UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's soccer team is set to open the 2026 campaign at home against Ithaca College on Tuesday, September 1st. Kickoff from Laura M. Casamento Field is set for 4 pm.
 
Follow Along: For those unable to attend, live video can be found here, and live stats can be found here.
 
Sustained Success: Last season saw the Pioneers return to the postseason for a sixth time in seven seasons under Head Coach Brooke Barbuto, with an 8-6-5 overall record and a 5-2-4 conference record. An Empire 8 quarterfinal matchup vs Hartwick would end the 2025 campaign. Six Pioneers were named to Empire 8 All-Conference teams in Amber Piersma (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham), Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville), Samantha Kogut (North Adams, MA/Drury), Cora Kraft (Poughquag, NY/Arlington), Hannah Pcola (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) and Sofia Fini (Campbell Hall, NY/Goshen). Piersma, a force on the attack for the Pioneers, also nabbed United Soccer Coaches Third team All-Region accolades, as well as a USC Women's Scholar Third Team All-East Region nod. Six Pioneers also received CSC Academic All-District selections, highlighting their achievements both on the field and in the classroom. 
 
Season Slate: The Pioneers open the 2026 regular season on September 1st, with the final matchup of the season slated for Sunday, October 25, where the Pioneers will square off against local foe Hamilton College. Utica will host eight matches throughout the campaign, with non-conference matchups against Ithaca, SUNY Canton, and SUNY Morrisville. The Pioneers will also hit the road for the Blue Devil Clarion Classic, where they will take on Oswego State and tournament hosts Fredonia, before closing out their non-conference schedule against SUNY Morrisville. Conference play begins on September 19, with the Pioneers playing host to the SUNY Geneseo Knights, beginning a slate of 11 conference games. The 2026 Empire 8 Conference tournament is set to begin on October 31, with the championship being played on November 7, where the winner will receive automatic qualification into the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 
 
Leading the Charge: Head Coach Brooke Barbuto enters her seventh season as head coach of the Utica University women's soccer program in 2026. Bouncing back from a difficult 2024 season, Barbuto looks to keep the momentum from last season into 2026, pushing for another postseason run. Built on strong defense, Barbuto has led the Pioneers to three Empire 8 Championship game appearances, and the team has reached the postseason in all but one year of her tenure. That includes the program's first Empire 8 tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance in 2019. She has coached the program to a 50-47-21 record over seven years, including 21 Empire 8 All-Conference Honors.
 
Key Losses: The Pioneers graduated a large group of impactful players last season, including Amber Piersma (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham), Samantha Kogut (North Adams, MA/Drury), Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville), Kayla Giovingo (Centereach, NY/Centereach), Hannah Pcola (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham), Sofia Fini (Campbell Hall, NY/Goshen), Grace Oliver (Auburn, NY/Auburn), and Josephine O'Hare (Greenville, NY/Greenville Central). Piersma, a two-time All-Conference selection, who received a pair of All-Region nods last season, topped the conference in the goal column with a league best 11 on the season, as well as a top-three posting in total points, and leaderboard spots in shots on goal, and game winning goals. Kogut managed to set a new all-time record in games played, games started, and career minutes at the end of last season, etching her name into the record books as the newest Pioneer Ironwoman. Kogut, alongside Giovingo, powered the Pioneer backline to one of the best defenses in the conference, both contributing heavily to a defense that allowed less than 11 shots per game and a goals against average of 0.68. Pcola found herself as one of the premier goalkeepers in the league last season, posting top three finishes in both goals against average with a 0.71 and save percentage with a .867. Pcola also notched six shutouts last season, a mark that was good for second on the team single-season record book. 
 
Senior Stars: Cora Kraft (Poughquag, NY/Arlington), Natalia Bell (Cortland, NY/Groton), and Krista Panko (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy) all return for their final seasons as Pioneers, setting their sights on leading the team to postseason success. Kraft, who provided a strong defensive presence, burst onto the goalscoring scene in 2025, scoring four goals and also providing two assists. Kraft more than doubled her 2024 shot total with 26 shots last season, providing a dynamic attacking threat from defense. Kraft's team high 1702 minutes played also ranks in the top five for all-time minutes played in a single season. Since becoming a consistent starter in 2024, Bell has rarely missed a game, showing an incredible work ethic and reliability in the midfield. While providing a goal and two assists last year, her ability to facilitate the midfield proves a real asset to the team going forward, in addition to providing cover for an incredibly strong defense. Bell's 1478 minutes ranked in the top five for last season's squad. Panko, also a senior,  immediately found a spot in the starting XI last season after transferring in from MVCC. Panko provided three assists in her debut campaign, tallying 1372 minutes played. Panko and Bell promise to be a formidable midfield tandem for the upcoming season.
 
Ones to Watch: Madison Wagner (Saukville, WI/Divine Savior Holy Angels) and Lily Martin (Poland, NY/Poland) have also returned this season.  After an outstanding debut season, Wagner looks poised to be a vital piece of the Pioneer attack in her junior year after key offensive departures. Wagner started 18 games in 2025, tallying four goals. Her five assists would be good for top ten all-time in single-season assists. Wagner boasted a .60 shots on goal percentage, demonstrating her clinical finishing in front of the net with limited attempts. Entering her sophomore season, Martin looks to become a cornerstone of the 2026 squad after starting 18 games in her freshman campaign. The defender provides consistency at the back, but also gets forward to create overloads in the final third. Martin provided a goal and an assist in her debut season.
 
Incoming Talent: Utica welcomes a transfer class of two this season in Abigail Jalocha (Maspeth, NY/Monsignior McClancy Memorial) and Ella Dischiavo (Utica, NY/Sauquoit Valley). Jalocha, a junior forward, joins Utica by way of Division II program Queens College. At her previous stop, Jalocha bagged a game-winning goal in her freshman year. She totaled 738 minutes played in her two seasons. Dischiavo joins the Pioneers from the University of Lynchburg, where she played her freshman season. She appeared in nine matches, scoring one goal on four shot attempts in 114 minutes of action.
 
Fresh Faces: The Pioneers welcome six freshmen into the ranks this season. An exciting class featuring Megan Jarkiewicz (Byron, NY/Byron-Bergen), Lizzeth Ramirez (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester), Madelyn Spatto (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy), Mykah Collier-Fisher (Lake George, NY/Lake George), Brook Niles (Kingston, NY/Kingston), and Ariana Clark (Colton, NY/Colton-Pierrepont) aims to impress Head Coach Barbuto in their debut seasons.
 
Preview of Ithaca: The Ithaca College Bombers finished 8-6-4 with a 4-3-2 conference record in the Liberty League. The Bombers entered the Liberty League Championships with a dominant 3-0 win over Skidmore, before falling 1-0 to the nationally ranked Vassar in overtime. While the 2025 Ithaca squad featured a committee of goal scorers, they did retain their top two point getters in Lilyana Baldi for her junior year and Ava Detorie for her senior campaign. The pair combined for 16 of their team's 46 combined points. The Pioneers have suffered at the hands of Ithaca historically, losing 16 of their 19 games against the Bombers since 2000.

Preview of Potsdam: The SUNY Potsdam Bears finished 8-7-2 with a 2-6-1 conference record in the SUNYAC, missing out on postseason action. With their top goalscorers Maddie Wagner with six goals, Meg Napoleon with four goals , and Emma Wilson with three goals graduating, the Bears look to new faces to take the reins of the attack. The Pioneers are marginally favored historically vs Potsdam with 12 wins compared to the Bears 11.

Preview of Canton: The SUNY Canton 'Roos finished the 2025 season with a 1-17 record, with a 0-9 conference record in the SUNYAC, missing out on postseason play. Their top point scorers Elly Gamble and Maddie Armstrong return, they combined for five goals in the 2025 campaign. The Pioneers and Kangaroos have only faced off four times historically, with Utica winning all four matches, including a goal differential of 20-0.

Up Next: The Pioneers travel to Fredonia to participate in the Blue Devil Clarion Classic. Utica will face off vs Oswego State on September 11th, at 3:30 PM, before a Saturday matchup vs Fredonia kicking off September 12th, at 12:30 PM.