Although the result was “disappointing,” head coach David Suvak was proud of the team’s efforts tonight and throughout the regular season, which saw the Lions finish with a 7-2-2 conference record (9-5-4 overall).

“To come in at a third-place finish, to be one of the top teams in league play, I think that’s an amazing feat for them, especially with a young team,” he added. “We showed a lot of fight tonight.”

He was also proud of the Lions’ new players, including ten first-years, for adjusting to Emerson soccer in a short amount of time.

“[They were] coming in and learned a style of play very quickly, where it’s a noticeable style of play, and they can play make and pass,” Suvak said. “And I’m not saying that we’re perfect all the time, but they really grew into the game that I’m interested in having this team play.”

The upperclassmen, including senior co-captains Presley King and Linae Bezdek, played a major role in leading the younger Lions and helping them understand the team’s playing style, according to Suvak.

“This is a very family-oriented, very cohesive group of girls,” he said. “And they’re very connected with one another.”

Going forward, continuity and athleticism are key lessons Suvak hopes to bring into the offseason and beyond.

“We have a group of players that are relatively young, and I think that they can understand how good they can actually be,” he said. “We already have four committed players [for next year]. Those players are going to add to that group, and they’re going to continue to build this program, our style of play, and our potency.”

“I think that there’s a level of athleticism that … is necessary for this team,” Suvak added. “I think that’s building on these players’ athleticism, and that means strength and conditioning. Being able to play a long season that goes by very fast. Looking for the next couple of athletes that are going to join this team, and bring that level to this team as well.”

Despite valiant efforts to find the equalizer, the No. 3 Lions fell to the No. 6 Engineers 2-1. The Lions ended the night with four of 11 shots on goal, while the Engineers finished with ten of 16 attempts on goal. Junior forward Zoe Simmons and first-year forward Rowan McCrary tallied three shots apiece, and sophomore goalkeeper Hailey Forman collected eight saves.

Minutes after first-year forward Rowan McCrary’s shot hit the bottom right post, the Lions earned their first goal in transition at the 79:23 mark. Senior defender Presley King dribbled past multiple Engineers and found junior forward Zoe Simmons, who scored a low-center shot to make it a 2-1 game.

The Engineers have tacked on another goal early in the second half, as Steckley sprinted and scored at the 46:52 mark, assisted by sophomore forward Abigail Johnson.

The first half has been defined by speedy transition play from both sides. The Lions tallied four shots in the opening frame, with two being on goal. The Engineers, meanwhile, have taken five shots, with four on goal and one finding the back of the net.

Officials issued a yellow card to Engineers defender Emma Fotzgerald after she tripped Lions forward Zoe Simmons in the 24th minute. The Lions’ free kick was saved by Verheul.

The Engineers have gotten on the board ten minutes in, thanks to a left-side shot from junior forward Katie Adiletta, assisted by fellow junior forward Maeve Stickley.

WPI

• Katie Adiletta
• Jess English
• Maeve Steckley
• Abigail Johnson
• Reese Pszenny
• Sera Brunner
• Emma Fitzgerald
• Caetlyn Embree 
• Madison Shaw
• Bailey Allmon
• GK; Ayla Verheul

Emerson

• Kate Baldock
• Ella Knox
• Zoe Simmons
• Presley King
• Rowan McCrary
• Brady Campbell
• Kelsea Laughrey
• Carmen Talavera
• Kaylin O’Meara
• Kelsey Yoshikawa
• GK: Hailey Forman

The Emerson women’s soccer team ended the year with a 7-2-2 NEWMAC record (9-5-4 overall), earning the tournament’s No. 3 seed and qualifying for their sixth consecutive postseason. The 2022 conference champions earned their playoff berth with a 2-1 win over Babson on Nov. 1.

First-year forward Rowan McCrary has led the Lions with four goals (two game-winners) and four assists in the regular season. Senior midfielder Linae Bezdek and first-year forward Kesley Yoshikawa have three goals apiece, while junior defender Kaylin O’Meara and sophomore midfielder Kelsea Laughrey each tallied four assists. Sophomore Hailey Forman has solidified the Lions’ defense with an .802 save percentage and 4.6 saves per game—both marks good for fifth in the NEWMAC.

Head coach David Suvak has seen the team’s communication and movement grow over the course of the season.

“50% of our team is first-years, and we’re actively learning the college game right now, so I think those are areas that we’ve improved in,” he said after the Lions’ match against nationally-ranked MIT on Oct. 29. “I think we have also improved in creating scoring opportunities in many different ways. And it comes from playmaking, shooting from the top of the box, scrappy balls in there.”

Tonight’s winner will duel either No. 2 Springfield College or No. 7 Coast Guard Academy on Thursday at a time to be determined. If the latter pulls off an upset, the Lions could play the semifinal match at Rotch Field.

Along the sidelines, Emerson players and coaches stood somber and silent following the loss to WPI. But despite the defeat, head coach Liam McKersie reflected with pride on the group’s campaign.

“I’m just so proud. It’s hard not to get emotional,” McKersie said postgame. “So proud of those three [graduate Dominic Reiter and seniors Kyler Maira and Cade Mallett]. They’ve changed the program. The resilience the group showed this year was incredible. The injuries and the tough moments could have easily derailed everything, and the group would not let it happen.”

McKersie will remember the time spent with players the most, in moments that often went beyond the pitch.

“There was a Monday where they didn’t have class,” he recalled, “So we brought them out of the city, played video games and board games. The preseason time together, building our foundation, all of those [memories] stand out.”

He also singled out the team’s conference stretch of the regular season, where he said “everything kind of came together” in the last two weeks.

McKersie believes the momentum from this season will carry over into next year, particularly with a “pretty young group” that includes ten first-years, six sophomores, and nine juniors in addition to three seniors.

“I think those three seniors did an incredible job keeping us focused and leading us,” he said. “But there’s so much momentum and continuity, and in the current day and age of college athletics, it’s hard to have that.”

“I’m just so excited about the momentum that we’re building,” McKersie continued. “And I’m so thankful to these seniors and everything they’ve given us.”

The Engineers stunned the Lions two minutes into the period, as a left-side shot from Nikolas Previte curved and found the back of the net. WPI players stormed the sidelines as visiting fans, some carrying cowbells, erupted in celebration.

After some dramatic final minutes that saw the Lions and Engineers nearly break the deadlock, we head into a “golden goal” overtime, where the first goal wins.

The Lions and Engineers have not shied away from shooting the ball, recording a flurry of shots throughout the period. First-year forward Nick Mirogiannis took a shot in the Lions’ box that missed high in the 76th minute. On the other side, WPI had several cracks off a corner kick three minutes later, but Emerson blocked one header and goalkeeper Asa Roberts saved another.

The Lions nearly got on the board at the 84:56 mark, but an initial goal by first-year Alex Lucas was ruled offside.

The physicality persists in the second half, as Lions defender Ethan Minster received a yellow card from officials at the 56:37 mark. The Engineers couldn’t convert on the free kick, and both sides remain tied at zero.

The Lions and Engineers remain scoreless through 45 minutes of action—all while dealing with Boston gusts reaching up to 20 miles per hour.

Both sides played a speedy and physical first half, recording three fouls apiece in the first 17 minutes. The Engineers have been aggressive with their opportunities, tallying eight shots in the first period, with two on goal. The Lions were limited to six shots in the period, including an 18th-minute header by sophomore defender Jack Wasserman that was saved by WPI’s keeper, Savio Ketnouvong. Their defense has foiled several Engineer corner kicks, including a pair of blocks by Minster and Carson.

Emerson had some close calls in the final minute. A bottom left shot by first-year midfielder Joe Picone landed in Ketnouvong’s hands, and sophomore midfielder John Liley’s attempt was blocked with 23 seconds remaining.

WPI

• Edward Zazzali 
• Mike Montabana 
• Aidan McLoughlin 
• Adin Pezo
• Fabio Bastida-Andreu
• Eli Marden
• Noah Amorim
• Nikolas Previte
• Evan Haas
• Anthony Coutts
• GK: Savio Ketnouvong

Emerson

• Ethan Minster
• Daniel Bede
• Jack Wasserman
• Dominic Reiter
• Vigo Cassidy
• Kyler Maira
• Alex Lucas
• Carlo Carson
• Cade Mallett
• Diego Garcia-Ocampo
• GK: Asa Roberts

The Emerson men’s soccer team finished with a 3-4-1 conference record (6-7-5 overall) to claim the fourth seed in the NEWMAC playoffs and their first consecutive postseason appearance. They clinched their spot behind a historic victory at Babson College on Oct. 29, defeating the Beavers for the first time in program history, 1-0.

Key Lions to watch include senior defender Kyler Maira—who scored a team-high four goals in the regular season and has tallied nine conference goals in the last two years—as well as fellow senior defender Cade Mallett, who has come up clutch for Emerson with a team-high three game-winners. Defensively, first-year goalkeeper Asa Roberts has started 14 matches for Emerson, averaging 3.71 saves and recording a .667 save percentage.

Head coach Liam McKersie said the Lions’ transition play was the difference-maker in a 4-2 win over WPI on Oct. 29, and it will be just as critical as they look to sprint toward a deep playoff run.

“Being lightning quick in transition is where we’ve gotten so much better, and we’ve been able to score a lot of big goals,” McKersie said after a senior day match against MIT on Nov. 1. “That phase has been our biggest one, and it’s kind of our calling card that we’ll need to get a lot out of in a playoff game if we want to keep playing.”

The winner of Tuesday’s match will face the top-seeded Wheaton College Lyons in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. The Lions are aiming for their first semifinal appearance since 2022, when they advanced to the conference championship but fell to the Beavers.