Roster
Schedule
WEST CHESTER, Pa.- On the heels of its second consecutive PSAC Tournament crown and sixth Atlantic Regional Final appearance in the last seven years, the 11
th-ranked West Chester University women's soccer team is finishing its preparations for the beginning of a new season on Thursday evening at Holy Family, beginning at 6 p.m.
Check out our interview with head coach
Betty Ann Kempf Townsley ahead of the start of the new season
here.
Preseason Prognostications
Expectations heading into 2024 are as high as ever for the Golden Rams as Kempf Townsley's charges are once again the PSAC East Preseason favorites and are beginning the new season, knocking on the door of the top 10 in Division II women's soccer.
CHASING HISTORY
Kempf Townsley, already a well-decorated coach in collegiate women's soccer, is closing in on what will be nothing short of a tremendous accomplishment as she enters the year just two wins shy of her 400
th career victory. A four-time coach of the year (once in the Big East Conference, while at Seton Hall, and three times in the PSAC), Kempf Townsley will become just the 12
th coach in DII women's soccer to reach this plateau and one of only 35 from all levels of Division II women's soccer. She will also become one of just 18 active head coaches and one of four in DII to reach the 400-win marker.
Flock Talk
Ranked the second highest of any PSAC program (trailing only Atlantic Regional Champion, Gannon), West Chester returns a host of talent from a year ago in all facets.
Offensively, West Chester returns four of its top five scorers from a year ago, led by a pair of PSAC East Rookie and Player of the Year honorees in
Kaitlynn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) and
Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown). Matter, a United Soccer First Team All-American a year ago, led the team in scoring with 35 points, scoring 12 goals (including five game-winners) and adding 11 assists, while
Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) was second on the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 20 points. Haughey was fourth on the team in scoring with five goals and three assists for 13 points, followed by
Victoria Pungello (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial), who scored four goals and added four assists for 12 points.
West Chester has no shortage of options in its midfield and forward units as
Jenna Fox (Magnolia, Del./Polytech), returns along with
Carley Slavin (Abington, Pa./Abington), Mia Amen (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), Kate Alexander (East Islip, N.Y/East Islip), Maddie Mosier (Hockessin, Del./Padua), Adriana Ryder (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert), Lauren Reimold (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East), Olivia Conroy (Toms River, N.J./Donovan Catholic), Flora Hernandez (Philadelphia, Pa./Science Leadership Academy), Lauren Corless (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) all return.
Defensively, West Chester returns
Jacqueline Graham (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) along with
Kaitlin Caban (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley), Paige Reali (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic), Jordyn Dupes (Middletown, Pa./Middletown Area), and Olivia Myers (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill) return to help manage traffic in front of
Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) and
Samantha Hollish (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham). Combined with the experience of Keen following a tremendous rookie season, which saw her post a record of 16-3-4 with 12 shutouts and a 0.73 goals-against average, and the amount of returning experience, bolstered by the return of Fox and Dupes from injury and the returning Golden Ram defense figures to be among the best in the league once again.
In addition to its returning cast, West Chester welcomes a host of newcomers with 12 first-year players and a transfer from East Region finalist in The College of St. Rose in
Brielle Zink (Islip, N.Y./Islip). Zink is entering her sophomore campaign after earning third-team All-Northeast-10 Conference Honors and All-Rookie honors after appearing in 22 matches with 19 starts a year ago. In addition to Zink, West Chester welcomes
Emma Suhoski (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood), Makayla Condela (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun), Sarah Roesing (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), Hannah Primwhere (Perkasie, Pa./Pennrdige), Kianna Barber (Browns, N.J./BCIT), Lily Pitcherella (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), Lena Ackerman (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), Kaylee Nagle (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North), Sam Versnel (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional), Lindsey Balmer (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), Hailey Primwhere (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), and Laura Caryl (Avon Lake, OH/Avon Lake) who all figure to help contribute to the Golden Rams success this season.
OPENING UP
When West Chester takes the field on Thursday evening, the Golden Rams will be looking to extend their season-opener unbeaten streak to a stellar 23 years as the team is 18-0-4 in season openers dating back to 2001. Kempf Townsley owns a record of 13-0-3 in openers and was unbeaten and untied in such games until 2018 when East Stroudsburg managed to find a 1-1 draw against the Golden Rams in the season opener. West Chester is also 1-0-1 vs Holy Family in season openers, including a convincing 4-0 victory over the Tigers on Rockwell Field in 2019, which was also the last meeting between the two sides.
JUST AHEAD
West Chester opens up with a matchup at Holy Family on Thursday night beginning at 6 p.m. before hosting Shippensburg on September 11 at 2 p.m. in the Golden Rams PSAC East opener.
