Entering the 2024 season, Texas soccer head coach Angela Kelly had all her 2023 starters at her disposal. Despite all the starting talent there has been one new player to start all eight games this season: Madison Haugen, a graduate defender transfer from Georgia.’’
“It was a new experience,” Haugen said on why she chose Texas. “I grew up in Georgia and (the University of) Georgia was only an hour and 15 minutes from my house. I was looking for something different. I also wanted a chance to compete for a national championship, and I felt Texas was the spot to be.”
After spending four years at Georgia and winning the 2023 SEC tournament with the Bulldogs, Haugen now hopes to produce the same success with her new team.
“It’s a super physical conference and the speed of play is super quick,” Haugen said. “It’s nothing that we don’t practice and can’t handle.”
So far, Haugen has been handling the transition with confidence. Coming to a team that produced 11 shutouts in 24 games the year prior, the Georgia native has proved comfortable in the high-pressure environment, helping produce six shutouts for Texas. With Haugen on defense, the team has also only conceded four goals.
While providing strong coverage for the Longhorn attack, Haugen and her outside back partner, graduate defender Lauren Lapomarda, have provided for the offense. Haugen has claimed five assists and Lapomarda has found the back of the net once and assisted three times.
“She was one of my first friends when I got here and she’s made this transition super smooth, she always pumps me up with confidence and I do the same with her,” Haugen said. “We have a little dynamic duo on the outside together.”
Along with partnering up with another graduate student, Haugen has been able to bring strong leadership to the program, especially with freshman forward Amalia Villarreal.
“Amalia (Villarreal) is a great person,” Haugen said. “She’s super easy to play with and open to listening. We’re always talking to each other and we’re good friends off the field. It helps our chemistry on the field.”
Her experience and success in the conference, as well as her newfound team chemistry, could prove valuable to Texas as it makes its debut. Texas is set to play two ranked opponents, No. 3 Arkansas at home and No. 24 Mississippi State away at Starkville.
The Longhorns will also play Georgia, the reigning SEC tournament champions, where Haugen returns to her former home in Athens on Oct. 27.
