RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Another year of women's soccer is set to take place at Gaelic Park as the 2022 season is fast approaching.
The 2022 campaign kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 27, when the Seahawks of Wagner come to Riverdale at 1 p.m. These two clubs have been no strangers to each other over the years, having met 18 times since 1993. The Green and White own a 14-4-2 record against Wagner, including winning last year's meeting 2-1.
This will be head coach
Brendan Lawler's 13th year of the sidelines for the Green and White. Joining him on the sidelines in her first year will be assistant coach and former Virginia Tech standout
Kelly Conheeney.
Julia Nichols returns for the Jaspers after posting nine points last season (4 goals, 1 assist), which was tied for second on the team in 2021. Four players that started 10-plus games last season return;
Kaitlyn Cooke,
Maddie Feller,
Ianah Mackey, and
Kim Mains. Mains returns in goal after playing every minute last season. The graduate student posted an 1.23 goals against average while making 98 saves. The 98 saves led the MAAC last season. Mains and the Jaspers defense ranked third in the MAAC in goals allowed (1.19) per game.
After hosting Wagner, St Francis Brooklyn comes to Gaelic Park shortly after the Seahawks on Sept. 1, with the Terriers looking to avenge last year's 1-0 loss at the hands of the Jaspers last year and in the two clubs' first-ever meeting.
Three consecutive away contests are scheduled to conclude non-conference play. The Jaspers' first road test has the club traveling to Dover, Del. for a matchup against Delaware State on Sept. 5. Since 2005, they have met six times, with the Jaspers owning a 5-1 record. In the six contests, the Jasper's have only conceded two goals, both of which came in the lone loss in 2015.
Non-conference play continues against Northeast Conference foe Sacred Heart on Thursday, Sept. 8. This will be the first meeting between the two since 2014. Non-conference play concludes against Stony Brook on Sept. 15.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play opens up at Niagara on Sept. 24. The club's first home MAAC contest has them welcoming Rider to Gaelic Park for a midweek match under the lights on Sept. 28. October kicks off with three games over the first eight days of the month; vs. Siena (Oct. 1), at Fairfield (Oct. 5), vs. Iona (Oct. 8). The Jaspers have not lost to Iona since 2014, outscoring Iona 24-3 over that span.
The Jaspers will travel to the conference's newsiest member, Mount St. Mary's, for the first meeting between the two schools on Oct. 12. Up next for the Green and White is Marist on Oct. 15, followed by a meeting with preseason conference favorite Quinnipiac on Oct. 19.
The regular season closes out with back-to-back home matches starting with a visit from Canisius on Oct. 22. The Jasper's have won the last two meetings. The regular season concludes against Saint Peter's. Manhattan has not lost to Saint Peter's since 1998, riding a 19-match win streak.
The MAAC Championship is set to run from Oct. 30 to Nov. 6. The top six teams in the regular season standings qualify.
