Women's Soccer | 8/21/2026 11:55:00 AM
The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) announced the 2026 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll and Players to Watch list on Friday.
As Saint Francis continues its reclassification to Division III, the Red Wolves will be listed separately from the conference standings and will not be eligible for the PAC Championship.
Third-year head coach, Brian Diaz, and second-year assistant, Clare Crossley, prepare for the season ahead as the team began preseason practices and workouts this week in Loretto.
Meredith Artz | Sophomore | Midfielder | Monroe Township, N.J.
Artz returns to the pitch in Loretto after recording 18 starts last season, making her collegiate debut against University of Maryland.
"Meredith is a dynamic midfielder with a great engine. She performed really well in her freshman season and we are excited to see her growing impact this season."
Riley Cerqua | Senior | Defender | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Pittsburgh native, Cerqua, returns for her fourth season with Saint Francis. Last season, she tallied 18 starts. Cerqua was also named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
"Riley is absolute rock in the back line for us. Beyond her play, she is our vocal leader in the back who keeps everything organized."
Mercedez Paino | Senior | Midfielder | Langhorne, Pa.
Paino returns to the pitch in Loretto for her fourth season. She appeared in 16 games last season, recording her first career assist on Oct. 10 against Mercyhurst. She was also named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
"Mercedez is another dynamic center midfielder. She sets the tone for our team's rhythm on the field. Mercedez is another field general for us as well who leads with positivity in the locker room."
Caterina Schiavo | Senior | Defender | Sicklerville, N.J.
Schiavo returns with the Red Wolves for her fourth season. She appeared in 18 matches last season while also recording her first career assists during the Delaware State and Chicago State matches. She was also named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
"Cat solidifies everything defensively for us. She has a great combination of hard-nose tackling combined with grace on the ball."
The Red Wolves will host University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg for a scrimmage on Sunday, Aug. 23, and Juniata College for a scrimmage on Friday, August. 28. The team opens the regular season on Sept. 1 at home against Carnegie Mellon University.
2026 PAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2025 record (conference) |
| 1. Grove City College (11) |
132 |
13-7-2 (10-0-1 PAC) |
| 2. Saint Vincent College |
115 |
15-4-1 (8-2-1 PAC) |
| 3. Waynesburg University (2) |
111 |
17-3-2 (8-1-2 PAC) |
| 4. Allegheny College |
90 |
6-9-5 (5-3-3 PAC) |
| 5. Franciscan University |
84 |
6-9-4 (5-3-3 PAC) |
| 6. Chatham University |
82 |
10-6-3 (7-4 PAC) |
| 7. Westminster College |
65 |
3-9-5 (3-5-3 PAC) |
| 8. Washington & Jefferson College |
62 |
6-9-3 (3-5-3 PAC) |
| 9. Geneva College |
52 |
6-7-5 (5-4-2 PAC) |
| 10. Hiram College |
37 |
5-13 (2-9 PAC) |
| 11. Bethany College |
27 |
2-14 (1-10 PAC) |
| 12. Thiel College |
13 |
0-17 (0-11 PAC) |
| Saint Francis University* |
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0-14-2 (0-9-2 NEC) |
* - Ineligible for PAC Championship as school reclassifies from Division I
