Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport women's soccer team is set to start the 2023 season on Friday, September 1^st at Skidmore College at 1pm. The opening weekend continues on Sunday with the team's trip to Thiel College for a 12pm start. 
 
Last Season – The Golden Eagles finished last season 5-9-3 overall and 3-5-1 in the SUNYAC Conference. The women clinched the 6^th seed in last year's SUNYAC Tournament. The postseason run cam to an end after falling to the New Paltz Hawks, 5-2, in the first round.

The team had three all-conference selections last fall. Franchesca Polcaro, Sydnee Smith, and Kiley Longin. Polcaro and Smith earned 2nd-Team selections, while Longin snagged 3rd-Team honors. Polcaro and Longin will return to the field this fall for their final year of play as Graduate Students and Smith will head to the sideline as an assistant coach.
 
Captain of the Ship - Head Coach Mike Idland is back for his seventh season leading the women's soccer program at Brockport. Since he took over in 2016, Idland has earned a record of 49-49-10. His teams have journeyed into the postseason in five of the six 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 16 players from last season's roster for the 2023 campaign. With three graduate students and four seniors back in the lineup, the Golden Eagles have a strong core of veteran players. Lara Kanbur, Kiley Longin, and Franchesca Polcaro have returned for another season in the Green and Gold. The senior class includes Karliee Mann, Elaine George, Sophia DeAngelo, and transfer Jaylah Cossin. The returning juniors are Kellie Gentile, Katie Hotaling, and Maryalice Skutnik, Emily Maczka, Lyndsey Miller, Lucy Crounse, Megan Gerber, Kaleigh Pettit, Diane Lange, and Madeline McCrosson. 
 
New Faces - The women's soccer program is also welcoming fourteen new student-athletes for the upcoming season. The incoming freshman class consists of Karissa Champion, Emily McCane, Amelia Brenton, Cameron Thompson, Allison Thoman, Jordan Chizuk, McKenna Slate, Lena Turaj, Madyson Whalen, Chiara Torriani, Felicity Contento, Mackenzie Bieger, and Brianna Marino. The women will also welcome a sophomore transfer from Case Western, Rylie DelVecchio.
 
All-Time Offensive Threat - Former SUNYAC Rookie of the Year (2019) and two-time, All-SUNYAC Third-Team select (2019) Kiley Longin is back. With two more scores last season she has accumulated a career total of 24 goals and 11 assists for 57 total points. This ranks her 14th in program history in career points. Longin is also in the record books tied for the highest point total for an individual game. As a freshman she registered three goals and two assists for eight points in a win over Elmira. Scoring 10 more points for the Golden Eagles would move Longin into the top 10 in program history.

Staples in the Lineup - Brockport returns 100% of its 2022 goal production, including All-SUNYAC 2nd-Team selection Franchesca Polcaro who finished 8th in the SUNYAC in game-winning goals (2). Following a strong freshman season, Madeline McCrosson looks poised to start between the pipes in 2023, posting a solid 2-1 record with 22 saves in over 325 minutes of game action. The defensive pairing Karlie Mann and Sophia DeAngelo return after both starting over 10 games in 2022 and look to stabilize the back end for the Green and Gold.    
 
Preseason Poll - On August 24^th, the SUNYAC released its official Preseason Poll for the upcoming 2023 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 and Cortland, 3. New Paltz, 4. Plattsburgh, 5. Oswego, 6. Brockport, 7. Oneonta, 8. Fredonia, 9. Buffalo State, 10. Potsdam.
 
Schedule Layout - This year the women start the season with three away games at Skidmore, Thiel, and St. John Fisher before returning to Brockport for their first home game on September 7^th against Keuka College. Brockport will host Juniata College for its Community and Youth Celebration game on Saturday, September 16^th at 1 pm. The women then hit the road again on Wednesday the 20^th for a matchup against Buffalo State to open up SUNYAC play. That weekend they travel north to face the Cardinals up at Plattsburgh State. The Golden Eagles return for a four-game home streak, beginning on September 25^th against Hilbert. The team then takes a quick trip south to New Paltz on Saturday, October 7^th. Brockport will return to host Fredonia and Cortland at home before traveling to Geneseo. The Golden Eagles will host SUNY Potsdam to wrap up the regular season on Senior Day.

Opening Weekend Matchups - The Golden Eagles are prepared for two games for opening weekend this season. It all starts Friday against Skidmore College at 1pm. Last year the Skidmore Thoroughbreds went 10-2-4 overall on the way to the Quarterfinals of the Liberty League Conference Tournament. Their season came to an end after falling to Clarkson University on penalty kicks. The second matchup of opening weekend will put Brockport on the road again to take on Thiel College on Sunday for a 12pm start. The Tomcats enter the new year after posting a 2-12 record in 2022, which included a 0-10 mark in the President's Athletic Conference.

Up Next - Following the first weekend of action, the Golden Eagles will be on the road once again for their next contest. They are set to battle St. John Fisher under the lights on Tuesday, September 5th at 7pm.