Women's Soccer Starts New Chapter as 2025 Season Begins

The Mercyhurst women’s soccer team begins the 2025 season in the friendly confines of Saxon Stadium Thursday, Aug. 14 as they take on Northern Kentucky.  

It will make the second season at Division I in the Northeast Conference and the first under the direction of head coach Dale White who was appointed in February. White makes his return to Mercyhurst for the 2025 season, having previously served as head coach of the Lakers men’s soccer team from 2010-2014.

The Lakers will rely on a young core of players in the new year, returning just four student-athletes who started in 10 or more games in 2024. 

Madison Sievering is back with the Lakers for her redshirt sophomore season, following an outstanding first year on the pitch. She tied the team-high in points with 16 and led the team in assists with six as a redshirt freshman in 2024. Sievering earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie team for her efforts. 

Joining the Lakers on the attack is transfer redshirt sophomore Maddi Cowburn. Cowburn joins the Lakers after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Eastern Michigan. She saw action in the first 11 matches of her freshman year in 2023 before she suffered a season ending injury and redshirted the 2024 season. 

Cowburn, a native of nearby Bradford, Pennsylvania, was a stellar offensive player in high school, becoming the first player to record 100 goals and 100 assists in Bradford Area history. 

Freshman Nathalie Dediu and junior Annabel Ahrin also look to add to the Mercyhurst offense that finished in the top three in the NEC in goals and assists in 2024. 

In the midfield, the Lakers return sophomore Fiona Fraser, sophomore Annaliese Black, junior Anamari Bosnjak, and senior Amanda Dahl. Fraser made 18 starts in 2024 and netted the game-winner over Delaware State. 

Transfers Caterina Cappiello and Ellie Mills look to make waves in the Laker midfield as well. 

Cappiello played in 16 games in her sophomore year (2024) at Jacksonville, recording 471 minutes. 

Mills spent the last three seasons at Limestone, where she appeared in 50 matches, starting in 33. Mills logged almost 3000 minutes in her time with the Saints. 

The backline will feature more of the Lakers’ underclassmen in sophomores Annabella Stoehr and Isabella Fiorillo. Fiorillo and Stoehr combined for over 2200 minutes on the pitch last season. 

Senior Emily Ehrman could provide a veteran presence for the Lakers defense. She appeared in 13 games last season.

The Lakers’ keepers are another position group with a youthful core. Sophomores Adri Lika and Rylee Kumer are back from last season while junior Morgan Highland joins the squad from Shepard. 

Lika and Kumer both appeared in two games in 2024, combining for 11 saves. 

The non-conference schedule will provide a test for the young Lakers squad as they face opponents from the SEC, MAAC, and the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

Kicking off the year, the Lakers finish a home-and-home series with Northern Kentucky before traveling to UMBC Aug. 17 and Oakland Aug. 21. 

The Lakers return home for two games against Duquesne (Aug. 24) and Niagara (Aug. 28) before they face what is likely to be the toughest challenge of the non-conference schedule in Kentucky Sept. 4. 

Mercyhurst is on the road for their final two games before NEC play at Lipscomb (Sept. 7) and Buffalo (Sept. 11).

To start NEC play, the Lakers take on LIU and Wagner on the road. The NEC home opener against preseason favorite Howard is set for Sept. 28 at Saxon Stadium. 

Continuing a three-game home stand, the Lakers welcome Le Moyne (Oct. 2) and FDU (Oct. 5). Last season, Mercyhurst scored a convincing 3-1 win over the Dolphins and produced a draw with the Knights, 1-1. 

The Lakers go back on the road for a pair of games at Central Connecticut State (Oct. 9) and at Saint Francis (Oct. 16) and then host Stonehill (Oct. 19) and Delaware State (Oct. 23). 

Rounding out the regular season, the Lakers visit Chicago State Oct. 30 and host NEC newcomer New Haven for the regular season finale at Saxon Stadium Nov. 2.