hurricane attack in her fourth go-around. nd ia ortone, a yde ark, N native, was a key idfield co durin her ti e as a Hurricane. She accounted for nine career points. “To my seniors, we’ve been through it all,” Asmussen on MiamiHurricanes.com. “I’d say we’ve been through more challenges and adversity than most groups and we’ve faced it head on. I can truly say I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.”
SOCCER 0-9
LASER FOCUS Defender Morgan Asmussen looks for a teammate to pass the ball to during Miami’s fall season finale against Duke.
ON BALENCE Midfielder Tia Dupont locks in on a counterattack during a match at Wake Forest.
Photo courtesy of Miami Athletics
Photo courtesy of Miami Athletics
DATE
OPPONENT
RESULT
9/12
*VS. CLEMSON
L, 0-4
9/17
*VS. LOUSIVILLE
L, 0-3
9/20
*VS. NOTRE DAME
L, 0-6
10/1
*AT WAKE FOREST
L, 0-1
10/4
*AT VIRGINIA
L, 0-3
10/15
*AT VIRIGNIA TECH
L, 2-8
10/18
*AT PITTSBURGH
L, 0-2
10/29
*VS. SYRACUSE
L, 0-1
11/1
*VS. DUKE
L, 1-3
*denotes conference game **denotes neutral-site game
SOCCER 265