2023 Soccer Roster
Jersey Number 8
Abby Sowa
- Position:
- Defender/Midfield
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Southington
- Hometown:
- Southington, Conn.
Bio
Career: 2024 American Athletic Conference Tournament Champion… Played 5,658 consecutive minutes to finish her career with a streak starting on Oct. 17, 2021, and ending with the final whistle of the NCAA Tournament match at No. 14 South Carolina… Played in 78 games in Purple and Gold while making 76 starts which ranked 11th in program history as of the conclusion of her career… Was a Team Captain as a junior and senior, serving as not only a team leader but as the Pirates’ rock, their defensive anchor in the middle of the vaunted ECU back line which terrorized opponents… Improved throughout her career to become a dangerous player going forward on set pieces as well as being the team’s designated penalty kick taker, a role in which she converted five goals from the spot in her career with just one miss as a junior… Scored more goals in each successive season in her career despite her defensive position.
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2024: Started all 21 games, never leaving the pitch with 1,938 minutes played on the season… Scored four goals with two assists for 10 points… Scored the game winning goal in the season opener at NC State (Aug. 18)… Knocked home a goal and added an assist at Charlotte (Sept. 26)… Converted PKs against North Texas (Sept. 29) and Rice (Oct. 31)… Assisted on Isabella Gutiérrez’ game-tying goal against UAB (Oct. 20)… Converted the Pirates opening PK in the penalty shootout win over South Florida in the AAC Semifinal (Nov. 7)… Named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 19, and Nov. 1… Earned postseason recognition with AAC All-Conference Second Team recognition… Was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team for her efforts during the Pirates’ championship run.
2023: Played every minute for the second year in a row... Tied for a team high 1,710 minutes played ... Converted a PK in the Pirates major win at South Florida... Scored in the comeback draw at North Texas... Finished with two goals and two assists on the year.
2022: Played every minute on the year... Scored her first goal on a penalty kick against Old Dominion... Named AAC Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on Aug. 29 and Sept. 5... Was a key member of a defensive back line which shut out seven teams and allowed only 0.94 goals per contest... Made Dean's List in the Fall and Spring Semesters.
2021: Appeared in 19 games, starting 17 of them…Finished the year with a pair of assists…Set up the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Campbell (Sept. 2)…Had an assist in a 2-1 win over No. 23 Memphis (Oct. 24), allowing ECU to not only beat a ranked team for the first time under Jason Hamilton, but also clinch a spot in the AAC Championship…Finished third on the team with 1,576 minutes played, going the distance 13 times, including playing all 110 minutes against James Madison (Sept. 19) and Cincinnati (Sept. 30)…Helped the ECU freshmen class finish with a combined 30 points, the fifth-highest total by a rookie class in ECU history.
High School: Played for head coach Mike Linehan at Southington High School and for head coach Mike Smith at FSA FC in the Elite Club National League…Helped lead Southington to the 2019 state championship game…Selected to the Class LL All-State, GameTime CT All-State, Central CT All-Conference, All-Hartford Courant, All-New Britain Herald and All-Record Journal Teams…Named the Record Journal Player of the Year and was tabbed to the united Soccer Coaches All-New England Region I Team…Prior to the 2020 season, earned recognition in the New England Soccer Journal CT Preseason Best XI, GameTime CT 25 CIAC Players to Watch List, CT Soccer Watch List and the High School Soccer All-American Game Watch List…Served as the team captain for both Southington and FSA Football Club…Named a 2018 New England Soccer Journal ECNL Player to Watch and was a Northeast ECNL PDP selection.
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Personal: Daughter of Paul Sowa, Kathleen Dagata and Mike Dagata…Has two siblings, Coby and Morgan.
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2024: Started all 21 games, never leaving the pitch with 1,938 minutes played on the season… Scored four goals with two assists for 10 points… Scored the game winning goal in the season opener at NC State (Aug. 18)… Knocked home a goal and added an assist at Charlotte (Sept. 26)… Converted PKs against North Texas (Sept. 29) and Rice (Oct. 31)… Assisted on Isabella Gutiérrez’ game-tying goal against UAB (Oct. 20)… Converted the Pirates opening PK in the penalty shootout win over South Florida in the AAC Semifinal (Nov. 7)… Named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 19, and Nov. 1… Earned postseason recognition with AAC All-Conference Second Team recognition… Was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team for her efforts during the Pirates’ championship run.
2023: Played every minute for the second year in a row... Tied for a team high 1,710 minutes played ... Converted a PK in the Pirates major win at South Florida... Scored in the comeback draw at North Texas... Finished with two goals and two assists on the year.
2022: Played every minute on the year... Scored her first goal on a penalty kick against Old Dominion... Named AAC Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on Aug. 29 and Sept. 5... Was a key member of a defensive back line which shut out seven teams and allowed only 0.94 goals per contest... Made Dean's List in the Fall and Spring Semesters.
2021: Appeared in 19 games, starting 17 of them…Finished the year with a pair of assists…Set up the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Campbell (Sept. 2)…Had an assist in a 2-1 win over No. 23 Memphis (Oct. 24), allowing ECU to not only beat a ranked team for the first time under Jason Hamilton, but also clinch a spot in the AAC Championship…Finished third on the team with 1,576 minutes played, going the distance 13 times, including playing all 110 minutes against James Madison (Sept. 19) and Cincinnati (Sept. 30)…Helped the ECU freshmen class finish with a combined 30 points, the fifth-highest total by a rookie class in ECU history.
High School: Played for head coach Mike Linehan at Southington High School and for head coach Mike Smith at FSA FC in the Elite Club National League…Helped lead Southington to the 2019 state championship game…Selected to the Class LL All-State, GameTime CT All-State, Central CT All-Conference, All-Hartford Courant, All-New Britain Herald and All-Record Journal Teams…Named the Record Journal Player of the Year and was tabbed to the united Soccer Coaches All-New England Region I Team…Prior to the 2020 season, earned recognition in the New England Soccer Journal CT Preseason Best XI, GameTime CT 25 CIAC Players to Watch List, CT Soccer Watch List and the High School Soccer All-American Game Watch List…Served as the team captain for both Southington and FSA Football Club…Named a 2018 New England Soccer Journal ECNL Player to Watch and was a Northeast ECNL PDP selection.
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Personal: Daughter of Paul Sowa, Kathleen Dagata and Mike Dagata…Has two siblings, Coby and Morgan.
9/09/25 Inside Pirate Athletics
Tuesday, September 09
ECU Head Coach Blake Harrell Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
East Carolina Post-Game Interviews (Sept. 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
ECU Baseball Breaks Ground for the Dick and Sarah Bennett Baseball Building.
Friday, September 05
