Holy Cross Women's Soccer 2026 Season Preview

A NEW SEASON ON THE HORIZON

After returning to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in six years, the Holy Cross women's soccer team opens the 2026 campaign this week with its sights set on taking another step forward.

The 2025 campaign saw the Crusaders post a 6-7-6 overall record and a 3-3-3 mark in league play, earning a berth in the PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Soccer Championship and hosting a conference tournament match for the first time in program history. 

The team featured two All-Patriot League selections, four Patriot League Weekly Award winners, one Crusader of the Week honoree, 22 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections, one Academic All-Patriot League Team member, and two CSC Academic All-District picks. Holy Cross enters the season ranked fifth in the Patriot League preseason poll. 

The Crusaders’ roster includes 26 returners: two fifth-years, 10 seniors, eight juniors and six sophomores. They also welcome three freshmen into the fold.

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. 12 against Quinnipiac.

Holy Cross will kick off Patriot League on Sept. 20 against Loyola (Md.). The remaining conference schedule features away games at Bucknell (Sept. 26), Navy (Oct. 3), Lehigh (Oct. 17) and Army (Nov. 4) and home matchups with Colgate (Sept. 30), Lafayette (Oct. 10), Boston University (Oct. 23) and American (Nov. 1).

CAPTAIN CONTINUITY

All five captains return from last season, including seniors Mary Sommer, Karenna Beckstein, Katie Boudreau and Adi Botet, along with junior Caroline Bierfeldt. Last season, the captains totaled 5,944 last season with 14 points (four goals, seven assists) combined.

The captains have tallied numerous accolades throughout their time on The Hill, including 11 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections, one second team All-Patriot League selection, one Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, one Patriot League Rookie of the Week, one Academic All-Patriot League selection, two CSC Academic All-District picks  and one Hilton Garden Inn Crusader of the Week recognition. Beckstein also enters the season as a member of the 2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.

FAMILIAR FACES

Five players who recorded at least three points last season will be back on the pitch for Holy Cross in 2026.

Beckstein led the team offensively (three goals, five assists, 11 points), becoming the Crusaders' first double-digit point scorer since 2021. Joining her will be fifth-year forward Sam Halligan (four goals, eight points), the team's leading goal scorer as well as seniors Abby Cushing (three goals, three assists, nine points) and Charlotte Hanchar (one goal, one assist, three points) and Bierfeldt (one goal, one assist, three points).

Bolstered by a veteran group, Holy Cross will return one of the more experienced teams in the Patriot League in 2026, with nine players having started at least 14 games a season ago.

NEW TO THE WOO

The class of 2030 will include two position players, Liv Delaney and Alli Harb and goalkeeper Sienna Goldstein. 

Delaney,  scored 20 goals and had 15 assists for 55 points during her high school career, helping lead Concord Carlisle Regional to back-to-back Dual County Championship victories (2023 and 2024) and two Concord Carlisle Varsity Soccer Massachusetts Division I State Tournament Final Four appearances (2024 and 2025) and a Final 8 appearance in 2023.

Harb led Timberlane Regional to a 48-21-5 record in four years with four consecutive playoff appearances, including the first-ever Division I state quarterfinal in 2022, semifinal in 2024, and the school's first state championship in 2023. Harb was a three-time top-10 scorer in New Hampshire from 2023 to 2025, earning two all-state selections.

Goldstein led Albertus Magnus to back-to-back New York championship titles (2023 and 2024), four-straight New York section 1 championship victories (2022-2025) and a 2025 regional championship win. Goldstein earned 16 shutouts in 2024 and 18 in 2025 while posting a .240 goals against average across both seasons.

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