Brockport NY: The SUNY Brockport women's soccer team is set to start the 2022 season on September 1^st. Brockport travels to take on the Alfred University Saxons for a 4 pm start on Thursday.
 
A Look Back: The Golden Eagles finished last season 8-9-2 overall and 4-4-1, making the postseason for the fifth time in six seasons. A dramatic 1-0 win over Buffalo State in the regular season finale locked up the sixth seed for the SUNYAC Tournament. The squad took on the third seeded Cortland Red Dragons in the opening round, falling 3-4 on the road, bringing the season to an end.
 
Captain of the Ship: Head Coach Mike Idland is back for his sixth season leading the women's soccer program at Brockport. Since he took over in 2016, Idland has earned a record of 44-40-7. His teams have journeyed into the postseason in four of the five previous seasons. When asked about the start of another year in the Green and Gold, he provided his thoughts.
 
"This is the most fun I've had in preseason in a long time. I'd like to think the players feel the same way. They've been a dream to work with, both in terms of personalities and in terms of the quality of play they've brought to the practices and scrimmages. I'm certain that we have a good thing going at this point, and I am excited to see how the process plays out over the course of the season."
 
Loaded with Returners: Brockport is fortunate to be bringing back 15 players from last season's roster for the 2022 campaign. With two graduate students and seven seniors back in the lineup, the Golden Eagles have a strong core of veteran players. Kayla Usborne and Sydnee Smith have returned for another season, while the senior class includes: Lara Kanbur, Julia Mascaro, Sam Maghrak, Franchesca Polcaro, Kiley Longin, Camryn Pettit, and Brylie Hapeman. The returning juniors are Karlie Mann, Elaine George, and Sophia DeAngelo. Kellie Gentile, Katie Hotaling, and Maryalice Skutnik are back for their sophomore season.
 
New Faces: The women's soccer program is also welcoming nine new student-athletes for the upcoming season. The incoming freshman class consists of Emily Maczka, Lyndsey Miller, Lucy Crounse, Megan Gerber, Kaleigh Pettit, Kuditra DeRosa, Diane Lange and Madeline McCrosson.
 
Offensive Leaders: Brockport has multiple key contributors from last year returning to the field this fall. Former SUNYAC Rookie of the Year and All-SUNYAC Third-Team select (2019) Kiley Longin is back after leading the way with seven goals in 2021. Adding two assists to her tally, she led the Golden Eagles with a total of 16 points. Julia Mascaro was second on the team with 15 total points, scoring four goals with a team-high seven assists. Katie Hotaling scored six goals last year, making her the second-leading scorer on the team as a freshman. Both Camryn Pettit and Sydnee Smith finished 2021 with four goals, as both forwards racked up at least 10 points on the season.
 
Staples in the Lineup: Goalkeeper Kayla Usborne is back in the net again this year after making 11 starts during the 2021 season. She completed her junior campaign with 55 saves and a .733 saves percentage. Karlie Mann started 16 games for the Green and Gold as a backline defender. Mann logged the most minutes of playing time on the team last year (1,409). Joining her in the back was Sophia DeAngelo. DeAngelo started 17 of the team's 19 games and registered two assists from her defensive position. Midfielder Franchesca Polcaro is another key piece from last year's lineup. As a junior she started 15 games for the squad, recording three goals and one assist.
 
Preseason Poll: On August 25^th, the SUNYAC released its official Preseason Poll for the upcoming 2022 season. Brockport came in at sixth in the rankings, which were voted on by the coaches around the conference. The full listing of the preseason poll is as follows: 1. Geneseo, 2. Cortland, 3. Plattsburgh, 4. New Paltz, 5. Fredonia, 6. Brockport, 7. Oswego, 8. Oneonta, 9. Potsdam, 10. Buffalo State.
 
Schedule: The team starts the season away at Alfred and then follows with two home games. The women are then battling on the road for five games until they return home on September 28^th to play Buffalo State in their Professor Appreciation Game at 4pm. Their next game on Saturday, October 1^st is their Brain Injury Awareness Game at home against Plattsburgh. Brockport then hits the road once again for a pair of matches until they return for a battle with Geneseo on October 12^th. The following Saturday, October 15^th our seniors take the spotlight as it is Senior Day in Brockport! The Golden Eagles will play New Paltz at 1pm. They then finish up the regular season on the road for two more games before SUNYAC Tournament starts in Saturday, October 29^th.
 
Home Opener: Following their first game at Alfred on Thursday, the Golden Eagles will prepare for their first home game of the season. They host St. John Fisher at 1pm on Sunday, September 4th on the new turf at the Dr. Linda Arena Field.