Opening Kick
The Youngstown State women's soccer team (4-8-2, 2-4 HL) closes out its Wisconsin road trip when it visits Green Bay Sunday, Oct. 13. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Aldo Santaga Stadium in Green Bay, Wis.
The Series
This is the 25th meeting between Youngstown State and Green Bay in a series dating back to 1998. The Phoenix owns a 16-4-4 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins have won the last two meetings. Youngstown State defeated the Phoenix, 2-0, in Green Bay last season, and YSU won 3-0 in 2022 at Farmers National Bank Field. The Penguins have defeated the Phoenix one time in Green Bay – in 2023.
About The Phoenix
Green Bay enters the match with an overall record of 3-6-4 and a 1-3-2 mark in Horizon League play. Senah Hanes leads the Phoenix and is tied for the Horizon League lead with seven goals. Goalkeeper Mallorie Benhart has posted four shutouts this season.
Up Next
The Penguins return home to host Cleveland State Thursday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Farmers National Bank Field.
Naimoli Earns Second DPOW Award
For the second time this season, redshirt freshman Maya Naimoli has been named the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. The Wayne, Pa., native was also named the defensive player of the week on Sept. 3, and she is the first repeat defensive award winner this season. Naimoli led the Penguins to a 1-0 win over Wright State and tallied six saves to post her third shutout of the season. She also faced a total of 14 shots and six shots on goal against the Raiders. She leads the league with a .791 save percentage and ranks second in the league with a 1.39 goals-against average.
Felder Collects First Game Winner
Redshirt freshman Sara Felder posted her first career game-winning goal with her score against Wright State on Oct. 5. Felder now leads the Penguins with three goals on the season is now tied for 10th in the Horizon League in goals scored.
Berry In the Top 10
With an assist against Purdue Fort Wayne, junior Taylor Berry moved into 10th place on the YSU career scoring chart with 27 total points. For her career, she has scored nine goals with nine assists and needs just two more points to move into a tie for seventh with 29 points. Berry will move into a tie for sixth with three more points and become the seventh player in school history record at least 30 total points.
Weiland Multi-Goal Scorer
Junior Chloe Weiland scored a pair of goals in the Penguins' 3-1 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Sept. 29. She is the first YSU player to score multiple goals in a game since Elis Klein Spindola netted a hat trick in 2022 against Robert Morris. Weiland now has six goals and four assists over the last two seasons.
Rigone Nets Career High
Junior defender Emma Rigone posted a career-best performance in the Penguins' 3-1 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne. Rigone scored a goal, her first of the season, and added two assists in the win over the Mastodons.
Berry League Leader
With five assists this season, junior Taylor Berry leads the Horizon League in total assists and assists per game at .417. Berry also ranks tied for ninth with nine total points.
Van Sice Back in the Scoring Column
Graduate student Lianna Van got in the scoring column for the second time this season when she scored the Penguins' lone goal against Oakland on Sept. 22. She scored the Penguins first goal of the season in the Penguins' 2-2 draw against Kent State on Aug. 18. She now has four goals and three assists in her last 20 games played.
Felder Goes Back-to-Back
After scoring her first career goal against Duquesne, redshirt freshman Sara Felder followed that up with another goal against Detroit Mercy on Sept.19. Taylor Berry and Eva Sunjevaric each assisted on Felder's goal.
Naimoli Tallies Career High
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Maya Naimoli continues to impress in the net. Naimoli set a career high with nine saves against Duquesne on Sept. 15. She faced a total of 27 shots and 12 shots on goal. She tied that career high with nine saves against Detroit Mercy on Sept. 19.
Gretz, Naimoli Sweep Horizon League POW Awards
Youngstown State midfielder Tatum Gretz and goalkeeper Maya Naimoli swept the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Soccer weekly awards, the league announced on Tuesday.
Gretz was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week while Naimoli was named the Defensive Player of the Week. It's the first career weekly award for both players, and it marks just the second time in program history that Youngstown State swept the Horizon League weekly awards. The first and only other time was on Aug. 27, 2012.
Gretz, a Mount Pleasant, Pa. native, led the Penguins to a 1-0-1 record last week after tying Canisius, 1-1, and defeating George Washington, 1-0. Gretz scored her first career goal against the Golden Griffins in the draw. Her goal tied the game in the 63rd minute. In the Penguins in over GW, Gretz delivered the assist on Elis Klein Spindola's game-winning goal.
Naimoli, who hails from Wayne, Pa., led the Penguins to a 1-0-1 record last week after tying Canisius, 1-1, and defeating George Washington, 1-0. Naimoli tallied six saves and faced 22 shots in the draw against Canisius on Aug. 29.
Tarzi Finds the Net
Senior Elis Klein Spindola scored her first goal and game winner of the season in the Penguins' 1-0 victory over George Washington on Sept. 1. Klein Spindola beat the GW defenders to a through ball and chipped a shot over the goalkeeper for the game-clinching score. Klein Spindola has scored eight goals with four assists for a total of 20 points during career with YSU.
Gretz Nets First Career Goal
Tatum Gretz scored her first career goal when the Penguins needed it the most. Trailing 1-0 at Canisius, Gretz crushed a left-footed one-timer to the top-left corner to tie the game at 1-1 in the 63rd minute.
Brick Wahle
Freshman Teagan Wahle recorded the first goal of her career, and it proved to be her first career game winner. Wahle laced a shot from 23-yards out that found the lower-left corner of the net to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Aug. 22.
My Oh, Maya
Redshirt freshman Maya Naimoli picked up a pair of collegiate firsts after the Penguins' 2-0 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.). The Wayne, Pa., native recorded her first career win and posted the first shutout of her career while collecting five saves against the Red Flash.
The Captains
Youngstown State women's soccer Head Coach Brian Shrum announced that graduate student Lianna Van Sice and juniors Taylor Berry and Emma Rigone have been named team captains for the 2024 season.
Impressive Debut for Naimoli
Redshirt freshman Maya Naimoli turned in an impressive debut in the net for the Penguins soccer program. Naimoli faced 20 shots, including eight on goal, against Kent State on Aug. 18. She posted a career-high six saves in the tie.
What Returns
Youngstown State returns 18 letterwinners and five starters from last year's squad. More importantly, the Penguins return 76.1 percent of their scoring from a season ago. YSU returns its top three scorers and five of its top six. Chloe Weiland led the squad with four goals, three assists and 11 points,
Weiland Had Breakout Campaign
Junior Chloe Weiland had a breakout season for the Penguins in 2023. The Butler, Pa. native totaled four goals, including two game winners, and tied for the team lead with three assists.
Berry Continued Success
Junior Taylor Berry continued her success from year one into year two at YSU. She tallied three goals with three assists. In two years with the Penguins, Berry has scored seven goals with four assists for a total of 18 career points.
Berdiner All-Freshman
Sophomore Emma Berdiner was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team last season after tallying a pair of assists in 2023. Berdiner, Taylor Berry, and Maddie Angelo were named to the league's all-freshman team during their career.
Returning Scorers
Along with Chloe Weiland and Taylor Berry, the Penguins return six players that scored goals last season. Lianna Van Sice posted a pair of goals and recorded three assists while Elis Klein Spindola and Maddie Keister each tallied two goals. Emma Rigone, Abby Knight, and Marissa Masano also scored goals in 2023.
Penguins Tabbed Fifth in League Preseason Poll
2024 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll
Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points
1. Milwaukee (10) – 120
2. IU Indianapolis – 103
3. Northern Kentucky – 100
4. Wright State – 71
5. Youngstown State (1) – 65
6. RMU – 60
7. Oakland – 59
8. Detroit Mercy – 54
9. Purdue Fort Wayne – 44
10. Cleveland State – 32
11. Green Bay – 18
