CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel soccer team begins the 2026 campaign the week of Aug. 3 with a pair of home exhibitions at Washington Light Infantry Field, facing UNCW on Wednesday at 5 p.m. before hosting USC Lancaster on Saturday at 11 a.m. The two matches will provide the Bulldogs with their first opportunity to evaluate a roster featuring a mix of returning experience and new additions.
Head coach
Ciaran Traquair begins his 11th season leading the program. The Citadel enters the year with 13 returners, six transfers and a seven-player freshman class ahead of an 18-match regular-season schedule featuring 10 home contests.
The returning group includes midfielders
Samantha Grantham,
Gabrielle Macer and
Adrianna Gill, forwards
Reagan Wise and
Cameron Martin, defenders
Charlotte Seay,
Annaka Boyd,
Caelynn January,
Maya Johnson and
Addison Cruzen, and goalkeepers
Lizzy Passwaters,
Zoe Santos and
Sarah Wethington. The group accounted for eight goals and five assists last season.
Grantham leads the returning attack after scoring three goals in 2025. Gill added two goals and one assist, while Seay logged another two scores and one assist en route to one SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors. Macer returns after earning SoCon All-Freshman team recognition and starting 16 matches.
Joining the returning corps is a freshman class featuring
Gabriellah Davis (Arlington, Va.),
Sophie Voyer (Scottsdale, Ariz.),
Adi Regrutto (Chattanooga, Tenn.),
Reese Denson (Acworth, Ga.),
Emily Wash (New Braunfels, Texas),
Julieta Hernandez Escoboza (Bayonne, N.J.) and
Aliana Banner (Germantown, Wis.).
The Bulldogs also added experience through transfers
Avery Lang (North Texas),
Jasiah Pack (USC Beaufort),
Ayja McCleary (UT Martin),
Emily Steiner (Austin Peay),
Chloe Garza (Stetson) and
Alixandria Fletcher (Georgia Southern).
Between the posts, Santos, Passwaters and Wethington return alongside Banner. Santos swiped 59 saves in 13 appearances last season, while Passwaters recorded two clean sheets in six matches.
"We have a strong balance of returning players who understand our expectations and newcomers who have added quality and competition throughout the group," Traquair said. "The exhibitions will give us an important opportunity to evaluate where we are, continue building connections and prepare for a challenging regular-season schedule."
The regular season begins Aug. 12 at Queens. The Bulldogs host Southern Utah in their home opener Aug. 17 and begin Southern Conference play Sept. 17 at home against VMI.
The Citadel concludes the regular season Nov. 1 at ETSU. The Southern Conference Championship begins Nov. 5.
For the latest information on The Citadel soccer team, visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelWSoccer on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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