Women's Soccer Brings Fresh Look To 2024 Season

The 2024 season for St. Bonaventure women’s soccer kicks off on Thursday, August 15, as the Bonnies travel to regional rival Buffalo. 

Under the direction of second-year head coach Donny George, the Bonnies welcome 15 new faces to the squad while returning 14. “This blend of fresh talent and seasoned experience provides a unique dynamic,” George said.

MEET THE TEAM

St. Bonaventure brings back multiple experienced leaders including Bridget Kennedy, Chiara Gottinger, Sydney Hayward, and Hannah Walker. 

Seniors Kennedy and Hayward anchored the Bonnies backline in 2023, each playing upwards of 1,500 minutes. Joining them on the wing was Walker who tallied two assists in her sophomore year.

Gottinger enters her senior season off an Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team selection in 2023. During her third season with the Bonnies, Gottinger made 83 saves in 15 games played with a 1.45 goals against average. In 2022, she led all of Division I with 163 saves and also paced all Atlantic 10 goalkeepers in save percentage (.881).

Also returning for their fourth season with the Bonnies are Elisabeth Ptacek, Kendall Stansbury, Chanel Alexander, Savanna Mondesir-Singh, and Kristin Pickard. 

Ishana Sandhu returns as a junior for the Bonnies while Juliana Castellano, Alessia Donia, Lauren Westwood, and Lily Ma return as sophomores. 

Westwood contributed significant minutes for Bona's in her freshman season, starting in 12 games while making 13 appearances in the midfield. 

“The returning class of 14 brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the team,” George said. “Their familiarity with the Atlantic 10’s competitive environment will be invaluable in guiding the newcomers.”

NEWCOMERS

The 15 new additions to the Brown and White include 11 freshmen and four transfers. 

Coming from NCCAA national champion Bethel, Jael Schubert adds to the Bonnies depth in net. Schubert recorded a 1.29 goals against average and a .786 save percentage on the way to the NCCAA national championship in 2023. 

Thea Juul, Mika Marolly, and Kellsie Flint also transfer into the Bonnies program. 

Juul joins the team from the College of Saint Rose where she helped her previous team to a conference title and an NCAA Division II Tournament bid.  

Marolly played her freshman season at the University of Buffalo, contributing two assists in 16 games played. 

Flint has previously played at Hartford and most recently Campbell where she saw action in five games during 2023. 

Freshmen Evie Underhill and Avery Braswell join the Bonnies backline while Ella Yartym and Ekemini Udofa add to the attack. 

Mahelie Barbeau, Maya Marolly, Hannah Lindenberger, Aysha Tural, Liyah Menilek, Hannah Smith and Torrie Grant-Clavijo add to the midfield. 

In addition to changes made to the roster, the Bonnies welcome a familiar face to the coaching staff. Kendrick Tarmino, ’24, joins as an assistant coach for the 2024 season. In her time as a player, she accumulated over 6,500 minutes played over five seasons and served as team captain in 2023.

After the season opener at Buffalo on Aug. 15, the Bonnies take a two game trip to Texas for matches with Baylor and Texas Tech. The Bonnies are making the rounds regionally this season as they travel to Syracuse for a matchup with the Orange and to Niagra to face off with the Purple Eagles. The team also welcomes Canisius and will host Binghamton for their home-opener on Aug. 25. 

The Atlantic 10 slate starts on the road for the Brown and White at George Washington on Sept. 19.