CARMEL, Ind. – In a vote among league coaches, the Mount St. Joseph University women's soccer team was selected to finish second in the 2025 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) preseason poll, earning four first-place votes.
The recognition follows a historic 2024 campaign in which the Lions claimed both the HCAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first time in program history. MSJ went 8-0-1 in league play, conceding only two goals in conference action. Nine Lions earned All-HCAC honors, highlighted by HCAC major award winners:
The team's dominance extended beyond the league. Willis, Schneeman, and Pittman earned All-Ohio honors, while Kerigan Pollard, Jordan Schneider, and Schneeman picked up Academic All-Ohio recognition. Willis closed her career as a three-time All-Region selection, and Schneeman finished 6th all-time in program scoring (84 points).
Reflecting on the 2024 senior class, head coach Darren Gallagher praised their legacy:
"We graduated an outstanding group of talented soccer players but maybe even more than that, true competitors. The twelve seniors from the 2024 campaign finished a four-year stretch of regular HCAC play with 30 wins, 3 ties, and 3 losses. Looking ahead I am excited with our group of returners combined with the incoming class! The conference continues to improve and our new group must step up to that challenge."
The Lions enter Gallagher's fifth season at the helm with a core of returning standouts. Junior McKinzie Dotson and junior Alena Schirripa return to anchor the defense after All-HCAC campaigns. Mary Anhofer and Layla Youtsler, who combined for 20 goals last season, also return as key contributors.
The season begins with a tough test on Sunday, August 24, as MSJ travels to face Northern Kentucky University (NCAA Division I), the 2024 Horizon League runner-up. The Lions then open their 2025 home slate on Friday, August 29, hosting Ohio Wesleyan at Schueler Field.
