9/26/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A bruised, battered, but improving Lackawanna College women's soccer squad will attempt to grab its first win of the season with a road trip at Essex County College this Saturday, September 27th.

The match is set for a 12:00pm ET start at the West Essex Campus soccer field, located in West Caldwell, NJ. The game is the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams following at 2:00pm ET.

It's the first of two games between Essex and Lackawanna. Last year, the Falcons fell twice to the Wolverines, losing 3-2 at home in October, and then 4-2 on the road on Halloween in the Region XIX DII semi-finals. 
 
Compare the Teams

Lackawanna	Stat	Essex
1	Goals For	12
36	Goals Against	25
13	Shots	46
3.3	Shots Per Game	9.2
42	Saves	51
10.5	Saves Per Game	10.2
0	Corner Kicks	5

  
About the Falcons
Lackawanna (0-4-0) has faced some stiff competition to start the season, including a team in Monroe CC that is ranked nationally in NJCAA Division I competition, as well as a Sussex squad currently receiving votes in the NJCAA Division II polls.
 
In their latest contest, the Falcons fought hard with Brookdale CC, trailing just 1-0 heading into the halftime break before falling 4-0 after full-time. Keeper Elizabeth DePrimo (Dunmore, PA) had 16 saves, while Melanie Shumway (Rome, PA) and Peyton Butz (Pottsville, PA) each had three shots for the Falcons.

Shumway, a sophomore, has the only goal for the Falcons this season, coming in the first game of the year against the aforementioned Sussex Skylanders. She leads the team with seven shots on goal this year. Shumway scored eight goals in just six games last season for the Falcons.

Sophomore midfielder Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) had three goals last season, despite playing mostly in front of goal as the main keeper. This year, she's in the field as a midfielder for the Falcons, but has yet to record a shot.
 
First-year players Butz and Cyrah Bihler (Hamlin, PA) have each recorded three shots so far this season. Butz plays on the wing and pushes the offense forward, while Bihler is mostly a center back with a strong leg. Bihler will often take the free kicks, especially from distance.
 
First-year keeper DePrimo has given up 22 goals this year, an average of 7.3 per game. DePrimo has 28 saves, recording her season-high with her 16 against Brookdale. 

The head coach is Juan Almonte, currently in his first season in charge of the Falcons. Almonte was a volunteer assistant at his past two stops at both Marywood and East Stroudsburg Universities. He was a high school coach, spending two seasons as the head coach at East Stroudsburg South HS for the boys' soccer program. Almonte is originally from Passaic, NJ and played basketball in high school He graduated from NJIT with a bachelor's degree in Surveying Engineering Technology. He is currently a senior pastor with the International Ministry Emanuel. 
 
About the Wolverines
Essex (1-3-1) has also played a tough schedule this season, only just picking up its first win with a 6-3 decision on the road at RCSJ Cumberland this past Wednesday. After trading goals through the first half hour, things were knotted at 3-3 through 33 minutes of play. Essex got the go-ahead score in the 39th minute when Xiomara Rivera slotted hom her second goal of the game. In the second half, Martine Joazard added a pair of goals in the 63rd and 81st minutes to secure the 6-3 win. Essex forced 15 saves from the Cumberland keeper and had three corners.

Last year's Essex squad beat Lackawanna 4-2 in the semi-finals of the Region XIX DII tournament before falling 10-0 to Mercer in the championship match.
 
The previously mentioned Joazard is one of two players with four goals this season for the Wolverines. Her two goals and one assist against Cumberland earlier this week was her best performance of the year. She scored a goal in losses to Sussex (5-1) and CCBC Essex (3-2) this season.
 
Rivera also has four goals this year, and she leas the team with four assists on the season. Rivera had two goals and two helpers in the win against Cumberland. She had two goals and one assist in the draw vs. Mercer on September 17th. 
 
Sophomore Ilana Lashley has three goals and a pair of assists so far this season. Lashley has scored at least a goal in her last three games. She had a goal and two assists in the win against Cumberland. She was an offensive powerhouse last year for the Wolverines, scoring 15 goals in her 13 appearances. 
 
The head coach for the Wolverines is Monique Edouard, who has been a mainstay for a long time in the ECC athletics family as the head coach for the women's program. Edouard has had countless excellent seasons at Essex, including 2023's Region XIX DII championship squad, where Essex defeated Mercer 2-1, despite losing to the Vikings 7-2 earlier in the season. Edouard has won four region championships since 2013 for the Wolverines (2013, 2014, 2017, 2023).

The Match
The match is set for a 12:00pm ET start on Saturday, September 27th, at the West Essex Campus soccer field, located in West Caldwell, NJ. The game is the first of a doubleheader, with the men's teams following at 2:00pm ET.

There is a video livestream available via the Essex County College Athletics YouTube Channel, linked HERE.
 
Next Up
Lackawanna College is on the road for its next contest on Wednesday, October 1st, as the Falcons travel up the O'Neil Highway to take on Penn State Scranton. First kick is set for 4:00pm ET at the PSU Scranton soccer field.

There will be a video livestream available via the PSU Campus Athletics Website, linked HERE.