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Vassar College women's soccer has posted two of its most successful seasons the past two years but now the Brewers face major changes with seven players lost to graduation and Madeline Buckley taking over the program from Keith Simon, who has moved on to Connecticut College.
Buckley spent the past four seasons as head coach at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, leading the Scots to three appearances in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament and 32-28-12 overall mark. A former Liberty League MVP at upstate William Smith, Buckley also spent time as an assistant at Wheelock, Tufts and Bowdoin. She said her decision was largely based on being closer to her family in New York state.
The Brewers will open the 2026 season on Sept. 1 at nearby Mount Saint Mary, the first of four consecutive road matches. The home opener is Sept. 19 against perennial national power New York University. The Liberty League opener is Sept. 23 when Bard College visits the Town of Poughkeepsie campus.
"The opportunity to coach at Vassar, where outstanding academics and highly competitive athletics thrive together, is consistent with my coaching career and my personal values,'' she said. "I am eager to build on the success that Keith Simons and his staff brought to Vassar women's soccer.''
In league play, Vassar beat Ithaca and Rochester Institute of Technology — both by 1-0 scores — in the 2025 playoffs. The Brewers play at Ithaca on Sept. 26 and host RIT on October 3.
In 2025 (against 2026 foes), Vassar beat Mount Saint Mary, Scranton and Mount Saint Vincent, and lost to Middlebury and NYU. Vassar swept the Liberty League except for a 3-1 loss to William Smith.
Vassar has advanced to the NCAA Div. III tournament two years in a row, falling in the second round in 2024 and 1-0 to Mary Washington in the 2025 opener.
The Brewers are expected to return six rising seniors, nine rising juniors and nine rising sophomores. Five returnees were Liberty League all-stars: rising seniors Cecelia Wager and Gianna Panarelli; rising junior Laura Shea; and, rising sophomores Sonya Franklin and Ava Holman.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
(2025: 16-4; 8-1 Liberty League, first place)
September
Tues. 1 - at Mount Saint Mary (8-10-2, 7-3-1 Skyline, fifth), 7:30 p.m.; Sat. 5 - at Scranton (15-3-3, 8-0-1 Landmark, first), 1 p.m.; Sat. 12 - at Mount Saint Vincent (13-5-2, 9-1-1 Skyline, first), noon; Sun. 13 - at Middlebury, noon; Sat. 19 - vs. New York Univ. (9-6-3, 1-5-1 University Athletic), 11 a.m.; Wed. 23 - vs. Bard* (3-12, 0-9 Liberty, tenth), 4 p.m.; Sat. 26 - at Ithaca* (8-6-4, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 3 p.m.
October
Sat. 3 - vs. Rochester Institute of Technology* (10-4-6, 5-3-1 Liberty, third), 1 p.m.; Wed. 7 - at Union* (9-7-3, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 7 p.m.; Sat. 10 - vs. Saint Lawrence* (8-7-3, 4-5 Liberty, seventh), 1 p.m.; Sun. 11 - vs. Sarah Lawrence (7-9-2, 6-3-1 Skyline, sixth), 1 p.m.; Sat. 17 - at William Smith* (11-3-3, 7-1-1 Liberty, second), 1 p.m.; Wed. 21 - at RPI* (6-7-4, 2-4-3 Liberty, eighth), 7 p.m.; Sat. 24 - vs. Skidmore* (7-6-4, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 2 p.m.; Sat. 31 - at Clarkson* (3-9-3, 1-7-1 Liberty, ninth), 2 p.m.
November
Tues. 3 - Liberty League quarterfinals; Fri. 6 - Liberty League semifinals; Sun. 8 - Liberty League finals
Home matches at Vassar's Gordon Field; asterisk marks Liberty League match; 2025 overall and league records in parenthesis
Under coach Keith Simons (now at Connecticut College): 2025 - 16-4 (8-1 Liberty League, first place; 2024 - 12-4-5 (5-1-3, third); 2023 - 8-4-5 (2-2-5, seventh); 2022 - 8-5-5 (4-2-3, fifth); 2021 - 9-7-1 (4-4-1, T-fifth)
Under coach Corey Holton: 2020 - COVID, no season; 2019 - 11-8-1 (6-3, third); 2018 - 9-8-1 (5-4, T-sixth); 2017 - 10-6-3 (5-3-1, second); 2016 - 9-8-1 (6-2, second); 2015 - 9-7-2 (3-3-2, fourth); 2014 - 8-6-3 (2-3-2, sixth)
Rising seniors - No. 0 Bella Stevens, GK; No. 6 Cecelia Wager, MF/D (Liberty League third team); No. 8 Maddie Wolf, MF/D; No. 10 Gianna Panarelli, F/MF (Liberty League first team); No. 16 Alex Astalos, D; No. 18 Grace Romano, F
Rising juniors - No. 00 Olivia Sandrew, GK; No. 1 Laura Shea, GK (Liberty League third team); No. 9 Alice Crowley, MF/F; No. 11 Olivia Spektor, MF/D; No. 19 Sarah Bowler, D; No. 22 Liv Ivie, F; No. 23 Mollie McLaughlin, MF; No. 24 Lucy Hart, MF; No. 25 Kloe Brown, D
Rising sophomores - No. 2 Emily McMahon, GK; No. 3 Sonya Franklin, D (Liberty League third team); No., 5 Anna Arban, D; No. 7 Caroline Sheehan, F; No. 12 Anya Halkovich, D; No. 15 Elena Valle, MF; No. 17 Ava Holman, F (Liberty League second team); No. 29 Samantha Ehrenreich, F; No. 32 Braelynn Tomanio, D
Incoming freshmen - To be announced later
Coaches: Madeline Buckley, new head coach; Marissa Fortuna, assistant; Sarah Dwyer-Shick, assistant; Adam Pregno, assistant
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Vassar women's soccer heads into 2026 with new head coach
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Buckley spent the past four seasons as head coach at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, leading the Scots to three appearances in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament and 32-28-12 overall mark. A former Liberty League MVP at upstate William Smith, Buckley also spent time as an assistant at Wheelock, Tufts and Bowdoin. She said her decision was largely based on being closer to her family in New York state.
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The Brewers will open the 2026 season on Sept. 1 at nearby Mount Saint Mary, the first of four consecutive road matches. The home opener is Sept. 19 against perennial national power New York University. The Liberty League opener is Sept. 23 when Bard College visits the Town of Poughkeepsie campus.
"The opportunity to coach at Vassar, where outstanding academics and highly competitive athletics thrive together, is consistent with my coaching career and my personal values,'' she said. "I am eager to build on the success that Keith Simons and his staff brought to Vassar women's soccer.''
In league play, Vassar beat Ithaca and Rochester Institute of Technology — both by 1-0 scores — in the 2025 playoffs. The Brewers play at Ithaca on Sept. 26 and host RIT on October 3.
In 2025 (against 2026 foes), Vassar beat Mount Saint Mary, Scranton and Mount Saint Vincent, and lost to Middlebury and NYU. Vassar swept the Liberty League except for a 3-1 loss to William Smith.
Vassar has advanced to the NCAA Div. III tournament two years in a row, falling in the second round in 2024 and 1-0 to Mary Washington in the 2025 opener.
The Brewers are expected to return six rising seniors, nine rising juniors and nine rising sophomores. Five returnees were Liberty League all-stars: rising seniors Cecelia Wager and Gianna Panarelli; rising junior Laura Shea; and, rising sophomores Sonya Franklin and Ava Holman.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
Vassar women's soccer
2026 schedule
(2025: 16-4; 8-1 Liberty League, first place)
September
Tues. 1 - at Mount Saint Mary (8-10-2, 7-3-1 Skyline, fifth), 7:30 p.m.; Sat. 5 - at Scranton (15-3-3, 8-0-1 Landmark, first), 1 p.m.; Sat. 12 - at Mount Saint Vincent (13-5-2, 9-1-1 Skyline, first), noon; Sun. 13 - at Middlebury, noon; Sat. 19 - vs. New York Univ. (9-6-3, 1-5-1 University Athletic), 11 a.m.; Wed. 23 - vs. Bard* (3-12, 0-9 Liberty, tenth), 4 p.m.; Sat. 26 - at Ithaca* (8-6-4, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 3 p.m.
October
Sat. 3 - vs. Rochester Institute of Technology* (10-4-6, 5-3-1 Liberty, third), 1 p.m.; Wed. 7 - at Union* (9-7-3, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 7 p.m.; Sat. 10 - vs. Saint Lawrence* (8-7-3, 4-5 Liberty, seventh), 1 p.m.; Sun. 11 - vs. Sarah Lawrence (7-9-2, 6-3-1 Skyline, sixth), 1 p.m.; Sat. 17 - at William Smith* (11-3-3, 7-1-1 Liberty, second), 1 p.m.; Wed. 21 - at RPI* (6-7-4, 2-4-3 Liberty, eighth), 7 p.m.; Sat. 24 - vs. Skidmore* (7-6-4, 4-3-2 Liberty, T-fourth), 2 p.m.; Sat. 31 - at Clarkson* (3-9-3, 1-7-1 Liberty, ninth), 2 p.m.
November
Tues. 3 - Liberty League quarterfinals; Fri. 6 - Liberty League semifinals; Sun. 8 - Liberty League finals
Home matches at Vassar's Gordon Field; asterisk marks Liberty League match; 2025 overall and league records in parenthesis
Vassar recent records
Under coach Keith Simons (now at Connecticut College): 2025 - 16-4 (8-1 Liberty League, first place; 2024 - 12-4-5 (5-1-3, third); 2023 - 8-4-5 (2-2-5, seventh); 2022 - 8-5-5 (4-2-3, fifth); 2021 - 9-7-1 (4-4-1, T-fifth)
Under coach Corey Holton: 2020 - COVID, no season; 2019 - 11-8-1 (6-3, third); 2018 - 9-8-1 (5-4, T-sixth); 2017 - 10-6-3 (5-3-1, second); 2016 - 9-8-1 (6-2, second); 2015 - 9-7-2 (3-3-2, fourth); 2014 - 8-6-3 (2-3-2, sixth)
2025 preliminary roster
Rising seniors - No. 0 Bella Stevens, GK; No. 6 Cecelia Wager, MF/D (Liberty League third team); No. 8 Maddie Wolf, MF/D; No. 10 Gianna Panarelli, F/MF (Liberty League first team); No. 16 Alex Astalos, D; No. 18 Grace Romano, F
Rising juniors - No. 00 Olivia Sandrew, GK; No. 1 Laura Shea, GK (Liberty League third team); No. 9 Alice Crowley, MF/F; No. 11 Olivia Spektor, MF/D; No. 19 Sarah Bowler, D; No. 22 Liv Ivie, F; No. 23 Mollie McLaughlin, MF; No. 24 Lucy Hart, MF; No. 25 Kloe Brown, D
Rising sophomores - No. 2 Emily McMahon, GK; No. 3 Sonya Franklin, D (Liberty League third team); No., 5 Anna Arban, D; No. 7 Caroline Sheehan, F; No. 12 Anya Halkovich, D; No. 15 Elena Valle, MF; No. 17 Ava Holman, F (Liberty League second team); No. 29 Samantha Ehrenreich, F; No. 32 Braelynn Tomanio, D
Incoming freshmen - To be announced later
Coaches: Madeline Buckley, new head coach; Marissa Fortuna, assistant; Sarah Dwyer-Shick, assistant; Adam Pregno, assistant
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Vassar women's soccer heads into 2026 with new head coach
Continue reading...
