Holy Cross Women's Soccer 2025 Season Preview

TALES FROM THE TOUCHLINE: DAWN OF A NEW SEASON

Holy Cross concluded the 2024 season with a 5-11-2 overall record and a 2-5-2 conference record. Head coach Ben Graham looks to improve his growing program going into the 2025 campaign.

Notable wins from the 2024 campaign included a big 1-0 win over Army on the road, a 1-0 victory over Lafayette at home and a non-conference 2-0 triumph over Central Connecticut on The Hill.

The Crusaders’ roster includes 20 returners: two seniors, 10 juniors and eight sophomores. They welcome nine newcomers: seven freshmen and two transfers.

LINING UP THE OPPOSITION

The Crusaders are currently slated to play a full schedule consisting of 18 games, nine of which will come against Patriot League competition. Holy Cross will open the season at home on Aug. 14 against Fairfield.

The Crusaders Patriot League play will begin on Sept. 20 with a trip to Loyola (Md.). The rest of the conference schedule features away games at Colgate (Oct. 1), Lafayette (Oct. 11), Boston University (Oct. 15) and American (Oct. 25) and home matchups with Bucknell (Sept. 27), Navy (Oct. 5), Lehigh (Oct. 18) and Army (Oct. 29).

LACING UP AGAIN

Five players who recorded at least three points last season return to the purple, including, senior Olivia Perez (three goals, six points), sophomore Ava Graham (two goals, two assists, six points), junior Charlotte Hanchar (two goals, one assist, five points), junior captain Karenna Beckstein (one goal, one assist, three points) and senior Riley Grable (one goal, one assist, three points) will likely be counted on again this season to help generate some offense.

Another positive sign for the Crusaders is that eight of the 15 field players who started at least three games last season return for this year. Two of the four goalkeepers also come back for the 2025 season.

DONNING THE “C”

Juniors Mary Sommer, Karenna Beckstein, Katie Boudreau, Adi Botet, as well as sophomore Caroline Bierfeldt, will take on the role of captain heading into the 2025 campaign.

In total, the captains have amassed 4,382 minutes of game action, 89 games played with 48 starts and nine points (three goals, three assists) tallied combined.

This leadership group has collected many accolades on and off the field prior to being named captains. This squad has pulled in seven Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections, one Patriot League Rookie of the Week and one Hilton Garden Inn Crusader of the Week recognition.

NEW BOOTS ON THE PITCH

Fans will see nine new faces suiting up for the Crusaders this season, consisting of seven freshmen and two transfers. 

The class of 2029 includes six position players: Cara Bubonovich, Daniella Cairo, Alessia Cerulo, Paige Flanders, Marissa Kashian and Abby Lorion. Aubrey Haesche, the lone goalkeeper of the freshmen, also joined the mix to round out the incoming class.

Also joining the squad, a senior forward transferring from Boston College, Caroline Walbridge and a fifth-year midfielder coming from the University of Kentucky, Sam Halligan.

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