OVERVIEW
Much like at the goalkeeper position, the Aggie backline enters 2018 with more depth than last season.
While the Maroon & White lose the services of four-year starter McKayla Paulson, they return four players with extensive playing experience with Aggie Defensive MVP Briana Alston, Mexico international superstar Jimena López, All-SEC Kendall Ritchie and local legend Callyn Walton.
Three talented players were added to the mix with Jordan Hill returning to action after redshirting in 2017 and freshmen Macie Kolb and Karlina Sample pushing for playing time.
The talent and versatility at the position give the coaching staff the freedom to go with three-back or four-back sets as they deem necessary.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"This is possibly our most athletic group of defenders that we've had in the program's history. There is tremendous speed, tremendous experience and tremendous competition to get on the field."
BRIANA ALSTON
In her first season in Aggieland, Alston was a rock on the back line. She started 21 games for the Aggies, logging 1,927 minutes. Her only time off the pitch in 2018 occurred after a red card against Missouri and the following match against Arkansas. Alston was key to the defense allowing no more than one goal in 15 consecutive appearances. The team posted a 0.74 goals-against average with her on the pitch. She arrived in College Station after playing seven games for Florida State as a freshman.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Bri was our defensive MVP last year, voted on by her peers, because of her toughness, her speed and her ability to break down the other team's attack."
JORDAN HILL
Hill is back in the mix after not seeing action in 2017. As a freshman, Hill played in 20 matches including five starts. She ended her rookie campaign in 2016 with four points on one goal and two assists. After mixing time in the defending third and attacking third her first two years, Hill is going to concentrate on being a force on the backline.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Jordan has some of the best closing speed that we've seen in this program. She has a tremendous vertical jump on winning headers on defense and the attack. She has experience as a forward so she's very comfortable with the ball at her feet."
MACIE KOLB
Kolb was a three-year letterwinner at McKinney Boyd High School, which also produced former Aggie standouts Kelley Monogue and Meghan Streight. She was a three-time All-District 6-6A honoree, including first team as both a freshman and sophomore and second team as a junior. Kolb played through injury as a junior to lead squad to the first round of the state playoffs and earn all-district second-team recognition. She spent her last two prep years with the Solar Soccer Club and helped lead Solar ECNL to a regional playoff appearance.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Macie has an attacker's mentality. She can play anywhere up and down the flank. She has a green light to take the ball and go any time she wants. Macie has some great experience with some great clubs in north Texas."
JIMENA LÓPEZ
As a rookie in 2017, López played in 20 games, including 10 starts, logging seven points on three goals and one assist. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week on August 21 after scoring twice in the opening weekend while playing a part in the Aggie defense that recorded back-to-back shutout. López will miss the first few games of the regular-season as she competes with Mexico at the U20 Women's World Cup in France. In January, she starred for Mexico as they won the CONCACAF U20 Championship in Couva, Trinidad & Tobago. She was named to the Gold Cup Best XI by the Technical Study Group, identified as the tournament's top left back.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Jimena is a world-class defender and a world-class teammate. She brings maturity, experience, poise and confidence to our team every time she's on the field."
KENDALL RITCHIE
Ritchie has shown steady improvement since arriving in Aggieland. After garnering All-SEC Second Team recognition in 2017, her trajectory points toward an epic senior campaign. Last season she appeared in 18 games, including 15 starts. After missing some early season matches, she played in six shutouts. In her first start of the year against No. 6 Florida, she scored her first career goal with a 45-yard blast on a free kick for the game-winning goal. Ritchie played the full 90 minutes or more in every game during the Aggies' school-record 14-game win streak as the A&M defense allowed one goal or less in every contest.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Kendall is returning from an All-SEC season. She really came into her own last year, not only as an individual defender, but also as a vital part of our attack."
KARLINA SAMPLE
Sample spent the last three prep years with the Solar Soccer Club. She helped Solar SC to three Texas Regional titles. Sample has participated in three national training camps in 2016 and 2017, including the ECNL/id2 Training Camp in Portland in July 2017. She named to the Best XI for the 2016 ECNL U16 National Playoffs by TopDrawerSoccer. Sample participated in two US Soccer U14 National Team Camps in 2014. A supreme athlete, Sample was a standout in track & field and basketball at Reedy High School.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Karlina is someone we identified as the best young defender in the state of Texas years ago. She has continued on that trajectory to be one of the finest defenders in the United States. It was nice having her here in the spring as she was rehabbing her knee to get herself into the fabric of this team. This fall she is ready to go."
CALLYN WALTON
Walton has spent her life in Aggieland and is in her third year with the Aggies. Last year, she gained a wealth of experience on the backline filling in for injured starter McKayla Paulson. Walton enters 2018 with 27 Aggie caps, including 18 starts, and she has seen action in eight shutouts. Last year, the Maroon & White were 12-1-1 in her 14 starts. She started each of the Aggies' four postseason wins, playing every minute of the SEC Tournament and the NCAA First Round victory over Lamar.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Callyn has developed, perhaps more than any of our players, technically. Her comfort level with the ball right now is extraordinary and her athleticism has always been a special part of her game."
Much like at the goalkeeper position, the Aggie backline enters 2018 with more depth than last season.
While the Maroon & White lose the services of four-year starter McKayla Paulson, they return four players with extensive playing experience with Aggie Defensive MVP Briana Alston, Mexico international superstar Jimena López, All-SEC Kendall Ritchie and local legend Callyn Walton.
Three talented players were added to the mix with Jordan Hill returning to action after redshirting in 2017 and freshmen Macie Kolb and Karlina Sample pushing for playing time.
The talent and versatility at the position give the coaching staff the freedom to go with three-back or four-back sets as they deem necessary.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"This is possibly our most athletic group of defenders that we've had in the program's history. There is tremendous speed, tremendous experience and tremendous competition to get on the field."
BRIANA ALSTON
In her first season in Aggieland, Alston was a rock on the back line. She started 21 games for the Aggies, logging 1,927 minutes. Her only time off the pitch in 2018 occurred after a red card against Missouri and the following match against Arkansas. Alston was key to the defense allowing no more than one goal in 15 consecutive appearances. The team posted a 0.74 goals-against average with her on the pitch. She arrived in College Station after playing seven games for Florida State as a freshman.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Bri was our defensive MVP last year, voted on by her peers, because of her toughness, her speed and her ability to break down the other team's attack."
JORDAN HILL
Hill is back in the mix after not seeing action in 2017. As a freshman, Hill played in 20 matches including five starts. She ended her rookie campaign in 2016 with four points on one goal and two assists. After mixing time in the defending third and attacking third her first two years, Hill is going to concentrate on being a force on the backline.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Jordan has some of the best closing speed that we've seen in this program. She has a tremendous vertical jump on winning headers on defense and the attack. She has experience as a forward so she's very comfortable with the ball at her feet."
MACIE KOLB
Kolb was a three-year letterwinner at McKinney Boyd High School, which also produced former Aggie standouts Kelley Monogue and Meghan Streight. She was a three-time All-District 6-6A honoree, including first team as both a freshman and sophomore and second team as a junior. Kolb played through injury as a junior to lead squad to the first round of the state playoffs and earn all-district second-team recognition. She spent her last two prep years with the Solar Soccer Club and helped lead Solar ECNL to a regional playoff appearance.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Macie has an attacker's mentality. She can play anywhere up and down the flank. She has a green light to take the ball and go any time she wants. Macie has some great experience with some great clubs in north Texas."
JIMENA LÓPEZ
As a rookie in 2017, López played in 20 games, including 10 starts, logging seven points on three goals and one assist. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week on August 21 after scoring twice in the opening weekend while playing a part in the Aggie defense that recorded back-to-back shutout. López will miss the first few games of the regular-season as she competes with Mexico at the U20 Women's World Cup in France. In January, she starred for Mexico as they won the CONCACAF U20 Championship in Couva, Trinidad & Tobago. She was named to the Gold Cup Best XI by the Technical Study Group, identified as the tournament's top left back.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Jimena is a world-class defender and a world-class teammate. She brings maturity, experience, poise and confidence to our team every time she's on the field."
KENDALL RITCHIE
Ritchie has shown steady improvement since arriving in Aggieland. After garnering All-SEC Second Team recognition in 2017, her trajectory points toward an epic senior campaign. Last season she appeared in 18 games, including 15 starts. After missing some early season matches, she played in six shutouts. In her first start of the year against No. 6 Florida, she scored her first career goal with a 45-yard blast on a free kick for the game-winning goal. Ritchie played the full 90 minutes or more in every game during the Aggies' school-record 14-game win streak as the A&M defense allowed one goal or less in every contest.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Kendall is returning from an All-SEC season. She really came into her own last year, not only as an individual defender, but also as a vital part of our attack."
KARLINA SAMPLE
Sample spent the last three prep years with the Solar Soccer Club. She helped Solar SC to three Texas Regional titles. Sample has participated in three national training camps in 2016 and 2017, including the ECNL/id2 Training Camp in Portland in July 2017. She named to the Best XI for the 2016 ECNL U16 National Playoffs by TopDrawerSoccer. Sample participated in two US Soccer U14 National Team Camps in 2014. A supreme athlete, Sample was a standout in track & field and basketball at Reedy High School.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Karlina is someone we identified as the best young defender in the state of Texas years ago. She has continued on that trajectory to be one of the finest defenders in the United States. It was nice having her here in the spring as she was rehabbing her knee to get herself into the fabric of this team. This fall she is ready to go."
CALLYN WALTON
Walton has spent her life in Aggieland and is in her third year with the Aggies. Last year, she gained a wealth of experience on the backline filling in for injured starter McKayla Paulson. Walton enters 2018 with 27 Aggie caps, including 18 starts, and she has seen action in eight shutouts. Last year, the Maroon & White were 12-1-1 in her 14 starts. She started each of the Aggies' four postseason wins, playing every minute of the SEC Tournament and the NCAA First Round victory over Lamar.
COACH G'S TAKE...
"Callyn has developed, perhaps more than any of our players, technically. Her comfort level with the ball right now is extraordinary and her athleticism has always been a special part of her game."