Taryn Baxter, a former four-year standout at Mercyhurst, is in her second season as an assistant coach with the Youngstown State women's soccer program.
In 2025, Baxter helped the Penguins to an overall record of 8-10-2 and a school-best 6-2-2 in Horizon League action. Youngstown State's six Horizon League victories set a program record and its third-place finish was was a program best. The Penguins' eight overall wins tied for the second-most in program history.
Youngstown State set program records for most goals scored (19), assists (14), points (52), team points (20) and wins (6) in a Horizon League in a single season.
A school-record five student athletes were named to the 2025 All-Horizon League Teams and Kamryn Rosa became the first YSU player to be named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year. Rosa, who earned second-team all-league honors, scored seven goals and tallied two assists for 16 total points.
Senior defender Emma Rigone was named All-Horizon League Second-Team while Camille Bultel, Sara Felder and Maya Naimoli were named to the third team. Felder led the team with eight goals and three assists for 19 points while Bultel posted four goals and four assists. Naimoli posted five shutouts, seven wins, 100 saves, and a save percentage of .752.
Baxter was a four-year starting defender for at Mercyhurst from 2019-23, and she played in 78 career games. During her time at Mercyhurst, Baxter scored seven goals with seven assists for a total of 21 points.
She also finished her career with 66 shots, 30 shots on goal and three game-winning goals.
While at Mercyhurst, Baxter was the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, a two-time United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American 2021 and 2023, and a four-time All-PSAC West selection.
Prior to joining the Penguins, Baxter coached the Spokane Shadow in the WPSL & CPL in 2025 and both teams qualified for the postseason.
She also played for the Spokane Shadow of the WPSL from 2019 – 2024 and was named the WPSL Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
She graduated from Mercyhurst in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in English, professional and technical writing, and she earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2024. Â
