EASTON, Mass. (August 5, 2025) – The Stonehill College women's soccer team has been picked to finish fifth in the 2025 NEC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference Tuesday afternoon.

The Skyhawks, who earned their highest preseason ranking since transitioning to NCAA Division I in 2022, will kick off the 2025 season on Thursday, August 14, when they travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to face Boston College.

Reigning NEC champion Howard University was selected as the preseason favorite to defend its title, earning seven first-place votes. FDU placed second in the poll with four first-place nods, followed by Wagner in third with one first-place vote. Central Connecticut State rounded out the top four.

Stonehill's fifth-place selection marks a program-best showing in the NEC preseason rankings, improving on last year's seventh-place projection. The Skyhawks are coming off a strong 2024 season, finishing 8-10-1 overall and 7-2-1 in conference play to earn their first-ever NEC postseason appearance.

Head coach Alex Wilson enters her 13th season at the helm with a roster that returns 23 student-athletes, bolstered by the addition of seven newcomers. The returning group includes 2024 NEC Offensive Player of the Year Hannah Anselmo, All-NEC Second Team honoree Lily Roslonek, and the league's top-scoring rookie from last season, Erin Foley.

Anselmo led the Skyhawks with 22 points on eight goals and six assists, with seven of those goals coming during NEC play—ranking first among conference scorers. Foley, an NEC All-Rookie Team selection, paced all first-year players in the league with six goals during her debut season.

Defensively, Roslonek anchors the backline alongside Lindsey Brown, both of whom ranked among the team's top five in minutes played with 1,584 and 1,258 minutes, respectively. Sophomore goalkeeper Allie Sougaris returns after posting a 1.21 goals-against average and recording four shutouts—setting a Division I program record for single-season clean sheets and marking the most by a Skyhawk goalkeeper since Kaitlin Brown's eight in 2018.

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