The women’s soccer team ended last season on a bit of a sour note. 

After winning the River States Conference (RSC) Championship in 2017, the women were looking to clinch back-to-back championship titles last year. They were set up for the title again with the most regular season wins (11) in program history going into the playoffs.

Point Park did not need to worry about the quarterfinal round; the women placed first in the conference, giving them a bye week to start playoffs and an automatic bid to the semifinal round of the RSC Playoffs to face then-No. 5 Indiana University (IU) East.

Earlier in the season, Point Park beat IU East in a close 1-0 match. Going into the playoffs, however, IU East was ready for their revenge.

In a game just as competitive as the last between the two, IU East upset the No. 1-ranked
Pioneers and ended their season earlier than they had planned.

This season, the women are prepared to take back the title for what would be the third time in the past five years.

“Our main goal this year is to win everything and bring home the rings,” senior captain Gabby Widman said. “That’s our long term goal. To achieve that, we need to hit all of our short term goals, which include composure, scoring goals, staying fit and competing in our training so that way we can play our best when we get into games.”

The Pioneers have had one chance so far to test all of the work that they put in during the offseason. They traveled to the Montour Junction Sports Complex for an exhibition game against Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. No score was kept, but it was a good chance to see what the team had to work with this season.

“This season we are anticipating a different Point Park women’s soccer team – different in a good way,” Widman said. “The attitude of our team has changed and grown tremendously and the vibe is very positive.”

In addition to players being optimistic about this upcoming season, the RSC coaches were too when they voted Point Park third out of 11 teams in the RSC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll. Only Asbury and IU East rank above the Pioneers, clinching the first and second spots, respectively.

The biggest change to the women’s team this season is the loss of seven-year head coach Maggie Kuhn. Kuhn led the Pioneers to a combined 37-12-3 record throughout her tenure at Point Park, but left for a different coaching job in July.

Director of Athletics John Ashaolu hired interim head coach and La Roche alum Bethanie Moreschi in August to fill the shoes that Kuhn left behind.

“Bethanie Moreschi comes highly recommended, and I believe that she will hit the ground running as our interim women’s soccer head coach,” Ashaolu said in a statement after her hire.

Moreschi and the rest of this year’s women’s soccer team will face off against Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio this Friday after their first preseason game on Tuesday at No. 4 Spring Arbor.

The women will not make their debut back at Highmark Stadium until September 7 when the Pioneers host non-conference opponent Siena Heights in their home opener.