Soccer Team History
All Time Roster/Letterwinners
All Time Coaches
Pro Dawgs
Honors & Awards
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Individual Records
Team Records
Records vs. Opponents
Year by Year Results
Season Summaries
Records vs Ranked
Overtime
Last Time
SEC Tournament, NCAA Tournament, and Milestone Wins
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Georgia women’s soccer became a reality in 1995 when athletic director Vince Dooley announced the addition of the sport, much to the delight of those in women’s athletics in Georgia, the Southeastern Conference and the nation.
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Vanderbilt won the inaugural SEC title in 1993, and the tradition of SEC soccer was underway. It was only a matter of time before soccer became another one of the conference’s outstanding and well-recognized sports.
In 1995, Georgia’s inaugural season, the Bulldogs quickly established themselves among the Southeastern Conference elite. Georgia completed its first season with an impressive 10-5-3 overall record and a 3-3-2 conference finish to provide a strong foundation for the future.
In 1998, the Bulldogs’ first senior class sent Georgia to new heights as the team earned its first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and finished the year ranked No. 16.
The following year, Georgia started a new era by bringing in 12 freshmen to replace the 13 seniors who had graduated. The team put its own stamp on the program as it got off to a 7-0-1 start and reached a national ranking of No. 12.
Georgia finished the 2007 season ranked No. 18 nationally. Led by SEC Coach of the Year Patrick Baker, the Bulldogs finished with an 18-4-2 record, setting a new school record for the most wins and tying the mark for the fewest losses. Georgia was the SEC regular season and tournament runner-up, earned a No. 3 seed to the NCAA Tournament and played host to the first and second rounds.
Georgia again advanced to the finals of the SEC tournament in 2008, then in 2009 earned its third straight NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in program history. The 2009 Bulldogs reached a national ranking of No. 8.
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The first season under new coach Billy Lesesne saw several highs and lows throughout 2015, but it was undeniable that the team was playing its best soccer in the final stretch of the season. Georgia won back-to-back road games against Vanderbilt and No. 16 Auburn to earn its postseason berth, marking the 17th overall trip to the conference tournament for the University of Georgia.
Although the 2017 campaign concluded at the end of the regular season after completing the ninth-toughest schedule in the NCAA, Georgia set an attendance record at the new soccer stadium located at the Turner Soccer Complex when 2,457 fans showed up on September 3 to cheer on the Bulldogs against Clemson. Additionally, Georgia's 9-0 victory over Coastal Carolina on September 10 was one for the books. The impressive nine goals ranks third in program history for goals scored in a game as well as tied for ninth in the NCAA and second in the SEC for most goals scored in a game for the season.
Lesense's tenture saw the Bulldogs return to the SEC Tournament in each of his final three seasons, including an 11-5-3 mark in the 2021 season. During that year, graduate forward Mollie Belisle led the SEC in goals, earning SEC Forward of the Year honors and becoming the third All-American in program history.
National championship-winning head coach Keidane McAlpine took over the program in the 2022 season. The former USC coach immediately changed the Bulldogs’ fortunes, leading the team to a 13-6-3 record and a trip to the NCAA Second Round. Under McAlpine’s leadership, Georgia received its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2014 and hosted a home postseason match for the first time since 2007. The Bulldogs also upset Tennessee in the SEC Tournament, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2010 before falling in penalties to eventual champion South Carolina.
During the season, Georgia went unbeaten on the road in conference play and finished the regular season with six straight results against league opponents, including the first three-game SEC shutout streak since 2010. The Bulldogs tied two program records with 16 different goal scorers and 12 shutouts during the year, all while tallying the second-lowest goals against average rate in program history. Graduate Abby Boyan became the program’s fourth All-American, with Madison Haugen, Dani Murguia, and Cecily Stoute joining her on the United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team.
In 2023, the program posted its finest season in school history, capturing a number of program firsts. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 13-4-6 record, winning their first SEC East division championship in program history, followed by their first SEC Tournament championship. Playing with 10 men for nearly 90 minutes, Georgia overcame a halftime deficit to beat Kentucky before outlasting Texas A&M in a double-overtime semifinal won by SEC Tournament MVP Croix Bethune's last-second goal. The championship run concluded with a 1-0 victory over Arkansas, with the Bulldogs holding the SEC's top offense to a shutout. In the NCAA Tournament, Georgia bested Liberty in the first round on a late winner from freshman Kiera Staude, followed by a second round victory over Iowa. The Bulldogs' incredible run ended in penalty kicks against Clemson and resulted in a No. 13 final ranking, the highest in program history. Bethune became the fourth All-American in program history, while Summer Denigan was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week. Bethune was then drafted third overall by Washington Spirit in the NWSL Draft.
