Schedule
Roster
WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Following a PSAC East Regular Season title and an NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship, the sixth-ranked West Chester University women's soccer team is set to get the 2026 season underway on Thursday afternoon at No. 11 Jefferson beginning at 2 p.m. After opening the season, head coach
Betty Ann Kempf Townsley's 20
th at the helm of the Golden Rams on the road on Thursday, West Chester will jump right into PSAC East play on Saturday afternoon with a visit to Bloomsburg for a 3 p.m. start against the Huskies.
"I was really excited by how the team came in to camp this year," said Kempf Townsley. "This group really came in fit and well prepared, so we were able to focus on soccer and how we wanted to utilize people right away and not have to spend time just working on our fitness. We went to Maryland for a few days early on in Preseason for some team bonding, and I think we learned a lot about ourselves and each other, so I feel really good about the culture and camaraderie this group has heading into the season."
West Chester heads into 2026 following a 16-win 2025 season, which saw West Chester win the PSAC East Regular Season title once again before exiting in the PSAC Semifinals to eventual PSAC Champion Shepherd. West Chester did not dwell on this PSAC Tournament setback for long, opening the NCAA Tournament with wins at home over West Virginia State (including a hat trick by 2025 PSAC East Player of the Year
Kianna Barber (Browns Mills, N.J./BCIT) and Fairmont State before defeating Shepherd in the Atlantic Regional Championship game in West Virginia to finish off November. In the National Quarterfinals against Franklin Pierce, West Chester erased an early two-goal deficit with a thrilling second-half comeback to force overtime before falling to the East Region Champion Ravens just moments into the overtime period.
Preseason Prognostications
West Chester opens the year ranked sixth in the United Soccer/Intercollegiate Women's Soccer Organization for Coaches Division II Preseason poll before being picked as the unanimous favorite to repeat as PSAC Eastern Champions. The Golden Rams received all seven available first-place votes in the PSAC Preseason poll and were followed by Kutztown, Bloomsburg, Shepherd, and Millersville to round out the top five.
Flock Talk
West Chester lost several important pieces to graduation from the forward, midfield, and back lines a year ago; however, a strong returning cast remains and is complemented by a host of talented newcomers, including three transfers, who bring excellent collegiate soccer experience to the 2026 Golden Rams.
Defensively, the return of a four-year starting keeper in
Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) headlines an excellent returning core. Keen had a stellar season in 2025, posting a record 16-3-4 with a 0.70 goals-against average and 14 shutouts (11 solo shutouts), which helped her move into the top five in team history in most major categories.
"Grace being back in goal with great experience is huge for us," continued Kempf Townsley. "She is one of our captains this year and is a great leader for this group on and off the field. She had a great season last year, and I think it really motivated her to be the leader this year and rally the team around her. She's great at organizing the back and has improved her skills every summer, so I've been very impressed with how she has performed through camp so far."
Behind Keen is a stable of talented keepers, including
Norah Quinn (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson), Domenica Rasi (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa), and Shelby Dougherty (Mohrsville, Pa./Hamburg), all of whom provide excellent depth.
Along the backline, West Chester has a number of experienced players, including 2025 PSAC East Freshman of the Year
Katie Dougherty (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown West) and
Carley Slavin (Abington, Pa./Abington), who has been another fixture in the back throughout her career. Kempf Townsley spoke highly of the play of Dougherty early on in 2026, saying, "She returns with great experience and is playing like a true veteran early on this season."
Kempf Townsley also pointed to and spoke highly of the likes of
Hannah Primwhere (Perkasie, Pa./Perkasie), Brielle Zink (Islip, N.Y./Islip), Kaylee Nagle (Toms River, N.J/Toms River North) as returning players who can make an impact on the Golden Ram defense, while also discussing
Indigo Kirk (Auckland, New Zealand/Diocesan School for Girls), Kara Slavin (Abington, Pa./Abington) as transfer additions from Wilmington and Penn State-Harrisburg that may make an impact defensively early in their careers as Golden Rams.
West Chester will need to replace a number of pieces from its midfield unit once again in 2026; however, Kempf Townsley and company certainly have the pieces to do so.
Lauren Reimold (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) and Barber are two names fans will remember from a year ago that will play major roles in the Golden Ram midfield in 2026. Kempf Townsley spoke highly of both, saying, "Lauren (Reimold) has looked great in preseason and will be very steady for us in a holding midfield spot, but has also continued to show the ability to get forward at the right time and be a true threat in and around the box while maintaining a strong defensive presence. Kianna (Barber) had a great year out wide for us last year, and we will look for more of the same from her in that position and in the midfield as needed in 2026. Her success last year was so well deserved because she is such a hard-working player and a true student of the game who will do whatever it takes to make the team successful."
Barber, the 2025 PSAC East Player of the Year, is the team's leading returning scorer, as she scored a team-best 13 goals, including an NCAA Tournament hat trick against West Virginia State and the game-winner against Shepherd in the Regional Championship, while also assisting on five others in the 2026 season.
Kempf Townsley also spoke to the versatility of Nagle, the Slavin sisters, and Kirk as players who could fill roles in the midfield throughout the season, along with the return of
Jordan Nguyen (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), who has had an excellent fall camp after missing her rookie season in 2025 due to injury.
On the forward line, West Chester will need to fill a void left by the graduation of Matter, who exits South Campus in the top five in most offensive categories, while also holding the career assist record after scoring eight goals and assisting in 10 others in 2025 after earning PSAC East Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 and Player of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024. Despite this departure, West Chester returns a talented group on the forward line, highlighted by the senior trio of
Adrianna Ryder (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert), Maddie Mosier (Hockessin, Del./Padua), and Kate Alexander (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip).
"We are excited by the return of these three for their final season," noted Kempf Townsley. "Maddie is a senior captain for us, and her leadership to open camp has been great to see. This group as a whole made such an impact for us in the Shepherd game last November, coming in off the bench down the stretch and really brought great energy and helped put tremendous pressure on the Shepherd defense, which eventually led to the game winner."
Lindsay Balmer is another name fans became acquainted with last fall, finishing her sophomore campaign fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and two assists for 14 points, just ahead of Alexander, who tallied four goals and three assists for 11 points during the 2025 campaign.
Kempf Townsley expressed excitement for the return of Balmer and her continued progression, while also discussing sophomore
Abby Hannemann (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro) as another player to watch. "Abby has great speed and is really good with her back to the goal, so she can create a lot of havoc in the back," added Kempf Townsley.
In addition to a trio of transfers in Kirk,
Kara Slavin, and
Claire Zimmerman (Riverton, N.J./Holy Cross Prep) from Monmouth, who is also completing her recovery from injury in the early weeks of 2026, West Chester welcomes a talented freshman class, including
Ashley Deiter (Wellsville, Pa./Northern), Ashlyn Boyd (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), Jenna Eichenbaum (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional), Rian Hammaker (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro), Megan Curley (Minneapolis, Mn./Minneapolis), Quinn, and
Ava Kueny (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape).
Kempf Townsley spoke highly of the group, noting not only the work ethic they have already shown but also their promise both offensively and defensively, giving West Chester excellent depth heading into the 2026 campaign.
The Slate
West Chester will open its season against No. 11 Jefferson, who finished the 2025 season in the East Region Championship game with a record of 17-3-1, before visiting Bloomsburg on August 29 and East Stroudsburg on September 2 as part of a three-game road trip to open the season. Following this road swing, West Chester will play three of its next four on Rockwell Field, including the September 5 home opener vs Lackawanna, along with September 16 and 19 home dates with Millersville and Mansfield. The lone road game in this stretch will be a September 12 visit to Shippensburg for a 5 p.m. start against the Raiders.
