TOWSON, Md. – After a stellar 2021-22 calendar year,
Nia Christopher has been honored as the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year, announced by the league on Thursday.
The Devonshire, Bermuda native is the first-ever Towson player to earn this distinction after finishing second in the CAA with 13 goals last season.
Christopher is a member of the 2022 CAA Women's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team, joined by
Phoebe Canoles. In addition,
Jacey Miller is CAA Preseason Honorable Mention.
This is the first year where Towson has placed two on the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team along with three recognized players.
The league also released its order of finish for the 2022 season. Towson has been predicted fifth of 12, getting 77 points from the voters. Reigning CAA regular season UNCW has been predicted first with 115 points, followed by 2021 CAA Tournament champion Hofstra with 111. Northeastern is at third with 95 points, then league newcomer Monmouth at 86. With Towson at five, the rest of the order of finish is Elon (72), Delaware (59), Drexel (55), William & Mary (44), Stony Brook (38), Charleston (29) and Hampton (11).
The preseason all-conference team and predicted order of finish was nominated and voted on by the league's head coaches.
With Towson, Christopher had the third-highest goal-scoring season in Towson history last year. The 2021 All-CAA First Team forward and NCAA Division I Women's All-East Region Third Team honoree had five game-winning goals and two assists, being College Soccer News National Player of the Year on Sept. 6. She also is a starting forward for the Bermuda National Team, earning a hat trick in the team's victory over the Cayman Island in CONCACAF play.
Canoles lands on the preseason all-conference team after earning All-CAA Third Team recognition the past two seasons. A team captain for the Tigers, the Baltimore native started all 18 games this past season, playing 1,639 minutes, the most for a Towson field player, scoring three goals and four assists, each top-three on the team.
Miller picks up preseason all-conference recognition as a defender. The 2019 All-CAA Third Team player started all 18 games on the back line last season, playing 1,637 minutes. The Auburn, Pennsylvania native serves as a team captain, recording an assist against JMU on Oct. 14 last year.
Towson begins the 2022 season in a week, playing at Howard on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.
