Pensacola FC Women Ready for WPSL Return
On Friday, the Pelicans will host Tallahassee Rising in its first Women’s Premier Soccer League match since winning the WPSL national title in 2019. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium.
The Pensacola FC senior and academy women’s teams will start training for the Women’s Premier Soccer League Gulf Coast Conference season tonight at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium.
The Pelicans won WPSL national titles in 2013 and 2019, and played for the championship in 2017 and 2018. WPSL didn’t compete in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and PFC competed in United Women’s Soccer and the Gulf Coast Premier League over the past five seasons.
Pensacola’s senior women’s team will host Tallahassee Rising at 7 p.m. Friday at Ashton Brosnaham Stadium. The academy team begins its season hosting Gulf Coast United, from Gulfport, Miss., on Wednesday, May 14.
Both teams will compete in the Third Coast Division along with Florida Roots (Panama City), Gulf Coast United (Gulfport, Miss.), Tallahassee Rising and Union 10 FC (Daphne, Ala.).
Southeast Soccer Report asked Rob Simon, an assistant coach with PFC’s women’s teams and the longtime girls’ coach at Navarre High School, to answer questions about the Pelicans’ preparations. Here’s what he had to say:
SESR: Where is the women’s program in its preparations to start the season this week?
Rob Simon: Currently the girls are finishing up their spring semesters in college or high school. Our college women have finished their spring seasons and are itching to get back on the field. Our high school girls are all in their club seasons, with tryouts coming up in May as well as preparations for [U.S. Youth Soccer National League] regionals in Texas for many.
The coaches: We are all heavily involved with our club teams anxiously awaiting the start of the Pensacola FC season, just trying to get everyone connected with communications and organized for May 5th.
SESR: How will roster decisions be made for the “senior” and “academy” teams? Will PFC continue to be the older, more experienced players and the academy the “jayvee,” or will they be more balanced?
RS: We are fielding two teams. The senior women and the academy women. Our goal is that both teams are playing each other for the championship. The senior women are made up by our local college/university age/level women. The academy team is the younger of the two. There will not be movement back and forth between the two rosters. Two separate and independent teams…will be training together and separately during the course of the season.
SESR: How many players are or will be in training?
RS: Off hand I believe our senior team has 25-30 girls while our academy has 40-plus.
SESR: Who are some of the key returners?
RS: Key returners for the senior team: Emma Beltz, Rainy Niles, Bella Lebaovic, Ava Matherne, Maciah Lypsey, Bailey Erwig
Key returners for the academy team: Aynzlie and Jezlyn Nelson, Ameera Edwards, Keeley Kleppinger
SESR: Who are some of the newcomers you’re excited about, and why?
RS: For the senior team: Ahnalie Layman, Aila and Mya Swinton (back with us after a couple years away), Emilie Doerkson; Ahnalie and Aila to provide added defensive strength to the team while Emilie and Mya to bring dynamic goal scoring.
SESR: What expectations do you have for the upcoming season?
RS: We expect both teams to compete for regular season and post season championships.
SESR: What can fans expect to see when they watch the PFC women’s soccer teams?
RS: The fans will see a large collection of local talent (HS and college women) to bring a high level of quality women's soccer to Pensacola.