2022 In Review
2022 Standings
- The University of Scranton: 17-3-2 (7-0-0 Landmark)
- Susquehanna University: 14-5-0 (6-1-0 Landmark)
- Drew University: 11-6-2 (4-2-1 Landmark)
- Catholic University: 3-10-5 (2-2-3 Landmark)
- Goucher College: 8-7-3 (1-3-3 Landmark)
- Elizabethtown College: 5-9-2 (1-4-2 Landmark)
- Moravian University: 6-6-5 (1-4-2 Landmark)
- Juniata College: 2-12-4 (0-6-1 Landmark)
2022 Playoffs
- #1 Scranton def #4 Catholic: 1-0 (2OT)
- #3 Drew def #2 Susquehanna: 1-0 (OT)
- #1 Scranton def #3 Drew: 1-0
Junior Emily Tantala scored the game-winner with just 0:13 left in regulation as the top-seeded University of Scranton women's soccer team captured a third straight Landmark Conference title with a 1-0 victory over the No. 3 seed Drew Rangers in the conference championship match.
It was the Royals' third straight conference title and the program's ninth Landmark Championship overall.
The goal was Tantala's second of the year, with both having been game-winners.
Preseason Coaches Poll
The upcoming Landmark Conference women's soccer season promises to be exciting, as teams gear up to compete for the championship title.
The University of Scranton commands the top spot in the preseason poll with 81 points and an overwhelming nine out of 10 first-place votes. Securing the second position is Susquehanna University with 69 points, followed by Drew University in third with 65 points and the final first-place tally. Catholic University claims the fourth spot with 52 points, with Moravian University (48 points) and Elizabethtown College (47 points) in fifth and sixth place respectively to round out the top half of the poll.
Seventh place in the rankings is claimed by conference newcomer Lycoming College with 34 points. Other Landmark newcomer, Wilkes University, receives 22 points for eighth place. Goucher College (21 points) and Juniata College (11 points) round out the poll.
Catholic University
- Head Coach: Casey Sommers (3rd Season)
- 2022 Record: 3-10-5 (2-2-3 Landmark)
The Cardinals will look to mount a strong campaign in what will be head coach Casey Sommers’ third season in charge. Catholic will be blessed with experience in 2023, returning a staggering 26 players after only graduating three seniors. Nine starters from last season’s Landmark Conference Semifinal overtime battle with Scranton are back in Brookland this year.
Attacker and two-time All-Landmark selection Jordan Siok is poised for a productive senior season. She will be joined in attack by returning sophomores Peyton Coron and Isabel Doherty, who both showed promise during their debut campaigns. Perhaps most key to the Cardinals’ success is the return of goalkeeper Ava Rieger, who announced herself on the scene during her freshman campaign. The shot-stopper quickly made the number one spot her own, making 153 saves in 13 matches, including a Landmark Conference Tournament-record 15 saves in the semifinal loss to the Royals.
The Cardinals have lost two key players in the form of Alexa Adelmann and Liz Gorman to graduation. Adelmann scored the game-winning goal on the final day of the regular season to push Catholic into the conference tournament.
Look for Catholic to again be in contention for a berth into the Landmark Conference Tournament. Sommers’ side will open the season at Farmingdale State on Sept. 1 before its first home contest against Alvernia on Sept. 3. Conference play will commence on Sept. 23 before the much-anticipated rematch of last year’s semifinal takes place in Scranton on Sept. 30.
Drew University
- Head Coach: Christa Racine (30th Season)
- 2022 Record: 11-6-2 (4-2-1 Landmark)
Led by 30th-year Head Coach Christa Racine, the Rangers will look to continue the momentum of its tremendous 2022 season in which they finished 11-6-2 and reached the final of the Landmark Conference Championship.
Six returning starters and the team's top six scorers are back from last season, including a pair of All-Region performers in junior forward Alexa Krause and senior midfielder Rebecca Racine. Krause racked up a team-leading 34 points on 15 goals and four assists last season while Racine poured in nine goals.
Junior forward Isabella Grof-Tisza, who distributed a team-leading eight assists a year ago, is also back after garnering All-Landmark Conference status.
The squad will seek to replace all-region defender Sam Kievit and the both of their starting goalies from last season.
"We are excited to start another Landmark season. Last year's playoff run was exciting for our program and has provided a lot of motivation for our returners in the offseason to continue moving forward." - Head Coach, Christa Racine
Elizabethtown College
- Head Coach: Amy Hough (8th Season)
- 2022 Record: 5-9-2 (1-4-2 Landmark)
Elizabethtown did not have the season they wanted in 2022 and look to rebound from it in 2023.
The Blue Jays have their top three goal scorers and point producers back in Jenna Hoffmann, Maddie McWhinney and Skylar Mumford.
Etown will miss perennial all-conference goalie Trinity Soto but have their entire starting defensive unit back and will rely upon the experience of juniors Adrienne McGallicher and Rena Rankin to fill that void in goal.
“I am looking forward to having Etown soccer back on the field for a new season. While I am excited for the competitive opportunities of an expanded conference, our focus remains on the daily habits it takes for our team to be at our best on and off the field, competing hard, believing in each other, having fun, and accomplishing the mission.” - Head Coach, Amy Hough
Goucher College
- Head Coach: Stephanie Ricketts-Preston (6th Season)
- 2022 Record: 8-7-3 (1-3-3 Landmark)
Goucher is coming off its first postseason appearance ever as the Gophers qualified for the ECAC Championship.
The Gophers return eight starters, highlighted by First Team All-Conference defender Belle St. Jean. Senior goalie Marissa Spacht posted a single-season record nine shutouts in 2022 while starting every game and had a 1.00 goals-against average.
Other returners include Jordan Wood, who had three goals and an assist as a first year last season, while Taty Jimenez recorded two goals and an assist.
“We’re so excited for the upcoming season! We return a large veteran group that we’re really relying on to set the tone for this season and provide strong leadership to a talented first year class. Our coaches and players have raised the standard for our program this season and we’re looking forward to achieving those goals.” - Head Coach, Stephanie Ricketts-Preston
Juniata College
- Head Coach: Joe Alianiello (4th Season)
- 2022 Record: 2-12-4 (0-6-1 Landmark)
The Juniata women’s soccer team enters the 2023 campaign looking to improve on 2022. Head coach Joe Alianiello begins his fourth fall in charge and enters this year with a relatively young squad. 19 total players return from last season, while 10 freshmen join the Eagles roster.
Most of last year’s attacking strength returns including junior midfielder Alyssa Bui (2 G, 1 A), senior defender Ashley McWilliams (3 A), and sophomore forward Amelia Yordy (2 G).
The goalkeeping trio of Cati Besch, Avery Zales, and Julia Lane return from a 2022 season where the three split time between the posts.
“We are excited for the fall 2023 season. The team had a great off-season on and off the field and we look forward to building on the lessons from last year with a young team.” - Head Coach, Joseph Alianiello
Lycoming College
- Head Coach: Kenny Fern (7th Season)
- 2022 Record: 12-6-2 (5-3-0 MAC)
Coming off a season where the Lycoming College women’s soccer team won a school-record 12 games and earned the program’s first postseason berth and NCAA Regional Ranking, the team will move into the Landmark Conference looking to extend a record run of three straight 10-win campaigns.
To do that, the Warriors will have to replace their two top goal scorers in 2022, but with seven players returning that found the back of the net last year, the team could use that balanced offense to its advantage, especially with three starters returning on a stingy defense that helped junior goalkeeper Abbey Gerasimoff post a school-record seven shutouts.
“We are looking forward to the new challenge of being in the Landmark Conference and playing some different teams. We are looking forward to stepping up to the conference’s standard. I think we set the bar high last year and we’re looking forward to seeing what this new group can do.” - Head Coach, Kenny Fern
Moravian University
- Head Coach: Jeff Ykoruk (10th Season)
- 2022 Record: 6-6-5 (1-4-2 Landmark)
The Greyhounds return an experienced team in 2023 as 10th-year Head Coach Jeff Ykoruk welcomes back 27 letterwinners this fall.
Moravian welcomes back the senior goalie tandem of Payce Korpics and Paige Harrison that combined for a 0.94 goals-against average and nine shutouts last fall.
The Blue & Grey, who be road warriors during the nonconference slate with six of seven contests away from Bethlehem, will look for more offense this year as the squad looks to challenge for a Landmark Conference Tournament berth.
I'm excited to have the team return to campus. With only three graduating seniors, we bring back a solid group. On top of that, some of our key players who missed the season due to injuries are back with the team. We play a demanding nonconference schedule to prepare for the Landmark Conference, which continues to gain strength each year. - Head Coach, Jeff Ykoruk
University of Scranton
- Head Coach: Colleen Pivirotto (24th Season)
- 2022 Record: 17-3-2 (7-0-0 Landmark)
The Royals return five All-Landmark selections from a season ago including reigning Offensive Player of the Year Niamh Healy, senior midfielder Mary Haggerty, junior goalie Nikki Olson, junior forward Emily Bannon and senior defender Sam Lowe.
Healy led the conference with eight game-winning goals and ranked second with her 11 goals, while Olson ranked in the Top 10 nationally in goals against average (0.26), save percentage (.918) and shutouts (11).
Scranton will face a challenging nonconference schedule that includes defending national champion Johns Hopkins (Sept. 3), Marywood (Sept. 6), Penn State Berks (Sept. 13) and Misericordia (Sept. 27).
“We have a highly motivated and experienced group of players back for the 2023 season. Our nonconference schedule is extremely challenging but will prepare us for a competitive Landmark Conference in women’s soccer.” – Head Coach Colleen Pivirotto
Susquehanna University
- Head Coach: Nick Hoover (11 Season)
- 2022 Record: 14-5-0 (6-1-0 Landmark)
After a fantastic 2022 campaign saw the River Hawks go 6-1 in Landmark play and rack up a remarkable 11-game shutout win streak, the team will look to avenge their exit from the Landmark semifinals in overtime against Drew, aspiring to make a return to the Landmark Championship match for the first time since 2019.
Those hopes will be buoyed by the return of two significant contributors for fifth-year players, Emily Wertz and Gillian Maack. Both hope to put a cap on their decorated careers with each being a two-time All-Landmark First Team selections at forward and midfield, respectively. Wertz led the Landmark in assists last season with eight, while adding six goals and totaling 20 points, both marks good for fourth in the conference. Maack added five goals of her own along with two assists, being one of four River Hawks to tally double-digit points last season.
Wertz will have no shortage help in the attack, with the senior duo of Mikela Florio and Delaney Morton returning after breakout campaigns. Florio tied for the team lead in goals with six, while Morton picked up three. Each had two assists as well. Marley Sprenkel, another senior, also got off to a rapid-fire start in 2022 with three goals in five matches before seeing her season cut short by injury and will look to return even stronger in 2023. Junior midfielder Cierra Getz and senior wide back Ellie Betheil return after earning All-Landmark Second team honors last season, along with Florio.
Filling the void left by the departure of two-time Landmark Defensive Player of the Year Marley Clendenin will be the key task of head coach Nick Hoover and his staff, but between the 26 returners and the seven new additions to the squad, they believe they have all the pieces to put together another stout defensive unit.
“We have a fantastic opportunity to pick up where we left off last year with so much of the roster returning this season. The Landmark is a competitive conference and adding Lycoming and Wilkes will continue to help challenge us to be at our best in every match. Competing for the playoffs is always what we strive for, and I am really excited to see what this team can accomplish.” - Head Coach, Nick Hoover
Wilkes University
- Head Coach: John McNichol (6th Season)
- 2022 Record: 4-11-3 (1-5-2 MAC)
The inaugural season of competition within the Landmark Conference for the program will be memorable. With a good group of returners and first year players the team is looking forward to working together as a team and continuing to build on the team culture and on field play.
With a young team the focus is on getting everyone on the same page as quickly as possible and growing as a group. Overall, like all teams, the goal is to be competitive in league play with the hope of playing in the conference tournament. There are no easy games in the Landmark and the team is looking forward to challenging themselves with each and every conference game.
"We are looking forward to all of the new challenges that the Landmark Conference has to offer. It is not often that you get to change your schedule as much as we are and we are looking forward to playing against high level teams every week. We have a young team and really are looking forward to getting better and improving each day." - Head coach John McNichol.
Where & How to Watch
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