Point Loma, the defending DII women’s soccer national champions, are set to take the field on Sept. 5, looking to make a repeat run to the title. Before the season kicks off, let’s take a look at some questions that could start to be answered in the first month of the season.
5 burning questions for the 2024 DII women’s soccer season
1. What does Point Loma do for an encore? The Sea Lions made program history last year, winning their first-ever national championship. It has been several years since there was a repeat champion not named Grand Valley State (which has repeated three times since 2009), with UC San Diego accomplishing the feat at the turn of the century in 2000-01. So, can Point Loma — which is oddly enough in San Diego — turn the tide and repeat in 2024?
The Sea Lions are certainly testing themselves early with a nonconference schedule that features three 2023 tournament teams in their first five games, including a quarterfinals rematch against UCCS on Sept. 21. However, Point Loma had eight players record double-digit points last season, and all but one returns, and that includes leading goal scorer Alana Diaz and Bethany Arabe, who led the team in assists. Also back is keeper Julia Pinnell — you know, the Sea Lions’ goalkeeper who didn’t allow a…
