9/11/26
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Fresh off their historic first victory this past week, Lackawanna College women's soccer gets back to work with another first-ever match-up in the PSAC, as the Falcons travel to take on Millersville University on Saturday, September 12^th. The contest is set for a 1:00pm ET kick at Pucillo Field in Millersville, PA.
 
The Falcons
Lackawanna (1-3-0) enters the weekend after their first win of the season, taking a 1-0 victory over Mansfield University on Wednesday afternoon at home. Kosi Nwozuzu (Queens, NY) scored the game-winner in the 73^rd minute, off a free kick on the left side from Aislyn Fitzgerald (Langhorne, PA), and the Falcons saw out the rest of the game from there, getting keeper Sophia Arvelo (Allentown, PA) her first-career clean sheet and the Falcons their first-ever win, post NJCAA. It's also the first victory for Lackawanna College over a PSAC opponent, in any sport, and the first win of the 2026 fall campaign for all Lackawanna sports. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
Darexy Monroy (Pleasantville, NJ), Jayda Roque (Matawan, NJ), Kelsey Smith (Moscow, PA), Isabella Caligiuri (Effort, PA), and Grace King (Calvert County, MD) all recorded shots on target for the Falcons, while Arvelo posted a pair of saves in the win.
 
Head coach Juan Almonte, hired in July 2025, cobbled together a roster and competed for ten games last season, sometimes competing with just nine student-athletes, but the Falcons program made great strides, and coach Almonte hit the recruiting trail hard to find young, talented players.
 
With only three returning players from last season, the Falcons have a lot of young, first-year players set to step into major roles in 2026. One of those young players is up front, in Fitzgerald, who coach Almonte feels can have an immediate impact on how the Falcons attack. Fitzgerald is a first-year player who starred at Neshaminy HS, making the District 1 Class 4A quarterfinals and ran hurdles for Neshaminy in her time there.
 
In the midfield, Monroy can provide immediate offensive bite, while controlling the middle of the park. Monroy had 103 goals and 45 assists in her high school career. She also played flag football in high school.
 
At the back, the Falcons rely on players like Nwozuzu to help add some strength to the defensive front. Nwozuzu is a strong, physical player that can help shore up the middle of the defense in front of Arvelo, a four-year starter in high school at Bethlehem Catholic who has great shot-stopping ability and is comfortable with the ball at her feet.
 
Through four games, the Falcons have given up 19 goals and scored one goal this year against their four PSAC opponents. Lackawanna has 13 shots, ten on target, a .769 percentage, but the defense is under constant pressure, giving up 106 shots, 53 on target. The opposition has 35 corner kicks.
 
Caligiuri has three shots on target this season, while King and MacKenzie Seifried (Winfield, NJ) each have a pair of shots this season. Nwozuzu's goal is the lone tally for the Falcons this year, while Fitzgerald has the assist. Arvelo has 34 saves this year, posting a season-high 17 at #3 West Chester.
 
The Marauders
Millersville (4-1-0) comes in on a three-game hot streak, beating Bloomsburg 1-0 on September 2^nd, Mansfield 6-0 on September 5^th, and Shippensburg 3-0 this past September 9^th. Against Ship, the Marauders dictated the game, outshooting Shippensburg by an 18-4 margin. Millersville hit the front in the 28^th minute after a shot hit the crossbar and the Marauders pounced on the ball for a rebound goal, then a penalty early in the second made it 2-0, and Millersville scored a third goal 20 minutes later to make it 3-0.
 
The Marauders are currently tied for the top of the table in the PSAC East with Shepherd, with both teams sitting on nine points. #3 West Chester and #25 Kutztown have played two league games and are sitting on six points, while East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg both have three points. Shippensburg and Mansfield are winless in PSAC play.
 
Millersville has been dominant in controlling the ball and the pace of the game so far this season, as the Marauders have scored 15 goals and allowed just two. Millersville has 112 shots, 57 on target (.509), while allowing just 22 shots and only ten on frame (.455). Millersville has 33 corners to just eleven for their opponents.
 
Aubrey Strohecker, a senior who led last year's team with 13 goals, is already up to eight on the season in just five games, which includes two hattricks (vs. Lock Haven; at Mansfield) and single goals against Bloomsburg and Shippensburg. Strohecker was an All-PSAC East First-Team selection last year, and picked to the All-Atlantic Region Second Team last year.
 
Ashlyn Calabria is a sophomore with two goals and three assists this season, leading the team in helpers. Calabria had a goal and an assist against Lock Haven to start the year, and has also scored against Shippensburg. She posted an assist against both East Stroudsburg and Mansfield this season.
 
Sara Edwards is a senior with two goals and two assists this season. She had a goal and an assist against Mansfield on September 5^th, while scoring a goal against East Stroudsburg and posting an assist against Lock Haven this year.
 
Keeper Megan Taltavull, a first-year player, is the main shot-stopper for Millersville, posting eight saves in her five starts this year. She has three-straight clean sheets coming into the weekend, and all four wins for the Marauders have been shutouts. Taltavull had her season-best four saves in the only loss for Millersville, a 2-1 loss at East Stroudsburg.
 
The head coach for Millersville, Matt Procopio is entering his eleventh season in charge of the Marauders. A year ago, Procopio and the Marauders won nine games, qualified for the PSAC playoffs, and made a run to the PSAC semi-finals, falling to Kutztown. It was the farthest that the Marauders have gone since making the championship game in 2021. Procopio's best season came in 2019, where the Marauders finished with 15 wins and made the NCAA tournament. Millersville has twice made the national tournament under Procopio, in 2018 and 2019. He has 79 wins in his career at Millersville. Procopio is a Millersville alum, playing for the Marauders' men's team from 2005 to 2008 and helping the squad to a PSAC East title, an Atlantic Regional championship, and a #6 national ranking, while also getting All-America honorable mention status as a senior. Procopio spent years working at various soccer clubs across the country before coming back to Millersville in 2012 to work as an assistant with the women's team. After two years with the Marauders, he moved on to Tiffin to assist the men's squad in 2014, before coming back to lead Millersville in 2015.
 
The Marauders were picked to finish fifth in the PSAC East this season, and are hoping to get themselves back to the PSAC playoffs and past the semi-final round.
 
Game Details
Lackawanna College (1-3-0) at Millersville University (4-1-0)
Saturday 9/12, 1:00pm ET; Pucillo Field (Athletic Drive, Millersville, PA 17551)
 
Live Video: PSAC Digital Network
Live Stats: Millersville Live Stats
 
This will be the first of two games between the Falcons and the Marauders this season. There are two common opponents between the two sides: Shippensburg (Millersville 3-0 W, Lackawanna 6-0 L) and Mansfield (Millersville 6-0 W, Lackawanna 1-0 W).
 
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Next up, Lackawanna College stays in PSAC action on Wednesday, September 16^th, with a home game against Bloomsburg University. Kick off is set for 3:30pm ET at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore.