WILKES-BARRE - The Wilkes University women's soccer team gets set to take the field as they commence their 2026 season after finishing their 2025 season 6-7-5 with a 2-5-2 in Landmark conference play. 

Head coach John McNichol enters his ninth season with his third-year assistant coach Lilly Cross and seventh-year assistant coach Krista Liotti. 

"We're focused on getting better every day, raising our standards as a group," McNichol exclaimed when asked about building the team with returning and incoming players.   

The team welcomes back 24 players, while adding seven new Colonels to the roster for the upcoming season. 

"Our upper classmen leaders are really showing a positive way to do things for our younger players and everyone is buying in," McNichol remarked. 

Sarah Straup (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Erin Edwards (East Greenville, PA/Upper Perkiomen) will be leading the attack for the Colonels this season with a combined 16 career goals. After a dominant first-year season, Straup was the first in program history since joining the Landmark Conference to be named All-Landmark Second Team as well as being named Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year. The junior forwards Katie Clarke (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central), Addi Parker (Canton, PA/Canton), Mia Black (Swarthmore, PA/Delaware Valley Friends School), and Ava Young (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) will be joined by returning sophomore Kiely Morely. First-years Madison Behney (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) and Emma Devers (Macungie, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) join the returners in the attack.

In midfield, Jess Shea (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) is the lone senior, a veteran of 53 games and six career goals. The sophomores Abby Bolz (Fair Hill, MD/Rising Sun), Jaedyn Schouten (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown East), and Izzy Kee (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) played in all 18 match ups last season. Juniors Hannah Dennison (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) and Rachel Keister (Middleburg, PA/Midd-West) make up the returners, and joining the midfield will be first-years Lexi Lively (Easton, PA/Easton Area) and Reanna Evans (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson). 

The Colonels have a mix of returning players and first-year student-athletes making an impact in the defense. Elena Krajain (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) and Riley Mastriani (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) return with a combined total of 35 games under their belts. Sophomore Riley Mastriani (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) was honored as Landmark Defensive Player of the Week last season. Rounding out the back line are Erin Somerville (Warminster, PA/William Tennent), Taylor Sparks (Monroeville, NJ/Woodstown), Ashlyn Brown (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Grace Alderson (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional), Morgan Sweed (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen), and Madisyn Conrad (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) adding first-years Addison Zettlemoyer (Milton, PA/Milton Area) and Meadow Boateng (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro). 
The Colonels welcome back junior Delaney Yaracs (Butler, PA/Butler) in net, who appeared in 11 games and recorded 31 saves last season. Sophomore goalkeeper Ava Long (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) also returns after recording 10 games played and 26 saves in the 2025 season. Yaracs and Long are joined by first-year Seren Oliver (Katy, TX/Tompkins) . 

"It's always an exciting game between two local rivals… we're looking forward to that being opening night," McNichol said.

The Colonels will begin their 2026 campaign against cross-town rivals King's College, where the Colonels will face the Monarchs away on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Wilkes starts its fourth year of Landmark play against Elizabethtown College, where the Colonels and Blur Jays will face off at Elizabethtown on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m.

"There is no better way to go through life than with a group of people who have passion for what they're doing and a will to get better and grow each day… we can't wait to see how they progress throughout the year," McNichol concluded.