Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Marquis Frias, Sports Editor
The Susquehanna Women’s Soccer team’s start to the 2026 season has been nothing short of impressive, as the team boasts a 7-1-1 record through the first nine games of the season.
The dominant record nearly halfway into the season is the team’s best record through the first 10 games of a season since 2022, where the River Hawks finished with a record of 14-5 before being eliminated in the first round of the Landmark Conference Playoffs by Drew.
At the end of the 2025 season, the River Hawks ended with a 9-9-3 record, which allowed them a birth in the Landmark Conference Playoffs. After squeaking out a win over Elizabethtown in penalty kicks, the River Hawks we’re eliminated by Scranton in the second round of the playoffs.
After a disappointing ending, the team, players and coaches included, knew that improvement would be a focal point over the offseason.
“I thought our overall team fitness could be improved upon since we are gonna be asking our players to pressure a little bit more defensively,” Susquehanna Women’s Soccer Head Coach Nick Hoover said.
“We did everything possible [over the offseason],” junior midfielder Amelia Kopp added. “We were training almost twice, three times a day. So kind of just putting in the work and obviously, it has paid off so far.”
Susquehanna’s start to the season began on a bit of a weird footing, as only 15 minutes into their season opener against Misericordia, the game was postponed to be resumed at a later date because of heavy rain.
The rest of the Misericordia game wouldn’t be played until two weeks later, but in the meantime, the River Hawks ripped off a four game win streak to start their season.
The streak included wins against notable opponents like a 4-0 win against University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg to open the season and a 4-1 win over Penn State Harrisburg.
“Beating Penn State Harrisburg, honestly, was huge because that game last year was our turning point,” junior goalkeeper Katie Henchy said. “So being able to go out there and put four goals on them was big for us.”
After a 2-0 win over DeSales, Susquehanna and Misericordia met again to continue their match that was postponed. This is where Susquehanna dropped their first game of the season, however, the River Hawks weren’t discouraged and wanted to learn from the loss.
“I think my favorite game might have been Misericordia. I think we played really well in that game. My favorite moment from that game was when there was like five seconds left on the clock and we’re still in their half fighting for a goal,” Kopp said. “We didn’t give up and I think that showed our team and team chemistry the most.”
It seemed like the River Hawks did just that, as after the loss to Misericordia, the River Hawks went on another win-streak, this time defeating Muhlenberg College, Notre Dame of Maryland and Stevenson University.
At this point, the River Hawks were boasting a 7-1 record, as they prepared for their first Landmark matchup against Scranton. The Royals have had the River Hawks’ number for years, as the last win over Scranton for Susquehanna came back in 2019 in what was a 1-0 loss. In 2025, Scranton also ended Susquehanna’s season.
This time around however, Susquehanna changed the trend as they were able to force a draw against the Royals after a 1-1 final score. Kopp’s goal in the 58th minute was the first goal Susquehanna scored against Scranton in a game in five years.
“Tying Scranton was awesome. Obviously we wanted to win, but we haven’t scored on Scranton since 2021. So that was something that was big for us,” Henchy said.
The team’s success thus far has given them recognition from beyond the conference. On Sept 22, the River Hawks were ranked No.8 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Region V poll rankings.
With the team’s success, individual success for select members of the team has came with it. So far in 2026, Kopp has been named Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week twice, while Henchy was also named Athlete of the Week earlier this year.
Through the first nine games, Kopp has recorded four goals which leads the team, including two assists. “I think I worked really hard in the off-season and I’m proud of myself being able to show that a bit so far this season,” Kopp said.
On the flip side, Henchy has led this dominant River Hawks defense in goal, recording five clean sheets through the first nine games. Her 35 saves ranks fifth amongst goalies in the Landmark conference.
With the team riding high off their hot start, the River Hawks will prepare for a new challenge, as their schedule focuses on Landmark Conference opponents in the second half of the season. Susquehanna is prepared however, with aspirations of a Conference title and a possible bid in the National DIII playoffs.
“I think if we keep them focused on the next moment, the next practice, the next film session, the next whatever, but we still allow them to dream and have those goals and ambitions… I think we will be in good shape,” Hoover said.
The River Hawks feel the same way as well, citing that their team morale and chemistry could be a reason why this year’s team can be historic.
“I think this is the closest we’ve ever been, not just because we’re winning, but we genuinely love being around each other,” Kopp said. “If we’re not together at Starbucks studying or at lift, we’re doing something all together and I think that really helps a lot.
“If you took all 32 of us individually, I don’t know if any of us would be the best soccer players you’ve ever met, but when you put us together, we’re a dominant group and we have a great culture that has been leading us so far this year,” Henchy added.