WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College women's soccer program will look to build off their successes in 2024. The program saw improvement with the addition of now second-year head coach Dan Dubois, helping the Presidents reach a fourth-place regular season finish.
 
W&J will look to make their 10^th appearance to the PAC Tournament in the past 11 years.
 
W&J looks primed to make another run at a conference championship this season, retaining most of their roster from just a season ago.
 
2023 Season Review: The Presidents finished with a five-win improved 10-4-4 overall record and posted a 5-2-3 mark in Presidents' Athletic Conference play. W&J opened the season with a 6-2-2 record from the month of September. In conference play, W&J picked up wins over Thiel (9-0), Allegheny (1-0), Franciscan (1-0), Westminster (1-0) and Bethany (1-0). With some crucial victories within the league, W&J secured the fourth seed in the PAC Tournament. W&J ultimately fell by a 1-0 score to fifth-seed Waynesburg in the PAC quarterfinals in a double-overtime thriller.
 
W&J seemed to have found their sense of offensive consistency, tacking on 12 more goals from the previous season. Defensively, the Presidents managed to allow just 14 goals from opposing teams in a dominant showing from their backline.
 
Five Presidents earned All-PAC honors following the season. Leading the way was a trio of seniors Katie Brown, Kayla Daugherty and Abby Hipkins who garnered Second Team status. Sydney Hoover and Makenna Mann also picked up recognition as All-PAC Honorable Mention selections.
 
Dubois took a look at his first season and the expectations moving forward:
 
"Last season we were able to get the team to believe in themselves and realize that the hard things we must do to be successful are made much easier when we attack them together," said Dubois. "We had great leadership that led us through that and if our returners pick up where they left off then we will be in great shape to carry it on."
 
2024 PAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School (first-place votes)                             Points                   2023 record (conference)
1. Grove City College (8)                                  97                           14-5-1 (9-0-1 PAC)
2. Westminster College (2)                               89                           14-4 (8-2 PAC)
3. Saint Vincent College (1)                              79                           10-4-4 (6-2-2 PAC)
4. Washington & Jefferson College                  69                           10-4-4 (5-2-3 PAC)
5. Waynesburg University                                67                           9-7-2 (5-3-2 PAC)
6. Allegheny College                                        48                           6-10-1 (4-5-1 PAC)
7. Franciscan University                                  45                           8-8-2 (5-4-1 PAC)
8. Chatham University                                     40                           2-11-3 (1-8-1 PAC)
9. Geneva College                                          38                           5-9-2 (4-5-1 PAC)
10. Bethany College                                       22                           3-10-3 (2-8 PAC)
11. Thiel College                                             11                           1-14-1 (0-10 PAC)
 
Washington & Jefferson College
Name                                    Yr.          Pos.       Hometown/High School
Skylar Bibbee                        Sr.           F              Fairfax, Va./Chantilly
Sydney Hoover (HM)            Sr.           M             Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township
 
Position-By-Position Breakdown:
 
"We have a talented group of players and more importantly, we have great people. We have spent quite a bit of time making sure that we understand what leadership means for this group and what we want it to look like," stated Dubois. "The graduating seniors were unbelievable leaders for this program and showed what the standard for leadership is in this program. That's a high bar and our current players are ready to take on the responsibility."
 
Forwards – W&J will look to build off of their growing offense this past season after tallying 39 goals. With two newcomer forwards entering the fold, the unit looks to remain on track in developing their offensive identity.
 
W&J returns a duo of juniors Selah Calacan (Waldorf, Md./North Point) and Audrey Chapman (Elkins Park, Pa./Phil-Mont Christian Academy), at the position. Chapman finished second on the team in goals with five while Calacan netted four.
 
Maura Heberle (Hookstown, Pa./South Side Beaver) will look to build off of her impressive freshman season. The rising sophomore scored four goals in her first season as a President.
 
Alexa Taylor (Aliquippa, Pa./OLSH) will look to make contributions to this growing unit in their first seasons at W&J.
 
"Our attack was good last year but we are expecting that we are going to be able to improve on it this season," said Dubois. "We all recognize that we left a lot of scoring opportunities out there last fall and with a productive offseason and the growing confidence in the individuals that have put in the work, they will be ready and able to capitalize this year."
 
Midfield – The midfield position for the Presidents holds most of their consistent scorers from the previous season. Skylar Bibbee (Fairfax, Va./Chantilly), W&J's top scorer from a season ago with seven goals, is among the list of returners that will look to make an impact on each side of the pitch.
 
Olivia Olsen (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs), Peyton Behling (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) and Hannah Goldman (Naples, Fla. / Barron Collier) also bring back starting experience as seniors. Behling logged one goal this past season and two total points.
 
Juniors Kendall Obley (Buena Vista, Pa./McKeesport) and Camille Smith (Canton, Ohio / Lake) will help W&J's depth in the midfield. Obley tacked on three goals for the Presidents and six points. Smith started four games for the Presidents, logging one assist in her first season as a President.
 
Dove Corrette-Bennett (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) didn't see any starting time this past fall but managed to still produce off the bench with three goals and six points.
Five newcomers will enter the fold for W&J this season to an already deep position including Kara Day (Clairton, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), Rhyan Smith (Coal Center, Pa./Elizabeth-Forward), Brianna Nader (Cochranton, Pa./Conneaut Area) and Emily Kisner (Eighty Four, Pa./Bentworth).
 
Defense – W&J will look to replace the gaps left by some great talent on this backline from a season ago but still maintain most of their core defenders.
 
"The group we had defensively last season was the best in the PAC statistically and most teams would look at that as a mountain to overcome but we see it as an opportunity for the players to set in and make their mark," replied Dubois. "We have the talent and the passion to make it happen, now it is just a matter of making sure they have the confidence to stay focused through the inevitable difficulties of a typical college season. I believe in them and what they are capable of."
 
The tandem of Courtney Actis (Bechtelsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) and Sydney Hoover (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) will headline the backline. In a three-year span, Actis has made 48 starts and has become a staple on the defensive side of the pitch.
 
Hoover will be the Presidents lone returning All-PAC players from a season ago. Hoover started all 18 games and racked up five assists and four goals.
 
Junior Tori DeVere (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) will also look to remain a mainstay at the position. DeVere started all 18 games last season, adding a consistent veteran presence on the Presidents backline.
 
Sydney Snyder (Loudonville, Ohio/Loudonville) and Linnea Johansson (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) also return to the mix. Gianna Valenti (Masontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) and Shayla Russo (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) saw some action last season with Valenti logging one game as a starter.
 
A trio of newcomers, Mia Reddix (Canonsburg, Pa./Chartiers Houston), Morgan Kirk (Bryans Road, Md./Henry E. Lackey) and Mikalah Beardsley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) will look to make contributions at the position.
 
Goalkeeper – The keeper position for W&J will be one of the question marks of the season after the departure of Abby Hipkins.
Kalea Umali (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) returns with the only experience in goal at the collegiate level. Umali appeared in four games with three starts last season, racking up 23 saves.
 
W&J added Division II transfer from PennWest Edinboro, Molly Schoch (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown), this past offseason to compete for time in goal for the Presidents.
 
"Just like our defensive group, we graduated the best keeper in the PAC and the stats show that," stated Dubois. "The keepers we have this year have the same opportunity that the defensive players have, and they are hitting the ground running this preseason!  They don't have as much game experience at the college level, but they have been training their whole lives to play this position.  We will have a great defense in front of them once again and I am confident they will be ready when they are called upon."
 
Newcomers:
"All we are asking of the incoming class is to believe in themselves and work hard every day to make sure we are moving the program forward," stated Dubois. "We have talented players in the class with a lot of great high school and club experience so we are excited to get them on the same page as the returners as quick as we can."
 
4              Kara Day                          Fr.           M            Clairton, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson              
7              Alexa Taylor                      Fr.           F              Aliquippa, Pa. / OLSH
10           Rhyan Smith                      Fr.           M            Coal Center, Pa. / Elizabeth-Forward
14           Brianna Nader                   Fr.           F              Cochranton, Pa. / Conneaut Area
22           Mia Reddix                         Fr.           D             Canonsburg, Pa. / Chartiers Houston
27           Morgan Kirk                       Fr.           M            Bryans Road, Md. / Henry E. Lackey
28           Mikalah Beardsley             Fr.           D             Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin
29           Emily Kisner                      Fr.           M            Eighty Four, Pa. / Bentworth

 
Looking At The Schedule:
 
The 2024 season begins with the season opener away on the road against Marietta (Sept. 3). Quickly following their season opener, the Presidents will return for their home opener against La Roche (Spet. 6).
 
W&J will then mirror two three-game home and away stints. On the road, W&J will travel to face Carlow (Sept. 10), Juniata (Sept. 14) and Penn State Altoona (Sept. 15). During their three-game homstand, the Presidents will face Pitt-Greensburg (Sept. 21), their first PAC opponent of the season Geneva (Sept. 25) and Dension (Sept. 27).
 
Following their September schedule, the Presidents will face PAC opponents the rest of the way starting with a road trip to Franciscan (Oct. 2) and Waynesburg (Oct. 5).
 
Returning to Alexandre Stadium for two games, W&J will face off against Allegheny (Oct. 9) and Chatham (Oct. 12).
 
The remainder of the bouts for the season will alternate location, presenting the Presidents with some balance to as the season comes to a close. The remaining away contests include trips to Saint Vincent (Oct. 15) and Bethany (Oct. 22).W&J's remaining teams to host include Thiel (Oc.t 19) and reigning PAC Champions Grove City (Oct. 26).
 
W&J will wrap the regular season with a trip to Westminster (Oct. 30). The six-team PAC Tournament is slated to begin on Saturday, Nov. 2.
 
Final Words from Dubois:  "My goals and expectations have always stayed the same throughout my coaching career and they remain that way heading into this season," stated Dubois. "The goal is to maximize the talent that we have every year because when it comes down to it, that is the only thing we are in control of.  We are a team that should be competing at the top of the PAC year in and year out."