MARIETTA, Ohio – After a much improved 2023 season, the Marietta College women's soccer team returns a mostly intact team that has their sights set on their first postseason appearance since 2003. Last year, the Pioneers finished with a record of 5-9-2, their best since 2019, and went into the final week of the regular season with chance to qualify for postseason play.
Although excited with the improvements, head coach
Zack Votra has no intention of stopping this forward push. This year's squad boasts a mix of senior leadership as well as a group of talented newcomers the second-year coach hopes will make an impact in a competitive Ohio Athletic Conference.
"We are returning a massive core of our team from last season," said Votra. "This is huge given the incredible strides we made with our playing identity and the leadership we have on and off the field. The statistics speak for themselves as we saw improvements in every category and made a strong push to be in the OAC playoffs for the first time in 20 years. This group has a very strong core group of returners, including three – fifth year student-athletes, and with 13 new faces, we've added some excellent attacking options and depth all over the pitch. It should be an exciting group to watch."
Offensively, Marietta returns their leading goal scorer from last fall. Senior
Angelene Kontul (Solon, Ohio/Solon) tallied four goals last season and will be looked upon to help lead the 2024 squad on the field. Junior
Emma Egli (Homeworth, Ohio/West Branch) scored a trio of goals and assisted on a pair of others last season and will be asked to provide some more offensive spark for the Pioneers. Look for senior
Taylor Sloan (Belpre, Ohio/Warren) and first-year players
Madelyn Call (Letart, W.Va./Point Pleasant) and
Avery Settles (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) to have an significant impact on the Pioneer offensive attack.
The defense will be led by seniors
Ryah Haidar (Sylvania, Ohio/Sylvania Southview),
Lydia Vach (Maineville, Ohio/Little Miami),
Emmah Kronenbitter (Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville), and
Izzy Hank (North Olmsted, Ohio/Holy Name). Votra hopes that this experienced back line will cut down scoring opportunities by the opposition. Freshman
Eden Tepe (Oregonia, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) will also contend for some game play.
The battle to fill the net for the Pioneers will be a close one to watch. Sophomore
Sarah Legg (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights) worked the majority of the minutes last season and is good bet to get the call for opening day. Freshmen
Maisee Carrier (Fairview, Pa./Fairview) and
Haley Dawicke (Newport News, Va./Tabb) will add to what Votra believes to be "the best goalkeeping unit I've worked with at the collegiate level. We have three number one goalkeepers who all have the ability to step up when called upon."
Marietta will open the season on the road Friday (Aug. 30) as they travel to battle Saint Vincent College, with game time scheduled for 7 p.m. The Pioneer home opener will be Tuesday (Sept. 3) when they welcome Washington and Jefferson College. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will be the first of five consecutive home matches.
"We're extremely excited about this team," concluded Coach Votra. "There are a lot of truly incredible people involved in this program right now, we're over the moon with the level of talent from the top to the bottom of this roster. Everyone is 100% focused on the revitalization of a program that has struggled for too long and this group is poised to continue building upon the sense of pride that was created in 2023."
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.
