For the second consecutive season, Marist women’s soccer stumbled to an 0-5 record out of the gate. But after scoring three goals for the first time since last October, the Red Foxes find themselves sitting at 2-0 in conference play and playing their best soccer of the season. The Metro Conference is pretty wide open, leaving Marist in an intriguing position ahead of the bulk of conference play.
Marist started the season 0-5 for the second consecutive season—after winning its first two conference matchups, what do the Red Foxes need to do to keep getting results?
Jack Tomasi, Women’s Soccer Beat Writer: In five non-conference games, Marist scored just two goals and allowed 10. In the first half of its game versus Merrimack, they put seven shots on target, more than any from a non-conference game. Keeping the offensive attack going has been the key to Marist’s strong beginning to Metro play, as they outshot Merrimack 14-8 and kept it going by outshooting Sacred Heart 21 to 18 in a 3-2 win.
While they have played better defensively in a small sample of conference games, averaging one goal allowed compared to two in non-conference, the main reason for their losses early was the inability to score. If they can continue to hold possession and get off shots, the Red Foxes should find themselves in the Metro Conference Tournament at season’s end.
Will Rosen, Contributor: Marist has to continue to attack early in contests. There is a different energy in Coach Pacapelli Ciano’s squad when they bring the pressure to their opponents in the first half. In their first victory of the season, there was a different pace in play, with the Red Foxes controlling the ball for what felt like the majority of the 90 minutes. Marist had 10 shots in the first frame to Merrimack’s two, but seven of them were on-goal.
This is where Marist shines, especially when they up the run outs and push the offense up field; they need to continue to do this in Metro play to get attempts on and shots in the back of the net.
Isaiah Perez, Contributor: Marist has six goals in its seven games and scored only two goals in its first five. They have faced some stiff competition, but the Red Foxes need to stabilize their midfield and be more creative for the attack to open up and score.
Marist has done better in the two conference games against Merrimack and Sacred Heart, scoring a combined four goals in both games. If they keep this offensive resurgence alive, they will keep putting themselves in the win column.
Justin Schwartz, Contributor: More offense is definitely needed from the Red Foxes going forward. During that five game skid to begin the season, the Red Foxes scored only two goals, and are at the bottom of the conference in goals scored. They’re averaging only 9.2 shots per game and were also outshot in every game of the losing skid, especially in the first half, but turned it around against Merrimack when they outshot the Warriors 14-8 in their 1-0 win, even though the one goal came from sophomore forward Ella Bryan’s penalty kick.
They are able to get the ball on net at a high rate with a .545 shot on goal percentage. In order to keep getting results, the offense has to come quicker and chances need to get finished at a higher rate—it worked especially well against Merrimack, as they put up 10 shots in the first half in the win, and the goal scoring finally broke out against Sacred Heart, putting up three in the win.
Owning possession time and keeping the game on the opponent’s side of the field early alongside taking advantage of accurate shooting will make the Red Foxes a threat in the Metro going forward.
Pick one player you view as an X-factor to the team finding success.
Jack: Last season, sophomore midfielder Mia Katchouni had a quiet freshman year despite her playing time. She played in nineteen games—15 of them starts—but recorded only two points from two assists. This season, she has already doubled her points total to four. If the Montreal native, who has started all seven games for the Red Foxes this season, can continue to provide an offensive attack from the midfield, that will make Marist’s attack even more of a threat.
She will look to support the two main attackers, Bryan and junior forward Ariana Mullin. Getting Katchouni a few points this season will certainly lead to more Marist wins.
Will: Mullin is a serious baller, with speed unlike most in the Metro. The second year Stetson transfer has changed the look of this team. When Mullin subs into the game—she has come off the bench five times and started once—there is a noticeable shift on the field. The speed becomes faster, the energy feels different and Mullin’s touches become more important and frequent.
These numbers are hard to quantify and the box score will not show Mullin’s true impact. Think of her performance if NCAA soccer had a plus-minus stat. If she comes into matches off the bench, it usually is for roughly 20 minute stints with a break, before returning in the latter half of the second half.
She has a knack for taking the ball over and racing out into the box; with 12 shots and four on goal, Marist will need to play through her even more to find this energy in the conference slate.
Isaiah: Bryan is the glue of the Red Foxes; she not only is tied for the most combined goals and assists on the team but also 77% of her shots are on goal. Bryan is the most complete and consistent attacker the Red Foxes have; she is lethal on the wing and can be very vital for the Red Foxes creating chances, especially for Mullin who has also looked terrific this year as well.
To get the offense clicking at all cylinders, the Red Foxes need Bryan to perform to the standard she has been performing all season long.
Justin: My pick is junior goaltender Samantha Graf. On the surface, she’s rocking a top-10 goals against average in the conference at 1.5, but only a .600 save percentage. The defense has excelled in the early season for the Red Foxes, with opponents only getting 30% of their shots on goal. If Graf plays up to being a solid presence in net, this Red Foxes team can excel and be able to grind out games if the offense keeps sputtering.
Graf showed potential in the three starts and 244 minutes she played last year, sporting a .37 goals against average with a .889 save percentage. If Graf is able to show that form alongside a Red Foxes defense that’s made it hard for teams to get shots on goal, the Red Foxes will be a solid shutdown team going forward.
Predict where Marist will finish down the stretch and whether the Red Foxes will qualify for the Metro Conference Championship in back-to-back years for the first time since 2021 and 2022.
Jack: The first two conference games for Marist have shown that Marist can compete with the best of the Metro. Sacred Heart was picked to finish second in the conference and started their season 6-0 before being upset at home by the Red Foxes. Marist hopes that, similar to last season when they also lost five straight non-conference games to open the season, they can learn from their early-season woes, treating it as a quasi-preseason before conference play.
One key difference this season has been the return of head coach Nicole Pacapelli Ciano, who missed the first five games on maternity leave. Having their coach back has breathed new life into the Red Foxes this season, and they should be poised to get enough points down the stretch to be a top-six team in the conference.
Will: From the ramp-up stage to the conference stage, this team should be able to qualify for a top-6 seed and get into the Metro Championships. It does not feel like they will be a top-3 seed, but Marist should be able to rack up points on the teams at the bottom of the conference later in the fall. Sacred Heart has began its season exceptionally well, so if that win is a sign for Pacapelli Ciano and co., then ride the high and make the season count.
Marist can continue its last season outcome of tie, tie, tie or strictly win winnable games while keeping tough ones close. The Metro is so unpredictable, as the Sacred Heart defeat shows, that I think Marist can land at the No. 4 seed heading into the postseason.
Isaiah: Marist has drastically improved from its non-conference games and has showed tons of promise in the first two conference games with its wins over Merrimack and the formerly 6-0 Sacred Heart. The Red Foxes have an amazing chance to make the top six, and with the return of Pacapelli Ciano, this team is on the rise and has proven that it can compete with the best in the Metro Conference.
Justin: This position isn’t new for the Red Foxes. They started off last year with the same five game losing skid and were able to right the ship and finished the season with a 6-3-5 record to qualify for the playoffs. They also did especially well within the conference with a 5-2-5 record.
They’ve proven they can compete within their conference, and can shut teams down if they have the goaltending to do so. They did also just hand Sacred Heart their first loss of the season after going undefeated in out of conference play, so the team’s potential is clear.
There are still some major threats in the conference, though, that will give the Red Foxes some struggles. I predict them to finish fifth in the conference, good enough to qualify for the Metro Championships.
Which teams in the Metro Conference stick out as contenders to win the conference tournament?
Jack: Defending regular season conference champion Fairfield was selected to earn the top spot again in the Metro preseason poll. They had the most players selected to the preseason all-conference team with four: junior forward Ashley McMahon, sophomore midfielder Payton Zaun and senior defenders Brooke Walonis and Cassidy Clinton.
The Stags also return back-to-back conference coach of the year David Barrett, as he looks for his fourth win overall. Combining his award-winning 2024 and 2025 seasons, Fairfield sat near the top of NCAA women’s soccer in winning percentage, going 33-5-3 overall and 20-1-3 in conference. They started this season 4-3-1, with one of those losses coming against eighth-ranked North Carolina. The Red Foxes will have an uphill battle when the schools face off on Oct. 7 at Tenney Field, though Marist tied the Stags 0-0 last season.
Will: Siena is at the top of the list for power contenders to win the Metro. The Saints are already 2-0 in conference play and bring power players like junior Pre-Season All Metro team selection Catherine Rogers and junior Briana Neary back to Albany.
Siena fell to Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals last season, but prior to the defeat they were lossless in five straight to conclude the regular season. They are off to the same pace in conference play, tied for first in goals and top-three in goals allowed per contest with .88. Watch for Siena to get to the finals, especially if they draw a good matchup in earlier rounds.
Isaiah: The one true team that sticks out to me as contenders to win the conference are the defending champions: Sacred Heart. The Pioneers are already 6-1 and off to a better start than last year, and they still feature junior goalkeeper and last year’s conference championships MVP, Kyran Thievon, junior forward Shea Kelleher and junior defender Lindsay McShea, all of whom were selected in the preseason all-conference poll. This team is battle-tested and ready for anyone in the Metro Conference.
Justin: Defending champions Sacred Heart barreled their way through the beginning of the season with a six game winning streak, so they will definitely be in the mix. They feature three preseason all-conference players in Kelleher, McShea and Thievon, the most out of every squad in the conference. They are also currently averaging the second most goals per game in the conference, and Kelleher ranks top-five in the conference in goals with five through the first seven games.
Niagara also is definitely in the mix to win as well. The Purple Eagles have the best offense in the conference currently, averaging 2.167 goals per game, despite only taking 11 shots per game. They emphasize quality over quantity and make their opportunities count, and junior forward Caitlyn Gratton currently ranks second in the conference in goals scored, with seven through her first six games.
Other squads, like Fairfield and Siena, could be in the mix as well. As of now, the conference looks very wide open. The question is: can these teams off to hot starts keep their momentum going as conference play gets underway and the games truly matter?
Edited by Max Rosen
Graphic by Isabel Cortese
Photos by Quinn DiFiore
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