9/27/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's soccer has a tall task ahead of it this weekend, as the Falcons host the leaders in Region XIX DII, Mercer County CC, on Saturday, September 28^th. The game is set for a 12:00pm ET start at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore, PA, and it pits the top two teams in the Region XIX DII standings.
 
There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (2-1-0) has won two straight games for the first time since 2012, last in action back on September 17^th. That was a comeback victory for the Falcons, recovering from a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Sussex County CC 2-1 on the road. Goalkeeper Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) had the game-tying goal, drawing the Falcons level just four minutes into the second half on a penalty kick. Melanie Shumway (Rome, PA) scored the go-ahead goal just seven minutes later to give Lackawanna the lead, and the Falcons held on from there for the win.
 
Through two games, the Falcons have given up 13 goals, eleven coming in the first match of the season against Hagerstown. Meanwhile, the Falcons have nine goals scored, seven of which came in a 7-1 win against Lehigh Carbon CC.
 
Shumway leads the Falcons now with four goals and one assist. Shumway has 15 shots on goal this year and is the biggest scoring threat up front for the Falcons. She had a hattrick in the 7-1 at Lehigh Carbon CC. Shumway was a standout performer at Northeast Bradford HS before coming to Lackawanna.
 
Tasker, who played in between the pipes for the Falcons in the first half against Lehigh Carbon, has three goals this season, two coming via penalty kick. Tasker had eleven saves in the loss to Hagerstown, and has 16 saves overall this year. Tasker was inserted into the goalkeeper position her senior season at Abington Heights HS, helping the Lady Comets get all the way to the state championship game.
 
Midfielder Autumn Frederick (Etters, PA) has a goal in three appearances so far, scoring in the second half of the win against Lehigh Carbon. Frederick is a versatile mid with the ability to drop into defense or play up in a forward spot.
 
Fellow mid Chloe Stafursky (Peckville, PA) also has a goal so far this season, scoring against Lehigh Carbon. Stafursky was a multi-sport athlete at nearby Valley View HS.
 
Returners Sandra Diaz-Torres (Scranton, PA) and Chelsea Huegel (Scranton, PA) will populate the midfield, while returners Pamela Paulino (Scranton, PA) and Sophia Mandarano (Dunmore, PA) will man the defense. Paulino and Mandarano are joined by Emma Scalese, who was an all-star defender for Holy Cross HS locally in Northeast PA.
 
The head coach, entering his second season at the helm, is Dan Badyrka. Coach Badyrka took over the program midway through the 2022-2023 scholastic year, rehabbed the Falcons to be able to compete in a handful of games last season, and now believes his squad is ready to take a big step forward in 2024. Badyrka spent the previous three years before Lackawanna at nearby Dunmore HS, coaching the varsity girls soccer team. Under his guidance, the Lady Bucks won 19 games and made the district playoff semi-finals in all three seasons. Badyrka was an assistant with the Abington Travel Club before his time at Dunmore and has been working at various youth levels in soccer for the last 15 years.
 
About Mercer County CC
The Vikings (9-1-1) have been stellar this season, unbeaten in their last ten matches, and winners of nine straight games. Mercer hasn't allowed a goal in three straight matches, and, apart from a 6-2 loss to Suffolk CC to start the season, there was only one match where an opponent scored more than a goal against the Vikings. Mercer won their latest game, a 1-0 victory over RCSJ Cumberland, thanks to a late winner from Eva Sturm, with an assist from Maddie Harrison.
 
Mercer has 37 goals in eleven matches this season, averaging 3.36 goals per contest. The Vikings have 93 total shots, and have given up 67 so far this season, with just 12 combined goals, and five clean sheets, four coming in their last five games.
 
The aforementioned Sturm is the scoring leader this year with eleven goals and four assists. Sturm is a first-year player who has scored a goal in seven matches, including at least a goal in her last three. She had four goals and an assist in a 9-0 victory over Essex County last weekend. She had two assists in a win against Brookdale back on September 10^th.
 
Sophomore player Fiona Madigan is second on the team with five goals this season. Madigan has scored a goal in five separate contests, including four of her last six matches. She did not score against Cumberland, but she did score a goal in the win against Essex.
 
First-year player Julia Fillat Ferrer has four goals and an assist this season. She had a pair of goals in the 9-0 win against Brookdale and has scored at least a goal in three of her last five games. She had a goal in the win against Essex.
 
First-year player Ana Pacheco also has four goals this season for Mercer. Pacheco had three straight games earlier this season with a goal, scoring in wins over Garrett, Brookdale, and Middlesex. She has not scored in her last three games.
 
The keeper is Celina Oliveria, a sophomore netminder. Oliveria has 48 saves in eleven games, giving up 12 goals this season, a little over a goal per contest. She has been the keeper for all five clean sheets for the Vikings.
 
The head coach for the Vikings is Ron Stinson, in his first season following the retirement of Elyse Diamond. Stinson has 40 years of experience in the game of soccer, dating back to his time as a player. He played rugby in his time at Kutztown University, but always stayed with the game of soccer, coaching travel teams across New Jersey. Stinson is a certified Cross-Fit instructor and works as a Physical Training instructor with the NJ Police Training Commission.
 
The Match-Up
The game is set for a 12:00pm ET start at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore, PA on Saturday, September 28^th. There will be a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Lackawanna College is next in action on Saturday, October 5^th, when the Falcons are set to host Region XIX DII opponent Essex County College. Kickoff is set for 12:00pm ET at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore.