Former Mines women's soccer All-American Emily Townsend returns to Golden and rejoins the Orediggers ahead of the 2023 season in the role of volunteer assistant coach.

A four-year member of the program from 2015-2018, Townsend started all but one of the 80 matches she appeared in during her career and logged nearly 7,000 minutes of action, scoring 12 goals with six assists for 30 points with seven game winning goals, including three in the 2018 season after which she earned First Team All-America honors from the D2CCA and Second Team All-America laurels from the United Soccer Coaches in addition to being named RMAC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection.

In 2017 she scored twice with two assists and despite missing the second half of the season due to injury, still earned D2CCA All-Region and First Team All-RMAC accolades. In 2016 she was named a Third Team All-American and First Team All-Region by the D2CCA as well as First Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches after being named First Team All-RMAC for a season in which she scored five goals with four assists. As a true freshmen in 2015, she started all 22 matches as part of one of the best defensive units on the league and earned what would be the first of four RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors in her career.

A native of Katy, Texas Townsend earned a degree in Environmental Engineering from Mines and is the older sister of current Oredigger Allyson Townsend.