Behrend Women's Soccer Projected to Capture AMCC Title; Morningstar Named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
The Penn State Behrend women's soccer team was voted to finish first in the 2025 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Preseason Coaches' poll released on Monday. Senior goalkeeper Riley Morningstar was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Courtesy of John Leisering
ERIE, Pa. - The Penn State Behrend women's soccer team was voted to finish first in the 2025 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Preseason Coaches' poll released on Monday. Senior goalkeeper Riley Morningstar (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Veteran head coach Patrick O'Driscoll, 2024 AMCC Coach-of-the-Year, guided the Lions to the AMCC Championship last year before finishing the campaign (18-3-0) with a 1-0 overtime loss to Ithaca in the NCAA Division III First Round.
The Lions ended the 2024 AMCC regular season 8-0, then defeated Mt. Aloysius 6-0 and Pitt-Greensburg 4-0 to claim the conference title.
The Lions are relying on 2024 All-AMCC First Team Selections, junior midfielder Marlene Andrade and Morningstar; All-AMCC Second Team, junior forward Rachel Sickeri and senior defender Lindsey Pawlawski; and Third Teamers, senior forward Lizzie Hoff and junior midfield Anna Steinbeck for another successful season.
Last season, Andrade was fourth on the team with 17 points while Morningstar finished with a sparkling 17-3-0 record, a GAA of 0.46, a save percentage of .809 and 12 shutouts. Sickeri ended 2024 second on the team in points (21) while Pawlawski contributed three assists. Hoff was fifth in points with 15 while Steinbeck helped bolster a strong defense, which allowed a paltry ten goals in 21 games.
Along with these six players, Behrend welcomes back 16 other returners while bringing in eight newcomers.
The Lions begin the 2025 season on Saturday, August 30, hosting the Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament against Messiah, Otterbein, and John Carroll
2025 AMCC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Penn State Behrend (1)
2. Pitt-Greensburg (2)
3. Penn State Altoona (3)
4. Mount Aloysius (4)
5. Alfred State (5)
6. La Roche (6)
7. Pitt-Bradford (8)
8. Carlow (8)
9. Hilbert (9)
*Number in parenthesis is order of regular season finish in 2024