Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Montana
Women’s Soccer Preview: Bison Head West to Start Search for Bounce-Back Campaign
8/12/2026 12:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. – On the heels of the finest four-year stretch in program history, the Bucknell women’s soccer team endured a challenging season a year ago, but with nine returning starters boosted by a strong first-year class, the Bison once again have lofty expectations heading into the 2026 campaign. After scrimmaging Drexel and Manhattan last week, Bucknell officially gets going with a western road trip against Big Sky Conference foes Montana (Thursday, 7 p.m. ET) and Eastern Washington (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET).
Head coach Kelly Cook is back for her 12th season – six of her previous 11 have resulted in a Patriot League regular season or tournament championship – and will have plenty of familiar faces on the pitch to start the season. Bucknell’s starting back four returns, led by senior captain Julia Palitti, and six of the eight players who scored goals in 2025 are also back.
“We finished last year with eight starters who were either freshmen or sophomores, so we are fortunate to have quite a few players back this year with valuable experience under their belts,” said Cook. “Early in the season we are going to rely on our defense to not only be solid on the field, but also to be leaders for the whole group. Offensively, we struggled to score goals last year. Individually, we are going to have to uphold a higher standard of quality in the final third, but we are also looking at some stylistic changes to how we play. I thought we generated some good opportunities in the spring and in the two scrimmages, we just need to develop and maintain consistency throughout the season.”
Bucknell has never faced Montana or Eastern Washington, and Cook says the trip will benefit the team in a number of ways. First and foremost, these are two quality sides that will test the Bison in week one. Montana went 11-4-5 overall and 5-1-2 in the Big Sky last season, sweeping the regular-season and tournament titles on the way to its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years. Eastern Washington finished third in the league table with a 4-3-1 mark. Both squads were nearly unbeatable at home, with the Grizzlies finishing 9-1-1 in Missoula and EWU 6-1-3 in Cheney.
“We are very excited to start the season with this trip,” said Cook, who tries to schedule a western swing every four years. “Not only do we get two great games against very successful programs that will challenge us right away, but we also get to spend some bonding time before classes start. I’ve always felt that good off-field chemistry carries onto the field, and I think this is a really fun group that is motivated to have a strong season.”
The Bison open the home portion of the schedule on Thursday, Aug. 20 against Mount St. Mary’s and will have additional non-league dates at Emmitt Field with La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, and Delaware. Bucknell will have additional road tests against Penn State, Towson, and Villanova before starting Patriot League play at home against Lehigh on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Bucknell was picked seventh in the Patriot League preseason poll, with Army and Boston University separated by just one point at the top. After winning three straight PL Tournament titles from 2021-23 and a regular-season crown in 2024, the Bison went 3-9-6 overall and 1-4-4 in league play last season. The team did find at least one point in half of its matches, but a late season scoring drought cost them a return trip to the postseason.
Let’s take a closer look at the 2026 Bison squad.
GOALKEEPERS
Junior Reese Dolan and freshman Sarah McFarland have engaged in a spirited battle for the lead goalkeeper duties throughout preseason camp, and Cook says that both will likely get starts early in the season.
Dolan started 15 games a year ago and kept three clean sheets while posting a 1.40 goals-against average. The shutouts all came in Patriot League play against Lehigh, Lafayette, and Loyola, and she earned a Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week citation after the 2-0 win at Lehigh.
McFarland was named the 2026 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Delaware after earning three First Team All-State and three Blue Hen Conference Goalkeeper of the Year citations. Last spring, she led Middletown High School to the state semifinals, allowing only 10 goals while making 98 saves. She was also asked to play forward in eight games and ended up as the team’s leading scorer with 16 goals and four assists.
Senior Carleigh Robertson is back after missing last season due to injury and will serve as the No. 3 keeper, while senior co-captain Dylan Zednik will be out with an injury.
“It’s nice to have two highly competitive goalkeepers who came in fit and prepared to play at a high level,” said Cook. “Both have had strong camps, and they have battled and pushed each other every day. We have a very positive dynamic in the goalkeeper group, with great leadership from the two seniors and good preseason showings from Sarah and Reese.”
DEFENDERS
A year ago, the Bison were faced with replacing three of their four starters on the back line. What was once a young and inexperienced group is now one of the deepest units on the squad. All four starters return, plus several others who are knocking at the door.
Senior captain Julia Palitti anchors the center back position alongside sophomore Emma Gavin. Palitti is back for her third year as a starter, while Gavin made nine starts as a rookie a year ago, jumping in after a season-ending injury to Reilly Traynor. Palitti and Gavin bring good height to the back line at 5’8” and 5’10”, respectively, and they pair well together in the center of the defense.
A pair of juniors return on the flanks in left back Ava Palladino and right back Leah DeLaurentiis. Both won starting jobs last season and showed well.
Senior Lily Moraller and sophomore Audrey Campbell provide experienced depth, and freshmen Clare Nemsick, Kyla Kaczmarczyk, and Lauren Facinelli are also in the mix. Nemsick, a two-sport athlete who will also play lacrosse in the spring, earned a start in one of the preseason exhibitions and can play both outside and center back.
“I am very excited about this group,” said Cook. “It’s comforting not only to have a captain and all four starters returning on the back four, but we also have great depth there. It’s a nice blend of experience and new young talent, and that depth should help us rotate a bit more, especially early in the season. They are all close in terms of technical ability.”
MIDFIELDERS
Junior Louisa Thomsen will slide back to the 6 spot and take on the important holding center midfielder role after the graduation of three-year starter Sydney Hess. Thomsen is strong in the air and a sturdy defender, and she is also a goal-scoring threat with a hard shot. Her long-range strike against La Salle in last year’s season-opener was one of the team’s goals of the year.
Senior Caitlyn Scott and sophomore Elie Kotler can also play the holding midfield position. Scott appeared in all 18 contests a year ago and scored her first career goal at Colgate.
On the wings, junior Katie Connell is a Preseason All-Patriot League selection and the team’s top returning scorer. She tallied five goals and two assists last season and already has 10 career goals. Senior Riley Hayes and sophomores Dani Howard and Leah Bolson will also be counted on to provide offense.
Freshman Ingrid Murphy and junior Bella Connell will play in the attacking central midfield position, and sophomores Lizzie Arthur and Audra Toth are also vying for time in the midfield.
“It is going to be critical for us to get production out of the midfield,” said Cook. “We have a lot of potential goal-scorers there, and we need to be able to attack from the wide areas. We have plenty of good options, but the key is going to be finding the right combinations early in the season.”
FORWARDS
Sophomore Gaby Parker and junior Presley Sutter are the likely starters up top. Parker played in every match and started 16 as a freshman last season, scoring three goals with two assists. She was right on the cusp of piling up several more goals, and she has the potential to break out in 2026. Sutter is coming off an outstanding preseason, and she will be counted on for goal-scoring production after the graduation of Henna Andican, who led the squad with six goals last season.
Senior Ashley Kozlowski scored a brace in an exhibition game at Drexel, playing alongside sophomore Kenice Wilson with the second unit. Freshman Tennessee Murphy has missed most of the preseason with an injury, but she has the potential to be an impact contributor at 5’10” with a rocket of a left-footed shot. If needed, Katie Connell, Howard, and Hayes could also move up top.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the ball hit the back of the net more often this season,” said Cook. “Gaby Parker creates so many chances with her speed and elusiveness, and she and Presley Sutter had a great spring working together and building chemistry. As a group, we just need better quality with our execution and finishing.”
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Bucknell (0-0) at Montana (0-0)
When: Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT)
Where: South Campus Stadium, Missoula, Mont.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoGriz.com
Bucknell (0-0) at Eastern Washington (0-0)
When: Sunday, Aug. 16, 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT)
Where: EWU Soccer Stadium, Cheney, Wash.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoEags.com
Montana at a Glance/Series History
- The Bison and Grizzlies will meet for the first time in women’s soccer, and this will be Bucknell’s first trip to the state of Montana.
- The Grizzlies have a new head coach in Stuart Gore, who spent the previous three seasons at Troy. Gore takes over a program that has won 11 Big Sky Conference regular-season championships and has been to seven NCAA Tournaments, including last season. He succeeds Chris Citowicki, who took the head coach position at Washington State following last season’s championship run.
- A year ago, Montana finished 11-4-5 overall and 5-1-2 in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies won penalty kick shootouts against Idaho and Weber State to reach the NCAA Tournament, where they fell 2-0 at Washington.
- Senior Lucie Rokos earned Preseason All-Big Sky honors. The outside back is the team’s lone returning starter and one of only five returning letterwinners for the Grizzlies.
- Rokos and Caylee Dowler are the only two returnees who scored a goal last season, as Montana must replace 29 of its 31 goals.
- Montana was picked seventh out of 10 teams in the Big Sky preseason poll.
Montana at a Glance/Series History
- The Bison and Grizzlies will meet for the first time in women’s soccer, and this will be Bucknell’s first trip to the state of Montana.
- The Grizzlies have a new head coach in Stuart Gore, who spent the previous three seasons at Troy. Gore takes over a program that has won 11 Big Sky Conference regular-season championships and has been to seven NCAA Tournaments, including last season. He succeeds Chris Citowicki, who took the head coach position at Washington State following last season’s championship run.
- A year ago, Montana finished 11-4-5 overall and 5-1-2 in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies won penalty kick shootouts against Idaho and Weber State to reach the NCAA Tournament, where they fell 2-0 at Washington.
- Senior Lucie Rokos earned Preseason All-Big Sky honors. The outside back is the team’s lone returning starter and one of only five returning letterwinners for the Grizzlies.
- Rokos and Caylee Dowler are the only two returnees who scored a goal last season, as Montana must replace 29 of its 31 goals.
- Montana did pick up several transfers, including forward Megan Wilson-Sofield, who scored two goals for Arizona State in 2024.
- Montana was picked seventh out of 10 teams in the Big Sky preseason poll.
Eastern Washington at a Glance/Series History
- This will be Bucknell’s first meeting with Eastern Washington and its first game in the state of Washington.
- The Eagles went 8-7-4 overall and 4-3-1 in the Big Sky last season. They were 6-1-3 at home but only 2-6-1 away from home. Eastern Washington was the No. 3 seed in the Big Sky Tournament but was upset by No. 6 Northern Arizona 2-1 in the quarterfinals at Montana.
- Eastern Washington hosts Mount Royal on Wednesday before Bucknell visits on Sunday.
- Like Montana, the Eagles have a number of new faces on the roster this season with eight freshmen and six transfers among the 14 newcomers.
- Eastern Washington scored 30 goals in 19 games last season, but only three of its nine goal-scorers returns this fall. Noelle Raczykowski is the top returning scorer with two goals and six assists as a freshman last season. Bella Bunnage and Maya Bossenbrook scored one goal apiece in 2025. The Eagles must replace top scorer Delani Walker, who was named Big Sky Co-Offensive MVP after producing nine goals and six assists. Also lost to graduation was Chloe Pattison, an all-league performer who scored 20 career goals.
- EWU graduated top goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby. Back this year is Mallory Osborn, whose lone appearance last year was a 90-minute shutout of Hawaii Pacific.
- Missy Strasburg’s side was picked fifth out of 10 teams in the Big Sky preseason poll, and senior defender Iris Mattern was named to the Preseason All-Big Sky Team.
The Road Ahead
- After this week’s cross-country trek, the Bison return home next week to face Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday at 4 p.m., and La Salle on Sunday at 1 p.m.
- Thursday’s game will be the opener of a doubleheader with the men’s soccer team, which opens its 2026 campaign at 7:30 p.m. against Hofstra.
