Women's Soccer | 8/28/2024 4:00:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y – In search of its first Empire 8 title, the St. John Fisher University women's soccer team begins the 2024 season with a pair of home games at Growney Stadium. Fisher faces Skidmore at 1 p.m. Friday and Allegheny at 1 p.m. Sunday. 

The Cardinals went 8-4-5 overall and 4-0-4 in the Empire 8 last season, falling in the league championship game to rival Nazareth. Head coach Molly Romano's team has reached the Empire 8 final game in two of the last three seasons. 

"We had a great regular season last year with no conference losses," Romano, who enters her sixth season in charge of the Fisher program, said. "We really want to build off of that momentum. We want to use these early games (nonconference games) to prepare for our conference schedule. 

"Our goal is to work our way back to the finals again this year and hopefully win it." 

The Cardinals enter the season 12-0-8 in Empire 8 regular-season games since the end of the 2021 season. 

Eight Starters, Three Empire 8 Selections Return

Fisher has 23 players overall, eight starters and three Empire 8 performers from 2023 returning, including first-team selection Emma Spelman (senior) and second-team selections Ryann Dauksza (junior) and Jackie Gervais (junior). 

Spelman, who scored three goals and had an Empire 8-best nine assists last season, led the Cardinals with 15 points in 14 games (13 starts) as a junior. Fellow seniors Riley Grimm (forward) and Siobhan McMakin (midfielder) finished tied for second on the team with four goals, while junior midfielder Kate Rachwal had three. 

Dauksza, Gervais, senior Gwen Madden and junior Abby Fagnani will anchor the backend for the Cardinals. Fisher also added a transfer defender in junior Cassidy Pearce, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Robert Wesleyan. She was a second-team All-ECC selection in 2022 and 2023 with the Red Hawks. Abby Dorunda, a freshman from Massachusetts, also figures to contribute. 

In goal, junior Avery Byrnes played and started all 17 games last season. She made 75 saves and allowed 14 goals (84.3 save percentage) while facing 142 shots. Senior Olivia Relyea played in two games, and sophomore Sofia Pantoja made one appearance. 

Series History vs. Skidmore

• Friday's contest will mark the second meeting between St. John Fisher and Skidmore. 

• Last year's contest in Saratoga Springs ended in a 1-1 draw. Jenn Kirker scored the lone goal for Fisher. 

• Byrnes made seven saves and faced 15 shots in the game. 

Series History vs. Allegheny

• Fisher and Allegheny met for the first in September 2022. The Cardinals won that one 3-0. 

• Kirker, Spelman and Grace Wolsieffer scored for the Cardinals. Byrnes saved the only shot that came her way.